Translations Royale
A travelogue of Fleming’s French in Casino Royale
We at CommanderBond.net offer to you a list of translations of the French words and phrases that pepper the novel Casino Royale. We say pepper because they add flavour to an already wonderful text without overburdening the text (and the reader) with the extra work of having to figure out the translations. Fleming constructed sentences that did not depend on the reader understanding what the word meant in French to get the full meaning. On the contrary, the reader can get the meaning of the word in French from the context of the sentence.
Nevertheless, it is curious to see what the literal and every day meanings of these words and phrases are. You will note that some words do not have any translations. Those words have become part of the English language wholesale, without translation, but with correct meaning attached to them.
salle privée |
private room |
Le Chiffre |
The figure / The number / The cypher |
caisse |
cashier’s desk |
caissier |
cashier |
chef de partie |
chief of the game |
soirée |
party |
concierge |
caretaker |
merci |
thank you |
monsieur |
mister |
vestiaire |
cloakroom |
Deuxième Bureau |
Second office (The French office of military intellegence) |
Royale les Eaux |
Royal Water |
maisons de passe |
a house you need a pass for |
Inferieure |
lower |
Loi tendant a la Ferméture des Maisons de Tolerance et au Renforcement de la Lutte contre la Proxénitisme |
Law tending to the Closing of the Brothels and ot the Reinforcement of the Fight against Pimping |
the Société des Bains de Mers de Royale |
the Society of Baths of the Sea of Royale |
en brosse |
crewcut |
trente-et-quarante |
thirty-and-forty: A popular French casino card game in which the dealer deals rows of cards, one red, one black. The player bets on which row will be closest to a total of thirty-one after both rows total greater than thirty. |
cagnotte |
kitty (as in gambling) |
L’Ennemi Écoute |
The Enemy Listens |
Suivi |
follow-up |
grippe |
seize up |
Mairie |
Town Hall |
Vieux-port |
Old port |
Vitrines |
Windows / Displays |
couturiers |
fashion designers |
plage |
beach |
route nationale |
truck road / national route |
heure de aperitif |
Drink hour / Cocktail hour |
Moi, j’adore le “dry” |
Me, I like the “dry” |
fait avec du Gordon’s bien entendu |
With Gordon’s of course |
D’accord Daisy, Mais tu sais un zeste de citron… |
I agree Daisy. But you know a piece of lemon peel… |
fine a l’eau |
an aged brandy and water |
soie sauvage |
wild silk |
sabretache |
A type of leather case once used by cavalrymen |
porte cochère |
carriage door |
alors |
then |
bonne chance |
good luck |
merde |
shit |
Sacre |
damned |
Mademoiselle |
Miss |
Rouge Et Noir |
Red And Black |
huissier |
usher |
Oui, monsieur |
Yes, sir |
pate de foie gras |
liver pate |
Langouste |
Lobster |
Mais n’enculons pas des mouches |
But let us not nit pick / But we won’t split hairs |
Maitre d’hotel |
Matron of the hotel |
rogon de veau |
beef kidney |
pommes soufflés |
apple souffles |
fraises des bois |
wild strawberries |
tournedos |
a small, round steak slice taken from the heart of the tenderloin |
sause Bearnaise |
Bearnaise sauce |
coeur d’artichaut |
artichoke heart |
sommelier |
wine waiter or steward |
parfait |
perfect |
vendeuse |
saleswoman |
vingt-et-un |
twenty-one / blackjack |
Messieurs mesdames, les jeuz sont faits. Un banco de cinq mille |
Gentleman, ladies, the bets are made. A bank value of five thousand. |
Le banco est fait |
The bank value is made. |
Non |
No |
Neuf à la banque |
Nine for the bank |
Et le sept |
And seven |
Un banco d’un million |
A bank value of one million |
Un banco de deux millions |
A bank value of two million |
Banco |
Bank (accept the bank value) |
Un banco de quatre millions |
A bank value of four million |
Sept à la banque |
Seven for the bank |
Et cinq |
And five |
Un banco de huit millions |
A bank value of eight million |
Le jeu est fait |
The play is made |
Un banco de trente-duex millions |
A bank value of thirty-two million |
Excusez moi, monsieur. La mise? |
Excuse me, sir. The bet? |
Mes excuses, Monsieur Bond |
My apologies, Mr. Bond |
Un Deux Trois Quatre Cinq Six Sept |
One Two Three Four Five Six Seven |
La partie continue |
The game continues |
Neuf. Le rouge gagne, impair et manqué |
Nine. The red gains, odd and misses |
Huit à la banque |
Eight for the bank |
Et le neuf |
And the nine |
Un banco de dix millions |
A bank of ten million |
Le neuf |
The nine |
Et le baccarat |
And a count of zero |
La Vie en Rose |
Life in Pink / Life Through Rose Coloured Glasses A french song performed most notably by Edith Piaf. English versions were recorded by Louis Armstrong and Paula Cole |
pour épater la bourgeoisie |
To impress the middle-class |
banquettes |
benches / wall seats |
allez |
go |
coupez |
cross |
Les Noctambules |
The Night Birds (The phrase can also mean The Insomniacs or The Party Animals) |
Sonnez SVP |
Ring the bell please |
art nouveau |
new art |
vite |
quickly |
belotte |
a popular French card game that is a variant of bridge and played with 2, 3, or 4 players |
mise en scène |
setting in scene |
trou sur mer |
hole on sea |
L’Auberge du Fruit Défendu, crustaces, fritures |
The Inn of the Forbidden Fruit, seafood (shellfish), fried fish |
Madame la patronne |
The lady owner |
Fruit Défendu |
Forbidden Fruit |
vin triste |
an alcohol-induced melancholy |
auberge |
inn |
Pour lui |
For him |
You will note that some words are rather curious, both in their French origins and in the English translations. For example, there is the phrase “mais n’enculons pas des mouches,” which Bond tells us is a vulgar way of saying “But we won’t split hairs.” Its literal translation is “But let us not nit pick.” What is vulgar about that? Has Bond picked one too many nits out of a Bond girl’s hair? Of course, by vulgar Bond may just have meant “not proper French”.
Other phrases are simply curious to watch as they go through the process of translation. Maisons de passé literally means “houses of the past,” but in every day conversation would be “houses of prostitution.” If you think about it, the literal phrase makes sense. Houses of the Past makes for an interesting literal translation since Prostitution is frequently referred to as the world’s oldest profession, so yes, the past is happily and passionately acknowledged in such a place. Also, in these brothels men can recapture their youthful past where they were free to have sex with whatever woman they wanted, whenever they wanted. The only modern intrusion is in these masions, they must pay for the privledge of reclaiming their past.
And then there is this curious quote from M., which comes in chapter two of Casino Royale. M. has just read a small passage of the dossier written by the Head of S., where said head of section S uses a little too much French for M.’s liking:
This is not the Berlitz School of Languages, Head of S. If you want to show off your knowledge of foreign jaw-breakers, be good enough to provide a crib. Better still, write in English. – Casino Royale Chapter
Two |
Fleming had to know that his audience would probably not have much more than an elementary understanding of French. Moreover, that understanding was probably forgotten as soon as the reader was done with his (and I won’t write her, because I don’t think Fleming was thinking of persons such as myself when he was writing), schooling. So why would Mr. Fleming put us through a refresher course in French?
Simply put, we the readers were being introduced to something that Fleming would reveal later on—Bond’s flawless capacity to speak French. As we learn in Fleming’s novels and in Pearson’s “biography” of Bond, Bond can speak perfect French and German. If Bond can communicate in the native language, why wouldn’t he give himself the ease and advantage of speaking in that language? Indeed speaking in the native tongue would help him to blend in more, to slip into the shadows more easily.
Also, in writing it is always better to show rather than to tell the reader something. After watching Bond speak in colloquial or every day French, we get a greater understanding of who the man is and how he operates.
Bond and Fleming were well-traveled men. Why shouldn’t they use what they know, and then teach it to us? We could only be the better for the lesson.