Transition Culture

Hi Rob

The meaning of “ancien” in that context is that you were once a professor of permaculture, and says absolutely nothing about your age or mindset :). I believe the correct translation is “former professor”.

Rob, my French isn’t too good either, but Google Translate says “a former teacher of permaculture,” which sounds a bit better!

Dear Rob,

This is from someone having lived in France for 40 years…I am nearly 71 and definitely of “ancient” status….but who is little by little trying to do her bit to introduce the glorious Transition movement around her..

‘Former’ is definitely what ‘ancien’ means here…so don’t get feeling too old and “has been” ! But do put your feet up for a few minutes anyway from time to time.
You are doing such a fantastic job… Anyway, it was good for a few laughs !
Liberation is a good leftist paper here in France. And I heard yesterday that Noel Mamère, a well- known Green politician in France has been talking about the Transition movement ! It is creeping in !!!!!!
Have you heard of PIERRE RABHI by the way ?
If not, please, please find out about him on the web, with someone who speaks good French.
One of the wisest and gently outspoken people in France, my age,sort of….a wonderful, tireless, eloquent, Algerian born farmer/thinker, deep carer of the land,founder of a number of special movements in France,instigator of wonderful agricultural work in several African countries etc etc. Yehudi Menuhin was a big supporter of his and gave one or more concerts to help support his work.
To my mind,to help get things going here in France, some sort of important link up is needed between all his wonderful work and yours ! They go perfectly together, and should go hand in hand !
I will do what I can to get the Transition movement known to him and his people, if it isn’t already !
So, with warmest wishes,

Dear Rob,

This is from someone having lived in France for 40 years…I am nearly 71 and definitely of “ancient” status….but who is little by little trying to do her bit to introduce the glorious Transition movement around her..

‘Former’ is definitely what ‘ancien’ means here…so don’t get feeling too old and “has been” ! But do put your feet up for a few minutes anyway from time to time.
You are doing such a fantastic job… Anyway, it was good for a few laughs !
Liberation is a good leftist paper here in France. And I heard yesterday that Noel Mamère, a well- known Green politician in France has been talking about the Transition movement ! It is creeping in !!!!!!
Have you heard of PIERRE RABHI by the way ?
If not, please, please find out about him on the web, with someone who speaks good French.
One of the wisest and most (gently outspoken, ) people in France, my age,sort of….a wonderful, tireless, eloquent, Algerian born farmer/thinker, deep carer of the land,founder of a number of special movements in France,instigator of wonderful agricultural work in several African countries etc etc. Yehudi Menuhin was a big supporter of his and gave one or more concerts to help support his work.
To my mind,to help get things going here in France, some sort of important link up is needed between all his wonderful work and yours ! They go perfectly together, and should go hand in hand !
I will do what I can to get the Transition movement known to him and his people, if it isn’t already !
So, with warmest wishes,

Dear Rob,

This is from someone having lived in France for 40 years…I am nearly 71 and definitely of “ancient” status….but who is little by little trying to do her bit to introduce the glorious Transition movement around her..

‘Former’ is definitely what ‘ancien’ means here…so don’t get feeling too old and “has been” ! But do put your feet up for a few minutes anyway from time to time.
You are doing such a fantastic job… Anyway, it was good for a few laughs !
Liberation is a good leftist paper here in France. And I heard yesterday that Noel Mamère, a well- known Green politician in France has been talking about the Transition movement ! It is creeping in !!!!!!
Have you heard of PIERRE RABHI by the way ?
If not, please, please find out about him on the web, with someone who speaks good French.
A gently outspoken,and in my opinion, one of the wisest people in France just now, my age,sort of….a wonderful, tireless, eloquent, Algerian born farmer/thinker, deep carer of the land,founder of a number of special movements in France,instigator of wonderful agricultural work in several African countries etc etc. Yehudi Menuhin was a big supporter of his and gave one or more concerts to help support his work.
He is difficult to get hold of…endlessly asked to talk here and there….but to my mind,to help get things going here in France, some sort of important link up is needed between all his wonderful work and yours ! They go perfectly together, and should go hand in hand !
I will do what I can to get the Transition movement known to him and his people, if it isn’t already !
So, with warmest wishes and thanks,
Susan Cerezo

ancien,nne after the noun means old, ancient. ancien,nne before the noun means former, so Rob is described as a former teacher of permaculture.

In this context, Rob, it is in no way unflattering! It simply means, as Carol and John pointed out, ‘a former teacher of Permaculture.’ Cyfarchion o Gymru!

John Robottom is right.

I’m not 100% sure on this, but I think that “ancien” is actually a kind of complement, akin to calling someone “wise” or “experienced”

Hope that helps 🙂

Hello Rob nice to meet you, I’m french.!
It mean’s in the text that you are a leader very experienced . For a french “ancien ” means also that you don’t teach more today but you have the credential…

I felt like I needed some translation practise this morning, so here’s my effort. Not perfect, a few of the words but you should get the gist. Andy

“In Totnes, an English solution for post-oil life.”

A plan constructed by it’s residents should enable this town to do without the “black gold” by 2030.

Small is beautiful, the old refrain from the 70’s is back in fashion with the Transitioners; the activists of Transition towns, who hope to guide us gently into a post-oil world. For them, there’s no need to attend Copenhagen, the change can take place here and now, locally and together.

Led by Rob Hopkins, a former teacher of permaculture (an agricultural method which doesn’t use oil), the transitioners have undertaken organisation to a post oil transition. They are convinced that “without oil, society will collapse”, as stated by Rob Hopkins. By dissecting aspects of our current of life, not solely travel but also food, they have arrived at this conclusion: we can detoxify ourselves, but we need time. Preaching is fine but doing something is better.

Barter Shops. Their experiment takes place under the open skies of Totnes, in the friendly British county of Devon. The region is known for being one of the most alternative in the country: new-world, organic and resistant to nuclear and GM, so this area was a prime target for a new idea. Along it’s high street, Fore Street, the little town is paradise for “organic lovers” (biobios?): there are vegetarian wholefood shops and restaurants, shops where you can barter, an anarchist bookshop as well as fair-trade clothes shops. Rob Hopkins moved there to launch his movement. The town is perfect for experimentation, not too big or too small: 8,000 inhabitants split into 3,000 homes, a joined up community and a strong group of converts to the cause.

In 2005, Rob Hopkins started by writing his “bible”, The Transition Handbook, in which he developed the idea of resilience rather than just opposing the system which is advocated by those against growth. Then with a group of converts he developed an energy descent plan (or EDAP) for Totnes which would guide it until 2030. Twenty one years to organise, relocalise, produce restraint and resilience. Expanded on by the community and validated by the inhabitants of the region (22,000 people in total), EDAP fixes each year some objectives to ultimately reduce the number of barrels of oil used per person from 9 to 1.

Jacqui Hadon, his co-coordinator but also advisor to Totnes town council, sees the energy descent plan as a living entity: “This plan will evolve as the changes, priorities and desires of our inhabitants do.” Several groups concentrate on a specific aspect of transition: Transport, food and psychology.

Almonds. Regarding food, the followers of transition want to limit how many kilometres their food travels, the famous “food miles”. For them, you should eat local, including what you produce yourself. One programme reallocates unused land to inhabitants who want to garden with their family. Another group has planted nut trees in public gardens, in the cemetery and on the banks of the river Dart… Chestnut, almonds and other nuts will only start producing in 15 years, but they already producing an inheritance for future generations.

The “economy and resilience”group has created a local currency, the Totnes pound, accepted by 30 or so shopkeepers (out of more than 150). The objective is to re-localise the economy and privilege exchanges with local suppliers. Only £10,000 Totnes pounds are in circulation. This compares with 16 million pounds exchanged each year by the residents of Totnes.

Hello Rob,
there’s a second pun in the title.

it both means:
– the English have found a key to get out of the oil dependency (flattering)
– the tool that works to get out of the oil dependency (because a “clé anglaise” is a monkey wrench, a most useful tool: http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clé_(outil))

and no, you’ve not been “aged” in the article, “ancien” just means former / ex-teacher.

(the article is very positive, and it’s a good thing Laure came over, her paper is well respected over here).

A bientot,

Julien

Regardless,
I think I’d indulge in a good old nap by the fire.
Mmmmmmmmm

ancien used as a noun can mean elder in the sense of respect but here it is used as an adjective.

Hi Rob,
I lived there for a decade and speak fluently. Ancien in this case means ‘former’. Liberation is a great left-wing paper, so in your shoes I’d feel chuffed they’ve given you a write-up.
If I can ever be of help with translating in the future, feel free to get in touch.

Thanks for clarifying that, John. My French has just been improved! 🙂

Yes, the meaning of ancien in this context is the same than in Spanish and Italian, our beloved Romance languages, and means “previous” or former, o anterior.

Libération is an excellent newspaper, as a whole, and I wish that in the Anglo-Saxon Murdoch Empire of Tabloid s, the working class in the UK could read newspapers as good as Libération.

Bonjour Rob. Did you know that there is no word in french for ‘bully’?
With this cultural fact out en plein air, and in mind, we may firstly deduce that there would be no alterior, ageist~bullying motif at the heart of translating, what can only be described as a topographic appraisal of a correct placement of nouns, which in terms of your current concern, means you are not quite ready to don those slippers as permanant fixtures just yet : )

Yes, indeed, “former”….as in “ancien regime” (“the former regime”)….and venerable!?!…

Would someone now please translate “chuffed,” as used here by Jennifer Lauruol? I live in the US, and we don’t speak any English. 😉

Elder – a wise and respected person, trustworthy and knowledgeable. Apparently you are being accorded the accolade of being the senior resource person on Totnes and transition in the English speaking world.

Kudos!

“Ancien” in this sense = “former” – anything else would be a “faux ami” (foreign words looking deceptively like one in one’s own language).
Libération – always called ‘Libé’ – is a daily, roughly equivalent to the Independent, with a more left-wing focus. The article, which ends rather abruptly and thus doesn’t seem to be all on line, has several puns: a “clé anglaise” is a spanner – the “English key” meaning is tongue-in-cheek. There is a mention of “objecteurs de croissance”. This is a pun on “objecteurs de conscience” = conscientious objectors, now become “growth objectors”.
Finally, the journalist wrote that the Totnes community is united (“solidaire”) – slightly wishful thinking but let’s hope we’re getting there!

Just wanting to chime in on the “ancien” translation. I am an intermediate level French speaker and this usage clearly means “former” professor of permaculture. It’s just talking about your resume, not your age.

Andy, many thanks for translating the whole article, it was an interesting one 😉

It seems that there are quite a number of French speakers on this comment thread – pour information / FYI, the TT network lives in French on : http://groups.google.fr/group/objectif-resilience and on http://villesentransition.net/.

Yes, translators are actively needed / welcome on those sites 🙂

Rob, I presume you’ve met Pierre as part of the Ashoka network? he’s a senior fellow, like you.

bonne soirée!

Julien

It means you are an ex-teacher of permaculture.

For our US readers, ‘chuffed’ means ‘very pleased’ or, in another UK phrase ‘thrilled to bits’.