This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
  1. KudoZ™ Top
  2. French to English
  3. Psychology

sa gestionnaire ne l’a pas manqué

English translation: his manager didn't fail to notice (how he felt)

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)
Entered by: B D Finch

11:04 Aug 3, 2018
French to English translations [Non-PRO]
Medical - Psychology
French term or phrase: sa gestionnaire ne l’a pas manqué
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.
Paul Jones
United Kingdom
Local time: 15:15
his manager didn't fail to notice his how he felt
Explanation:
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.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 hrs (2018-08-03 15:23:01 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

@Asker
I think that "didn't fail to notice" is a better translation of "n'a pas manqué" than "knows".
Selected response from:

B D Finch
France
Local time: 16:15
Grading comment
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +2his manager didn't fail to notice his how he felt
B D Finch
4 +1that his manager didn't even miss him
Nikki Scott-Despaigne


Discussion entries: 7





  

Answers


3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
his manager didn't fail to notice his how he felt


Explanation:
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.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 hrs (2018-08-03 15:23:01 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

@Asker
I think that "didn't fail to notice" is a better translation of "n'a pas manqué" than "knows".

B D Finch
France
Local time: 16:15
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 15
Notes to answerer
Asker: Hmm, so perhaps a translation could be "He feels hurt and afraid and he has the impression that his manager knows this."


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Jennifer White: Yes, on reflection, I see that this can make sense.
2 mins
  -> Thanks Jennifer!
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
  -> Thanks Nikki. I agree with your Discussion comment re inverted commas if a colloquialism or repetition of words used by the client were intended.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
that his manager didn't even miss him


Explanation:
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!

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 hrs (2018-08-03 15:39:09 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

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.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 23 hrs (2018-08-04 10:39:02 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

"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."

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 23 hrs (2018-08-04 10:49:21 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

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).

Nikki Scott-Despaigne
Local time: 16:15
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 46

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
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
  -> It works gramatically, although the obvious way to sort this out, would be for the Asker to check with the client.
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
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

Return to KudoZ list

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

See also:
ProZ.com term search
Search millions of term translations
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search