Glossary entry (derived from question below)
French term or phrase:
sa gestionnaire ne l’a pas manqué
English translation:
his manager didn't fail to notice (how he felt)
Added to glossary by
B D Finch
Aug 3, 2018 11:04
5 yrs ago
French term
United Kingdom
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Native in: English (Variant: British)
Works in: French to English, Spanish to English, Catalan to English
sa gestionnaire ne l’a pas manqué
Non-PRO
French to English
Medical
Psychology
I'm translating a psychiatric report about a man who doesn't get on with his manager. The man took some time off work and he says that his manager "ne l’a pas manqué". What does this mean exactly? That his supervisor didn't miss him?
I thought that with the verb manquer, the subject and the object get reversed, so wouldn't it be that the man didn't miss his supervisor?
Here's the context:
Le patient mentionne qu’il a toujours été loyal envers la Compagnie, il se demande pour quelle raison cette gestionnaire est encore à son poste. Il a un sentiment de blessure, de peur, il a l’impression que sa gestionnaire ne l’a pas manqué. Dans une note de son psychologue (date inconnue), il est question de la motivation réelle de le patient envers le retour au travail, mais qu’il craint pour sa sécurité s’il devait reprendre le travail en présence de sa gestionnaire.
I thought that with the verb manquer, the subject and the object get reversed, so wouldn't it be that the man didn't miss his supervisor?
Here's the context:
Le patient mentionne qu’il a toujours été loyal envers la Compagnie, il se demande pour quelle raison cette gestionnaire est encore à son poste. Il a un sentiment de blessure, de peur, il a l’impression que sa gestionnaire ne l’a pas manqué. Dans une note de son psychologue (date inconnue), il est question de la motivation réelle de le patient envers le retour au travail, mais qu’il craint pour sa sécurité s’il devait reprendre le travail en présence de sa gestionnaire.
Proposed translations
(English)
| 3 +2 | his manager didn't fail to notice his how he felt |
B D Finch
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| 4 +1 | that his manager didn't even miss him |
Nikki Scott-Despaigne
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Change log
Aug 6, 2018 07:51: B D Finch Created KOG entry
Proposed translations
+2
3 hrs
Selected
his manager didn't fail to notice his how he felt
While Jennifer's reading of this could be right, that would depend upon there actually being a grammatical error. As it is perfectly possible to read the sentence as being grammatically correct, I don't think you should make an assumption that it isn't.
Unfortunately, in your explanation you take the phrase "ne l’a pas manqué" in isolation and in a way that makes the pronoun appear to refer to the man. However, when you quote the source text sentence "Il a un sentiment de blessure, de peur, il a l’impression que sa gestionnaire ne l’a pas manqué," it seems more likely that the object of "ne l’a pas manqué" is "un sentiment de blessure, de peur".
However, polyglot's suggestion that it means "that she hadn't missed the chance to do him down" is also quite plausible. That interpretation would use the same reading of the syntax as I suggest above, but would mean that the manager didn't miss the opportunity to take advantage of his "sentiment de blessure, de peur" and to put the boot in.
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Note added at 4 hrs (2018-08-03 15:23:01 GMT)
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@Asker
I think that "didn't fail to notice" is a better translation of "n'a pas manqué" than "knows".
Unfortunately, in your explanation you take the phrase "ne l’a pas manqué" in isolation and in a way that makes the pronoun appear to refer to the man. However, when you quote the source text sentence "Il a un sentiment de blessure, de peur, il a l’impression que sa gestionnaire ne l’a pas manqué," it seems more likely that the object of "ne l’a pas manqué" is "un sentiment de blessure, de peur".
However, polyglot's suggestion that it means "that she hadn't missed the chance to do him down" is also quite plausible. That interpretation would use the same reading of the syntax as I suggest above, but would mean that the manager didn't miss the opportunity to take advantage of his "sentiment de blessure, de peur" and to put the boot in.
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Note added at 4 hrs (2018-08-03 15:23:01 GMT)
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@Asker
I think that "didn't fail to notice" is a better translation of "n'a pas manqué" than "knows".
Note from asker:
| Hmm, so perhaps a translation could be "He feels hurt and afraid and he has the impression that his manager knows this." |
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Jennifer White
: Yes, on reflection, I see that this can make sense.
2 mins
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Thanks Jennifer!
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| agree |
Nikki Scott-Despaigne
: This reading is quite possible, particularly with the indication that the patient fears for his safety if he returns to work. My suggestion is an alternative reading to this one ;-) One for the Asker to check with the client.
20 hrs
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Thanks Nikki. I agree with your Discussion comment re inverted commas if a colloquialism or repetition of words used by the client were intended.
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
+1
4 hrs
Nikki Scott-Despaigne
Native in English
Specializes in field
Psychologist, Court-certified legal
Native in: English 
Works in: French to English
Related KudoZ points
:
46
that his manager didn't even miss him
If it means that he feels that his manager didn't even care he was absent, or the feeling that the manager didn't even notice he was gone.
From the title alone, I though this meant that his manager had really gone for him, as in" sa gestionnaire de l'a pas loupé". I was wrong!
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Note added at 4 hrs (2018-08-03 15:39:09 GMT)
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After all, this is about a "retour au travail", so the guy has been absent and he is disappointed and takes personally what he perceives as the fact that his manager didn't even care/notice he was absent.
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Note added at 23 hrs (2018-08-04 10:39:02 GMT)
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"Il a un sentiment de blessure, de peur, il a l’impression que sa gestionnaire ne l’a pas manqué."
"He feels hurt, afraid and has the impression that his manager did not miss him."
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Note added at 23 hrs (2018-08-04 10:49:21 GMT)
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It is possible to read the "l'" as referring to the "il" (the patient) or, alternatively, to the "sentiment de blessure, de peur" (the feeling, or the fact that the patient was feeling that way).
From the title alone, I though this meant that his manager had really gone for him, as in" sa gestionnaire de l'a pas loupé". I was wrong!
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Note added at 4 hrs (2018-08-03 15:39:09 GMT)
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After all, this is about a "retour au travail", so the guy has been absent and he is disappointed and takes personally what he perceives as the fact that his manager didn't even care/notice he was absent.
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Note added at 23 hrs (2018-08-04 10:39:02 GMT)
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"Il a un sentiment de blessure, de peur, il a l’impression que sa gestionnaire ne l’a pas manqué."
"He feels hurt, afraid and has the impression that his manager did not miss him."
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Note added at 23 hrs (2018-08-04 10:49:21 GMT)
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It is possible to read the "l'" as referring to the "il" (the patient) or, alternatively, to the "sentiment de blessure, de peur" (the feeling, or the fact that the patient was feeling that way).
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Jennifer White
: This was my thought originally, but how do you square this with the language used?/…."ne l'a pas manqué" doesn't mean he hadn't missed him though. https://french.kwiziq.com/revision/grammar/manquer-a-means-t...
42 mins
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It works gramatically, although the obvious way to sort this out, would be for the Asker to check with the client.
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| agree |
B D Finch
: Yes, that is a possible reading. It's a pity French doesn't have a neutral gender pronoun to indicate a thing rather than a person!
19 hrs
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Discussion
That gives three possible readings so far. From the context, I think "ne pas l'avoir loupé" is probably bottom of the list for the reasons mentioned. The Asker would be well-advised to ask the client which reading applies.
http://www.larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais/rater/66624/lo...
or maybe "she really did a job on him" (slang - mistreat, harmful impact)
I think the idea behind "Ne pas manquer" is "pretty bad" or "pretty good" actually. Like if you say "il t'a pas manqué", meaning, for ex, he "punched" you proper or "got you good".