tant bien que mal

[Tresley]

Hello,

Does anyone know a good English translation for 'tant bien que mal'. I can't find the expression in any of my dictionaries and on WR it gives the expression "continuer tant bien que mal" meaning "to stumble on". I don't really unterstand the English translation because to me "to stumble on" means "to find something unexpectedly". HELP!!

So, how would 'tant bien que mal' be translated in this sentence:

"Il assume tant bien que mal sa fonction, tiraillé entre les intérêts d'une population locale et ceux des soldats français."

My attempt:

"He took up his duty for better or worse, torn between the interests of the local population and the interests of the French soldiers".

Does "tant bien que mal" mean "for better or worse"? If not, what is a good translation?

I would appreciate your help.

Thanks.

[FRENFR]

tant bien que mal = as best one can...

[Tresley]

tant bien que mal = as best one can...

Thank you FRENFR. That seems to fit both examples I quoted.

"Carry on as best one can"

"He took up his duty as best he could"

GREAT!! TY TY TY

Did you find that translation in a dictionary?

[FRENFR]

Being an interpreter helps a little

Oh, and in the expression "to stumble on", you can now see that "continuer tant bien que mal" literally means "to continue as best one can".... commonly called "stumbling on". Clever eh!

[francophoneauxeu]

Bonjour~

Voici ma premiere demande addressee a ce forum. J'ai deja cherche dans le dictionnaire et j'ai des problemes a trouver une definition qui convient. S'il vous plait, je voudrais savoir la meilleure traduction en anglais de l'extrait suivant:

"...General Motors tente tant bien que mal de suivre cette tendance..."

Voici mon premier essai:

"...General Motors is trying harder than ever to keep up with this trend..."

Qu'en pensez-vous?

Merci de votre aide.

NJD

[lenightowl]

"GM is endeavouring to follow the trend."

[david314]

Both are correct, in my opinion. That of lenightowl is indeed finer language, (but please note, Ma'am, that both of us are midwestern Americans, as this matters). Best wishes

[francophoneauxeu]

Merci a vous deux, et Bonne Annee!

NJD

[Gil]

Tant bien que mal. Médiocrement, avec un résultat aléatoire. Je me suis aperçu à temps de mon tort, et je suis revenu tant bien que mal (CONSTANT, Journaux, 1804, p. 152).

Tant bien que mal ou, vieilli, que bien* que mal. Ni bien ni mal. Vous autres, vous chanterez le refrain avec moi, tant bien que mal, comme vous pourrez (GUILBERT DE PIXÉR., Coelina, 1801, II, 4, p. 31).

Source : TLFi
My try:
"...General Motors is trying, with mitigated results, to keep up with this trend..."
Joyeuses Fëtes à tous.

[Tresley]

"...General Motors tente tant bien que mal de suivre cette tendance..."

"General Motors is doing the best that it can to keep up with this trend"

[Cath.S.]

How about GM is struggling to etc?

[Football Taxis]

How about GM is struggling to etc?

struggling to is, to me, saying that GM is doing poorly at keeping up with the trend. That's not exactly the imression I get.

[Cath.S.]

struggling to is, to me, saying that GM is doing poorly at keeping up with the trend. That's not exactly the imression I get.

Tant bien que mal is less than flattering and does imply it is not doing well.

[Football Taxis]

Tant bien que mal is less than flattering and does imply it is not doing well.

i see. then I would prefer your "struggling" or "stumbling" to "endeavouring" or "doing the best it can," both of which [the latter two] are more positive.

[geostan]

General Motors is making a half-hearted attempt to keep up with this trend.

[issey1]

Bonjour a tout le monde,

Je veux traduire an anglais l'expression 'tant bien que mal'. Je connais 'en tant que' se traduit comme 'as' et 'bien que' comme 'although' mais celle-ci je ne sais pas!! quelqu'un peut m'aider?

[edwingill]

Could you kindly give some context. It generally has a connotation of struggling

[issey1]

je crois que l'article fait reference a la chute des cinephiles. Voici un peu de contexte:

'Les salles gardent, tant bien que mal, la tete hors de l'eau'

De plus, est-ce que les salles veulent dire les petits cinemas independants? je suis un peu confondu! merci a tous!

[Floor]

Pour moi, les salles désigne l'ensemble des cinémas.
Pour tant bien que mal, que pensez-vous de: somehow or other ?

[cropje_jnr]

Il s'agit là d'une phrase que j'entend très souvent en français. Quant à la traduction, j'aimerais proposer:

one way or another

"Somehow or other" me semble marcher très bien aussi