| Before the days of pop music taking itself seriously there was a flowering of ‘comedy novelty’ records – more music hall than committed. | Avant l’époque où la musique « pop » s’est prise au sérieux, il y eut l’âge d’or des chansons comiques – plus ‘music hall’ qu’engagée. | ||
| In France there was Bobby Lapointe & Les Frères Jacques. | En France, Bobby Lapointe et Les Frères Jacques. | ||
| In England, among others, the actor and songster Bernard Cribbins. | En Angleterre, entre autres, l’acteur et chansonnier Bernard Cribbins. | ||
| He composed and sang ditties gently mocking social mores (Gossip Calypso) or the class struggle (Digging a Hole), | Il a composé et chanté des airs qui se moquaient gentiment des mœurs (Gossip Calypso) où la lutte des classes (Digging a Hole), | ||
| but the mascot of his repertoire is undoubtedly the one presented here. | mais la chanson fétiche de son répertoire est indéniablement celle que je vous présente ici. | ||
| So popular down the years that there’s even been a pop group called Right said Fred. | Tellement plébiscitée au cours des années qu’il y a même eu un groupe musical dénommé Right said Fred. | ||
| The version I found on YouTube comes with an old stop-motion in black & white (or shades of grey) not totally lacking in charm. | La version que j’ai trouvé sur YouTube est accompagnée d’une vieille volume animée en noir et blanc (ou nuances de gris) qui n’est pas totalement dépourvu de charme. | ||
| It even helps you follow the story. | Elle facilite même à suivre l’histoire. | ||
| Because, despite its catchy, easy listening tune, and the comical sound effects, what we all go for is the words and the story. | Car en dépit de son air entraînant et nonchalant, et des effets sonores rigolos, on adore surtout les paroles et l’histoire. | ||
| The text is stuffed with « working class” expressions and plays on rhyming words ending –o(go, below, take a mo). | Le texte est bourré d’expressions « ouvrières » (gettin’ nowhere, give a shout to, etc.) et joue sur les rimes en –o (go, below, take a mo). | ||
| The story is also quite subtle. | L’histoire est aussi assez subtile. | ||
| We never find out the exact nature of the object which the protagonists are trying to lift/carry/remove – with about as much success as Laurel & Hardy. | On ne découvre jamais la nature de l’objet que les protagonistes essaient de soulever/porter/enlever – avec autant de succès que Laurel et Hardy. | ||
| (as suggested by the film, we rather imagine a sort of piano) | (comme suggère le film on penche plutôt pour un genre de piano) | ||
| The typically British workmen reward their efforts with regular tea-breaks. | En bons Britanniques les efforts des trois ouvriers sont ponctués par le recours régulier aux pauses-thé. | ||
| And in a few throw-away lines we get three distinct characters with three distinct approaches. | Et en quelques mots on nous présente trois personnages, et trois approches, distincts. | ||
| First Fred, the foreman, trying conscientiously to fulfill his contract even to risking his own life. | D’abord Fred, le contremaître, qui essaie consciencieusement de remplir son contrat – même au risque de sa propre vie ! | ||
| Then there’s Charlie, whom they call to help in the second verse. A thinker, ever suggesting solutions to the dilemma. | Ensuite Charlie, appelé à l’aide en deuxième strophe, qui cogite et offre des solutions pour résoudre le dilemme. | ||
| And finally the narrator (not named) who is revealed as profoundly negative and who merely mocks the initiatives of his two colleagues. | Enfin, le narrateur (pas nommé) qui se révèle foncièrement négatif et se contente de se moquer de tous les initiatives de ses deux collègues | ||
| Is it down for reasons of philospohy that Bernard Cribbins leaves the final word to him? | Est-ce que c’est pour des raisons d’ordre philosophique que Bernard Cribbins lui donne le mot de la fin ? | ||
| (in correct standard English the line would of course be, « You never get anywhere if you’re too hasty”) | « On n’arrive jamais à ses fins en voulant trop se hâter » | ||
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5XX9LX2es4]
| “Right,” said Fred | Bon | |
| “Both of us together | Nous deux ensemble | |
| one each end | Un à chaque bout | |
| and steady as we go” | » tenez bon | |
| Tried to shift it | déplacer | |
| Couldn’t even lift it | soulever | |
| We was* getting nowhere | Ça nous a mené nulle part | |
| And so, we had a cup of tea | Tasse de thé | |
| And, “Right” said Fred, | ||
| « Give a shout to Charlie” | Appelle (en criant) | |
| Up comes Charlie | Charlie arrive | |
| From the floor below | De l’étage du dessous | |
| After straining | peiner | |
| heaving and complaining | Soulever (avec effort) | |
| We was getting nowhere | ||
| And so, we had a cup of tea | ||
| And Charlie had a think, | Charlie a réfléchi | |
| and he thought we ought | Nous devions | |
| to take off all the handles | poignets | |
| and the things what* held the candles | Les trucs qui portaient les bougies | |
| but it did no good | Ça n’a rien donné | |
| Well, I never thought it would | Je n’y avais jamais cru | |
| Oh, right said Fred, | ||
| « (We’ll) have to take the feet off | Enlever les pieds | |
| to get them feet off | ||
| wouldn’t take a mo** | Ne prendrait même pas un moment | |
| Took its feet off, | ||
| even took the seat off | siège | |
| should’ve got us somewhere | Ça aurait dû donné un résultat | |
| but no | ||
| So Fred said, | ||
| “Let’s have another cup of tea” | ||
| and we said, “Right-oh” | OK, d’accord | |
| “Oh right,” said Fred, | ||
| “Have to take the door off | Enlever la porte | |
| need more space | (on a ) besoin de plus de place | |
| to shift the so and so” | Le bougre | |
| Had bad twinges taking off the hinges, | élancementscharnières | |
| and it got us nowhere | ||
| And so, we, had a cup of tea | ||
| And, “Right,” said Fred, | ||
| “Have to take the wall down. | Démolir le mur | |
| That there wall | Ce mur là | |
| is gonna have to go” | Va devoir partir | |
| Took the wall down | ||
| Even with it all down | Meme tout démoli | |
| We was getting nowhere | ||
| And so, we, had a cup of tea | ||
| And Charlie had a think | ||
| And he said, “Look Fred. | ||
| I’ve got a sort of feeling – | J’ai comme le sentiment | |
| If we remove the ceiling, | Si on enlève le plafond | |
| With a rope or two | corde | |
| We can drop the blighter though” | bougre | |
| “Oh right,” said Fred, | ||
| climbing up a ladder | Grimpant sur une échelle | |
| with his crowbar | Pince à levier | |
| gave a mighty blow | A donné un grand coup | |
| Was he in trouble, | a-t-il eu des ennuis | |
| half a ton of rubble | gravats | |
| landed on the top of his dome | Atterrit en haut de son ‘dôme’ | |
| So Charlie and me had another cup of tea | ||
| And then we went home. | ||
| I said to Charlie, “We’ll just have to leave it standing on the landing that’s all. You see the trouble with Fred is he’s too hasty. Now, you never get nowhere if you’re too hasty | Le laisser debout sur le pallierCe qui est embêtant avec Fred
Il est trop pressé |
|
| *In correct standard English:We were getting nowhere
the things that held the candles
**a mo = a moment |
Comedy novelties 1: Right said Fred – Bernard Cribbins