French to English translation, please.

[SteelhelmJim]

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...1&d=1391104459

[SteelhelmJim]

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...1&d=1391104627

[Fallshirm_one]

Hello,

TRADUCTION DU FRANCAIS :

BORDEAUX 2 MAI 1918 Chagrin fini

Ma chère Vou-Vou (KlÜck!)
Nous venons Edith et moi de faire la connaissance d'un officier de Marine
tout à fait séduisant. Appréciant trop notre bonheur pour être égoïste.
Nous avons songé à vous et avons sur le champ fait faire son portrait de face
a vous l'envoyer avant que vous ayez reçue une réponse définitive à votre
"dernier" parlé... Le Commandant "Emile"! Quoique ne sortant pas de polytechnique...
Nos ne voulons pas un instant que ses hautes capacités physiques et morales jointes à son uniforme
de brillant Marin emporteront votre coeur d'assaut, avec tous nos voeux et l'espoir de faire bientôt un aussi
délicieux que celui de Mardi. Nous vous embrassons ainsi que toute la famille.

=================================================

BORDEAUX 2 MAY 1918 finished Grief

My dear Vou Vou (KlÜck!) = (happiness! in german)
We come to Edith and I met a Navy officer
quite attractive. Enjoying our happiness to be too selfish.
We thought you were on the field and made his portrait face
send to you before you have received a final response to your
"last" spoke ... Commander "Emile"! While not leaving Polytechnic ...
We do not want a moment that its high physical and moral capacities attached to his uniform
brilliant Marin outweigh your heart by storm, with our best wishes and hope to soon also
delicious than Tuesday. We embrace you and the whole family.



RESULT :

I think it is a letter of girls looking for love.
And apparently, they have contacted the Marin to present.

Is that a sailor on the photo?


Sincerelly,

Laurent R

[SteelhelmJim]

Laurent, many thanks for the translation, and yes, there is a Marine officer on the other side, and here he is:http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...1&d=1391118327

[Edelweiss]

Hi Jim,

Thanks for sharing this very interesting and amusing postcard, it was a pleasure to look at and read. Now if Laurent doesn't mind, I'll make a slightly corrected translation of what is said here, as it will help getting more completely the essence of what's going on between these three ladies. Here it is :

"Grief over"

Bordeaux, May 2, 1918

My dear Von . Von (Klück !) [That's very personal and intimate. Hard to be positive, but I'd say that "Klück" is rather a surname than the german word for "happiness".]

Edith and I just met a quite attractive Navy officer. Enjoying our happiness too much to be selfish, we thought of you and have had his portrait made right away, so that it can be sent to you before you had given a definitive answer to your "latest" bachelor... commandant "Emile" ! Despite him not being graduated from Polytechnique... [an usual and typically french way to say - in an amusing and ironic manner - that someone isn't really an intellectual (Polytechnique is a very selective military high school in France)] we have absolutely no doubt that his high physical and morals qualities, together with his brilliant sailor uniform will take your heart by storm. With our best wishes and hoping to soon have an as delicious lunch as tuesday's, we kiss you as well as the whole family.

Léa [?]
[And above :] Edith

------------------------------------------------
In french, corrected too :

"Chagrin fini"

Bordeaux 2 V 18

Ma chère Von . Von (Klück!)

Nous venons Edith et moi de faire la connaissance d'un officier de Marine tout à fait séduisant. Appréciant trop notre bonheur pour être égoïstes, nous avons songé à vous et avons sur le champ fait faire son portrait de façon à vous l'envoyer avant que vous ayez donné une réponse définitive à votre "dernier" parti... le Commandant "Emile"! Quoique ne sortant pas de polytechnique... nous ne doutons pas un instant que ses hautes qualités physiques et morales jointes à son uniforme de brillant marin emporteront votre coeur d'assaut. Avec tous nos voeux et l'espoir de faire bientôt un aussi délicieux déjeuner que celui de mardi, nous vous embrassons ainsi que toute la famille.

Léa[?]
[Et au dessus :] Edith


Cheers,

Chris

[Edelweiss]

A small correction :
.../... before you have given a definitive answer to your "latest" bachelor [or "catch"]... major "Emile" !
Seems I'm not really at ease with subjunctive tenses... and anglo-saxon ranks.


All in all, this postccard is the 1918 equivalent of a today's MMS !

[SteelhelmJim]

Edelweiss, Wonderful, thank you! I knew that the translation needed interpretation, to get the full meaning and essence of the message. You have clarified what Laurent started, and I really appreciate both your efforts. Thanks again.

[SteelhelmJim]

I'm glad you liked it, Chris. I found it interesting and amusing also. MMS for sure!

[Edelweiss]

With a little help from my friends

Very interesting indeed, Jim. In particular regarding the fact that back then, a portrait could be done in such a way by an artist (quite talented here, as far as I can tell), within a relatively short delay, and on a blank postcard to boot (which makes this one unique) ! I wasn't aware of that yet.

Also, amazing to see how kind these two ladies are for their poor single friend, Von.Von. Seems she's got a big grief because of a man some time before... Well, I guess that this young Navy officer - or maybe will it be "major Emile" ? - will find a way to make her forget these sad moments. BTW, the pictured sailor has the rank of "Enseigne de Vaisseau de seconde classe" (a Junior Officer), which is "Ensign" or maybe "Lieutenant Junior Grade" in the US Navy, if I don't make a mistake.

Anyway, two things in this story didn't surprise me that much. Firstly, the very effective and enthusiastic help a woman can get from her friends in order to get over a broken heart. And secondly, that when you've got a pretty face (and a pretty uniform in the present case), a low IQ isn't an issue at all to conquer a female heart.

The moral of the story ? Well, when you're about to get a favourable answer from the girl you've been courting for some time already, beware of her girlfriends... and above all, of the dumb Adonis coming from behind at the last moment !


Chris

[SteelhelmJim]

All true, Chris. All too true :-)