English translation of "coup de théâtre" - "1. a dramatic turn of events, esp in a play 2. a sensational device of stagecraft 3. a stage success"

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185 months ago

Barbara R. Cochran (a guest user) asked this question:

Language pair:	French > English
Subject:	Other
Level of diffculty:	Easy / medium
Word or term in question:	coup de théâtre
Context:	Balzac ne s'attache guère à rendre la peau crédible. L'objet fantastique est moins...
Keywords:	...important que l'effet fantastique, si l'on admet avec Freud qu'il est tout entier dans cette sensation de l'unheimliche; l'étrange dans le familier, le coup de théâtre dans la répétition, le mouvemetn dans l'immobilité, la mort dans la vie.

Important This question has already been answered and rated. Therefore, no new answers can be given.

Complete list of answers and comments

185 months ago

easytrad wrote:

turn of event

My comment:

if you need a literary translation, you have to use Turn of event but you can also use some expressive word like surprise, amazement

185 months ago

easytrad wrote:

coup de théâtre (the French expression)

My comment:

One good example of a French expression used in English like "déjà vu"

Comments by other colleagues on this answer:

185 months ago

wrote:

I agree, the text seems to be targeted to people who will know what a coup de théâtre is.

185 months ago

wrote:

I agree, the text seems to be targeted to people who will know what a coup de théâtre is.

185 months ago

easytrad wrote:

the unexpected

My comment:

This is what I think it means here.

185 months ago

Sean O´Neill wrote:

1. a dramatic turn of events, esp in a play 2. a sensational device of stagecraft 3. a stage success

My comment:

However, there is no need to translate this, since the same phrase, "coup de theatre", is used in English untranslated. In other words it is a French loan phrase in English.

Comments by other colleagues on this answer:

185 months ago

Jennifer White wrote:

Yes, quite right. Don't translate.

185 months ago

Gina W wrote:

Correct - don't translate.

The asker rated this answer best