En petit comité / En cercle restreint

[Mathison]

Bonjour,

Je cherche à traduire l'expression "en petit comité" ou "en cercle restreint" pour un communiqué de presse.
L'idée c'est qu'un groupe qui organise habituellement des manifestations grand public s'est cette fois réuni "en petit comité" ou "en cercle restreint", pour une conférence plus informelle.
Mais la traduction "confidential" donne un caractère trop étroit et fermé à l'événement en question...
Je cherche une traduction qui traduit l'idée de quelque chose simplement plus léger, plus souple, moins "grand messe".

Merci d'avance !

 

[Suehil]

'Sub-committee'?

 

[Hinotoriaka]

I am looking for the same translation, I am not sure subcomittee fits here...

Is "small group" a good alternative ?

Like in "We are going to Spain for 2 weeks, in small group (committee ?), only my best mates and I"

Does it sound right ?

 

[FrancophoneInTraining]

Perhaps "organizing committee" would be a workable option. It doesn't give the reader any indication of the group's size, but rather focuses attention on the activity that unites its members. Then, you could always place "small" in front of "organizing committee."

 

[Hinotoriaka]

Thanks for the prompt answer FrancophoneInTraining,

I am now curious about the meaning of 'organizing' in this locution, would it sound ok to say "He is cooking on Friday night, a diner for a small organizing committee, to celebrate his promotion"

For me it sounds weird, but I'm not native english speaking so...

 

[Sencha]

L'expression "en petit comité" n'a rien à voir avec une quelconque organisation. Cela veut juste dire "un petit groupe".
On était en petit comité : on était peu nombreux.
Juste une expression...

 

[Hinotoriaka]

D'où mon interrogation sur le 'organizing'

Is there any equivalent expression in English ?

 

[FrancophoneInTraining]

Point taken. Perhaps other anglophones can come up with a more suitable option. I got the sense that you were talking about some type of organized party that convened to plan (or organize) the demonstrations. If, however, the word "committee" strikes you as too formal, I'm not sure of any word, other than "group" that would capture your idea.

 

[FrancophoneInTraining]

Hinotoriaka,

A man could prepare a meal for a small organizing committee to celebrate his promotion, but it would not be the same as preparing a meal for a small gathering of friends, family, colleagues, etc. )

 

[Hinotoriaka]

A "small gathering of friends" sounds better for the translation I was looking for ; )

Thanks !

 

[FrancophoneInTraining]

Sencha,

This will be my last time at bat: I promise. I just wanted to make one last attempt at getting to the "bon mot" you need. If you're trying to find an adjective to characterize the nature of the meetings that take place (ather than the body that participates in them), perhpas you could use the expression "closed meetings."

In a closed meeting, not everything discussed is necessarily confidential, but it is generally understood that sensitive matters will be discussedl thus, everyone should use discretion in sharing whatever information is covered in the discussion "behind closed doors."

Good luck!

 

[david314]

I am looking for the same translation, I am not sure subcomittee fits here... m-d-r

Is "small group" a good alternative ?

Like in "We are going to Spain for 2 weeks, in a small group (committee ?), only my best mates and I"

Does it sound right ?

 

[Hinotoriaka]

Thanks to both of you,

FIT, I think 'closed meeting' sounds formal and might be used to characterise the nature of a meetinf but in a formal way, am I right ?

The one I was looking for was more to qualify the nature of an informal meeting, often with friend and/or family, regarding the small number of people invited, generally the closest to the host...

 

[FrancophoneInTraining]

Hello again, Hinotoriaka,

For the situation you present, I think your best bet is to go with david314's suggestion of "small group of friends"; for indeed you are right that closed meetings would not be a strange descriptor for a "get together" of friends and family.

The expression "small group" is one, I think, that everyone should place in their English-language toolbox because it has such broad applications. While the suggestion I offered to you earlier (i.e., a small gathering of friends) would be suitable in some cases, it might stand out as being a bit stuffy (unnecessarily formal) in other, less formal communications. That's not true of "small group." It can blend into text or speech that is either formal or informal.

Well, at least that's my opinion. )