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La décision par adhésion et la décision partagée
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Glossary entry

French term or phrase:

l'idéal naturel comme un sésame

English translation:

going back to nature's way is the key to success

Added to glossary by lundy
Nov 4, 2008 08:56
15 yrs ago
French term

l'idéal naturel comme un sésame

French to English Bus/Financial Marketing
Hi

From marketing recommendations for a cosmetics firm expanding in China.

"Dans un pays de plus en plus urbain, l'idéal naturel comme un sésame."

I understand this means that promoting the brand's cosmetics as natural, or using images of nature in advertising, is a good way into the market ("open sesame" type of thing) but am struggling to word this succinctly.

Thanks for your help :-)
Proposed translations (English)
3 +1 going back to nature's way is the key to success
3 the natural look as an opening gambit....
3 ... to gain a foothold in the market
3 paves the way towards natural ideals
3 In an increasingly urbanised country let nature be the seed of success
3 the (Chinese) concept of naturalness/[the natural] to break into the market;
Change log

Nov 6, 2008 10:00: lundy Created KOG entry

Discussion

lundy Nov 5, 2008:
thanks John and here's an interesting extract from this link http://www.toildepices.com: "Sésame, ouvre toi" : ces mots magiques nomment le sésame car il est un vrai trésor pour celui qui en possède : il est très énergétique. Mais ces paroles doivent auss
John Peterson Nov 5, 2008:
should acknowledge that it was Lundy who came up with "key".
John Peterson Nov 5, 2008:
Sounds fine to me (or "...is the key to opening up markets/the market" if you want to make it explicit).
Sandra Petch (asker) Nov 5, 2008:
Plain and simple? "In an increasingly urbanised country, Nature holds the key" (implicitly, the key to market share).
John Peterson Nov 5, 2008:
Maybe try a fre(er) approach like: "In an increasingly urbanised society, the ideals represented by nature are ever more highly valued, so let nature be the key to/your route to unlocking market potential....." (key = sésame or route = voie royale).
Sandra Petch (asker) Nov 5, 2008:
Throwing some ideas around... I've been thinking along the lines of "In an increasingly urbanised country, (the ideal of) Nature is held in high esteem." Now I'm seeing "sésame" in a similar light to that other French favourite, "la voie royale" - the fast track? Just thinking out loud ;-) As the French doesn't specifically talk about breaking into markets, even though I'm sure that's what is meant, I've been searching for something similar in English.
Sandra Petch (asker) Nov 4, 2008:
Polyglot "In an increasingly urbanised country..."
polyglot45 Nov 4, 2008:
how are you translating the first part of the "sentence" given that there is a clear dichotomy between this and the reference to nature (as an antidote?) ?
Sandra Petch (asker) Nov 4, 2008:
Hi Juliebarba Definitely "telegraphic" in style! Nothing missing though. It is a single sentence in large font against images of leaves, flowers and other bits of nature. "Comme un sésame" = a kind of password, a way of gaining access, taken from "open sesame" in The Arabian Nights.
Julie Barber Nov 4, 2008:
The sentence doesn't make much sense to me....nothing missing from it?

Proposed translations

+1
1 hr
Selected

going back to nature's way is the key to success

something along the lines of
in an ever increasingly urban landscape, going back to nature's way is the key to success or, more simply, as we're talking about cosmetics "natural products are the key to success"

or even "making the cosmetics the natural way ..."


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day9 hrs (2008-11-05 18:40:12 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

sorry here's the quote I tried to put above :
"Sésame, ouvre toi" : ces mots magiques nomment le sésame car il est un vrai trésor pour celui qui en possède : il est très énergétique. Mais ces paroles doivent aussi être une allusion au bruit que font les gousses de sésame qui s'ouvrent à maturité : il ressemble à s'y méprendre à une clef dans une serrure…

Peer comment(s):
agree John Peterson : looks like key is the "key"
1 day 9 hrs
thanks again John
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks Lundy, key does it for me!"
39 mins

the natural look as an opening gambit....

as a winning/attention-grabbing sales pitch

as the way to open all doors
Something went wrong...
58 mins

... to gain a foothold in the market

maybe something like ....using nature/the natural look to gain a foothold in the market. Or as you said ... as a way into the market.

Something went wrong...
1 hr

paves the way towards natural ideals

The increasing urbanisation of the country paves the way towards natural ideals.

In an increasingly urbanised country, a back to nature outlook opens many doors.
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30 mins

In an increasingly urbanised country let nature be the seed of success

One suggestion - playing on sesame as a seed and "door opener" in the sense of growth through "blossoming".

If it is more consumer-oriented maybe "in today's hectic urban lifestyle let nature make your complexion blossom"

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 34 mins (2008-11-04 09:31:26 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Or: "when it comes to city life, let nature be your complexion's best friend"

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2008-11-04 10:18:41 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Re Sandra's note below maybe: "Nature - the 'roots' to growth in an increasingly urbanised society" (if the roots/routes pun can work in this context).
Note from asker:
Hi John - thanks for these ideas. It's not a slogan as such but a general remark: nature is a good "angle of attack" for this market!
Something went wrong...
4 hrs

the (Chinese) concept of naturalness/[the natural] to break into the market;


Using Nature as a hook to...

using the concept of the natural to create an opening in an increasingly urban market/world/country



From below, I see that there is a Chinese concept of naturalness, which may be helpful. Personally, I prefer "concept of the natural", but I think either fits "l'idéal natural". It's a pity that "natural concept" has quite a different meaning, otherwise I'd plump for that, in the interest of brevity.

However, as this isn't supposed to be a slogan...

______

[PDF] Ziran – the Chinese concept of naturalness

File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML
Taijiquan-Lilun · Issue 1. Taijiquan-Lilun · Issue 1. 6. 7. Focus. Focus. An essential concept of Taijiquan, whose impor-. tance is repeatedly stressed, ...
www.wu-taichi.de/cms/wu-taichi.com/media/pdf/1_Ziran.pdf

The Role of the Concept of the Natural (Naturalness) in Organic ...

Contrary to what critics say about the concept of the natural, we believe. that good reasons can be given and are given why organic agriculture ...
www.springerlink.com/index/R2UK524282088445.pdf

IngentaConnect The Role of the Concept of the Natural (Naturalness ...

Producers, traders, and consumers of organic food regularly use the concept of the natural (naturalness) to characterize organic agriculture and or organic ...
www.ingentaconnect.com/content/klu/jage/2003/00000016/00000... - Similar pages
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