French Language Help please

[Victor Galis]

So apparently, my research paper has to come with an abstract in both English and French (Vive le Québec!). I was wondering if you guys could tell me if my translation is good:

English Version:
The concept of increasing returns to scale has revolutionized economics in the last few decades. This paper will focus on its implications for growth, international trade, and economic geography. This sort of historical overview has been attempted previously (Peon 2003), but this paper contains additional insights. It will begin with a look at the history of neoclassical growth theory, increasing returns to scale, and international trade theory, before moving on to modern literature on the interactions between the three. This paper will then look at how increasing returns to scale has changed the new trade theory, new growth theory, and new economic geography.

Version Française:
Le concept des rendements d'échelle croissants a révolutionné les sciences économiques dans les dernières décennies. Cette rédaction se concentra sur ses implications pour la croissance économique, commerce international, et géographie économique. Cet sort de survol historique a été essayé avant (Peon 2003), mais cette rédaction contient aperçus additionnels. Elle commencerait avec l’histoire de la théorie néoclassique de croissance, rendements d’échelle croissants, et la théorie du commerce international, avant passer à la littérature moderne des interactions entre les trois. Cette rédaction examinera comment l’étude des rendements d’échelle croissants a change la nouvelle théorie du commerce international, la nouvelle théorie de la croissance, et la nouvelle géographie économique.

[snoopy369]

Your English looks good

[CrONoS]

Version Française:
Au cours des dernières décennies, le concept des rendements d'échelle croissants révolutionna les sciences économiques. Cette rédaction se concentrera sur ses implications pour la croissance économique, le commerce international, et la géographie économique. Ce type de survol historique a été essayé auparavant (Peon 2003), mais cette rédaction contient des aperçus additionnels. Cette rédaction traitera de l’historique de la théorie néoclassique de la croissance, des rendements d’échelle croissants, de la théorie du commerce international, et nous terminerons par une revue de littérature concernant les interactions entre ces trois concepts. Cette rédaction cherchera à comprendre comment l’étude des rendements d’échelle croissants a transformé la nouvelle théorie du commerce international, la nouvelle théorie de la croissance, et la nouvelle géographie économique.

[Lul Thyme]

I don't write French much anymore, so I may be rusty, so I'll stick to what are definitely mistakes and someone else can cover some stylistic issues maybe.

"se concentra" should be "se concentrera"

"la croissance économique, commerce international, et géographie économique" should be "la croissance économique, le commerce international, et la géographie économique" (repeat the article)

"Cet sort" -> "Cette sorte"

I've never seen "essayé" in that sense (of writing an essay).

"contient aperçus additionnels" -> "contient des aperçus additionnels"

"Elle commencerait" -> "commencera"

you also need to add articles in the enumeration in that sentence, for example "rendements d’échelle croissants" needs an article.

"avant passer"-> avant de passer

"a change"-> a changé

I think that about covers it for grammar.
There are many word usage that sound very strange to me but I havn't read academic French in a long time, so I would be wary of advising you.

[CrONoS]

Au cours des dernières décennies, le concept des rendements d'échelle croissants révolutionna les sciences économiques. Cette rédaction se concentrera sur ses implications pour la croissance économique, le commerce international, et la géographie économique. Ce type de survol historique fut réalisé auparavant (Peon 2003), mais cette rédaction y apporte une contribution additionnelle. Elle y traitera de l’historique de la théorie néoclassique de la croissance, des rendements d’échelle croissants, de la théorie du commerce international, et nous terminerons par une revue de littérature concernant les interactions entre ces trois concepts. Cette rédaction cherchera à comprendre comment l’étude des rendements d’échelle croissants a transformé la nouvelle théorie du commerce international, la nouvelle théorie de la croissance, et la nouvelle géographie économique.

(have to go sorry)

[Deity Dude]

Why would you be required to write it in both languages. Is the subject matter taught in both languages. Does the professor give every lecture in both languages.

I realize about the signs and the label warnings being bi-lingual because some from one area could travel to the other. But, do you have to ensure that everyone in your country can read your abstract.

What part of Canada are you from anyways.

[snoopy369]

Quebec (from le OP). And, he has to do it because Les Quebecois are a bit insane. They like to do everything twice, because otherwise people would forget to speak french.

[Victor Galis]

Originally posted by CrONoS
Au cours des dernières décennies, le concept des rendements d'échelle croissants révolutionna les sciences économiques. Cette rédaction se concentrera sur ses implications pour la croissance économique, le commerce international, et la géographie économique. Ce type de survol historique fut réalisé auparavant (Peon 2003), mais cette rédaction y apporte une contribution additionnelle. Elle y traitera de l’historique de la théorie néoclassique de la croissance, des rendements d’échelle croissants, de la théorie du commerce international, et nous terminerons par une revue de littérature concernant les interactions entre ces trois concepts. Cette rédaction cherchera à comprendre comment l’étude des rendements d’échelle croissants a transformé la nouvelle théorie du commerce international, la nouvelle théorie de la croissance, et la nouvelle géographie économique.

(have to go sorry)

Thanks much for the help. It sounds much better now. I could get some of the meaning across, but dictionaries aren't very useful for picking the right words.

Why would you be required to write it in both languages. Is the subject matter taught in both languages. Does the professor give every lecture in both languages.

I realize about the signs and the label warnings being bi-lingual because some from one area could travel to the other. But, do you have to ensure that everyone in your country can read your abstract.

Apparently the university requires a French abstract to be submitted with my research paper. I am just fortunate I don't have to submit a French translation for the whole thing. I can speak French pretty well, but not up to the standards that I'd need to submit my paper.

And no none of my classes were in French, though I could have chosen to submit any of my work in French. This particular paper is the last that I submit before graduation.

What part of Canada are you from anyways.

It's for McGill University in Montreal.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Deity Dude
Why would you be required to write it in both languages. Is the subject matter taught in both languages. Does the professor give every lecture in both languages.

I realize about the signs and the label warnings being bi-lingual because some from one area could travel to the other. But, do you have to ensure that everyone in your country can read your abstract.

What part of Canada are you from anyways.

Quebec is insane.

I knew a bunch of guys who used to develop software for private companies in Montreal. Occasionally the "French Language Police" would come in and inspect that all is according to their absurd laws. They'd find violations like standard English keyboards and then cite the company unless they forced all developers to use French keyboard layouts. It really, really ****s with programming productivity...

One of the guys moved from Montreal to Toronto just because the French language bull**** pissed him off so much. He went to McGill and is fluently bilingual (while his English is better) but just couldn't take the stupidity anymore.

[Lul Thyme]

This isn't particular to Quebec.
I believe it is very common throughout the academic world to have abstracts in many languages.

For example, here in Ljubljana, Ph.D. Thesis in Mathematics usually get an abstract both in Slovenian and English, whether the actual thesis is in English or Slovenian.

This increases the chance that somebody interested in your work might read it. I've looked at old papers in German that had abstracts in English, obviously for this very purpose.

[Unimatrix11]

CrOnos: Dont ever do this for someone, you dont wanna end up boinking with... it just never ends... (regardless)

[Dry]

Re: French Language Help please

Originally posted by Victor Galis
So apparently, my research paper has to come with an abstract in both English and French (Vive le Québec!). I was wondering if you guys could tell me if my translation is good:

English Version:
The concept of increasing returns to scale has revolutionized economics in the last few decades. This paper will focus on its implications for growth, international trade, and economic geography. This sort of historical overview has been attempted previously (Peon 2003), but this paper contains additional insights. It will begin with a look at the history of neoclassical growth theory, increasing returns to scale, and international trade theory, before moving on to modern literature on the interactions between the three. This paper will then look at how increasing returns to scale has changed the new trade theory, new growth theory, and new economic geography.

As stated by lul Thyme, there are some weird french formulations or words in the previous translations, but maybe they are specific to Quebec, but not really french.
Here is how I would translate it:

Le concept de rendements d'échelle croissants a révolutionné l'économie au cours des dernières décennies. Dans cet article nous nous interresserons (1) plus particulièrement à ses implications sur la croissance, le commerce international et la géographie économique.
Ce genre de survol historique a déja été tenté par le passé (Peon 2003), mais cet article apporte des idées (un regard, des réflexions (2)) supplémentaires.
Nous commencerons par examiner l'histoire de la théorie néoclassique de la croissance (3), des rendements d'échelle croissants et de la théorie du commerce international. Ensuite, nous passerons à la litérature moderne traitant des interactions entre ces trois points.
Nous examinerons enfin comment les rendements d'échelle croissants ont changé la nouvelle théorie du commerce(4), la nouvelle théorie de la croissance (4) et la nouvelle géographie économique.

(1) The word 'paper' is difficult to translate in french. Un papier is more specifically used for journalists in newspapers, not for studies or thoughtful articles. I prefered to use the word article only once, and to say that 'we are going to study....'. It sounds better in french.
And rédaction is definitely not french for an article. It is what you do when you write, but it is not the result of your writing.

(2) Problem again with insights. Litterally, it is apperçu. But an apperçu is a little light, it's just a look, without really paying attention. You might prefer réfexions: thoughts, un regard: a sight, in the meaning of a perspective.

(3) What is neoclassical here? the theory or the growth? If it is the growth, then better say la théorie de la croissance néoclassique.

(4) Same as in (3) above. But I assume that it is the theories that are new, right?

[Fake Boris]

What Dry said, except:

Nous nous intéresserons (instead of 'interresserons')
aperçu, not 'apperçu' (but you won't be using that word anyway, he's correct on that point).

[CrONoS]

Re: Re: French Language Help please

Originally posted by Dry

As stated by lul Thyme, there are some weird french formulations or words in the previous translations, but maybe they are specific to Quebec, but not really french.
Here is how I would translate it:

Le concept de rendements d'échelle croissants a révolutionné l'économie au cours des dernières décennies. Dans cet article nous nous interresserons (1) plus particulièrement à ses implications sur la croissance, le commerce international et la géographie économique.
Ce genre de survol historique a déja été tenté par le passé (Peon 2003), mais cet article apporte des idées (un regard, des réflexions (2)) supplémentaires.
Nous commencerons par examiner l'histoire de la théorie néoclassique de la croissance (3), des rendements d'échelle croissants et de la théorie du commerce international. Ensuite, nous passerons à la litérature moderne traitant des interactions entre ces trois points.
Nous examinerons enfin comment les rendements d'échelle croissants ont changé la nouvelle théorie du commerce(4), la nouvelle théorie de la croissance (4) et la nouvelle géographie économique.

lot better.

[Zkribbler]

Je ne parle pas francais!