Glossary entry (derived from question below)
French term or phrase:
juste retour de politesse
English translation:
as a return courtesy
Added to glossary by
Hattie Spence
Jun 16, 2011 11:40
12 yrs ago
1 viewer *
French term
Germany
Oxford graduate, accurate and flexible
Native in: English
Works in: German to English, French to English, English to German
juste retour de politesse
French to English
Art/Literary
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
Phrases
Breguet fera ensuite deux autres visites à Arnold et, juste retour de politesse, il décidera de lui confier son propre fils, Antoine-Louis, en apprentissage.
Context: earlier in the text, Arnold asked Breguet to take on his own son as an apprentice.
Arnold demande même à Breguet de prendre son fils John Roger en apprentissage, ce qu’il fera pendant deux ans. L’amitié entre les deux horlogers de génie ne se démentira jamais.
A suitable way to express this in English currently escapes me! Return the favour doesn't make sense as Arnold asked Breguet originally.
Context: earlier in the text, Arnold asked Breguet to take on his own son as an apprentice.
Arnold demande même à Breguet de prendre son fils John Roger en apprentissage, ce qu’il fera pendant deux ans. L’amitié entre les deux horlogers de génie ne se démentira jamais.
A suitable way to express this in English currently escapes me! Return the favour doesn't make sense as Arnold asked Breguet originally.
Proposed translations
(English)
| 3 +7 | as a return courtesy |
Colin Rowe
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| 3 | in payment/exchange for his (earlier) kindness/hospitality |
Leslie Marcus
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Proposed translations
+7
8 mins
Colin Rowe
Germany
Germany
Native in English
Works in field
Germany
Par Excellence Translations
Native in: English (Variant: British) 
Works in: German to English, French to English, Italian to English, and 3 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
28
Selected
as a return courtesy
Might work here. Particularly if it can be left ambiguous as to who is being courteous to whom!
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Catherine Bielarz (X)
: I like this better than payment/exchange, as the original text does not imply that the return courtesy was either expected or compulsory
32 mins
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Thanks!
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| agree |
ormiston
: nicely worded too
36 mins
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Thanks, too kind!
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| agree |
Lara Barnett
1 hr
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Thanks!
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| agree |
DLyons
: Maybe "to return the courtesy".
1 hr
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Thanks!
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| agree |
Philippa Smith
2 hrs
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Thanks!
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| agree |
Verginia Ophof
4 hrs
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Thanks!
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| agree |
piazza d
5 hrs
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Thanks!
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Great, thanks!"
21 mins
in payment/exchange for his (earlier) kindness/hospitality
It seems like adding "earlier" or "previous" would even make your original idea work: "in return of his earlier favour"
Discussion