Il protestait, dans sa manière faussement brusque et véritablement affectueuse : Je déteste être pris pour un hommagé




This person has just been given a prize, and he reacts in this stupid way. How would you translate the sentence.


I hate it when people think I am deserve a tribute.

Is that what he means, false modesty?

Thanks

S

 

Hi Syrita,

Actually you have a pun here: hommagé = homme âgé.
Moreover, I don't think the adjective "hommagé" officially exists.
Everyone will understand it means "someone who's been honored/prized" though.

But the main meaning of that sentence is that the man is joking saying "I don't like being prized neither seen as an old man".

HTH

 

That would have gone straight over my head....

Thank you

S

 

Le verbe transitif hommager n'exister pas.
hommagé (adj, droit féodal ; tenu en hommage, en soumission) et hommager (substantif) existent bien, mais l'employer là est un contresens.
On pardonnera (à demi) à l'auteur s'il a voulu faire un jeu de mots.

 

Do you think he wanted to when you read it? Your 's'il' now makes me wonder....

 

We don't know his intention for sure.
Gérard's idea is excellent.
Could the person be afraid of getting old or appearing older than he is?

 

You're right OLN, we know nothing of the man's intentions or feelings.
Still this "idea" of mine is nothing but reporting a pun I've already heard.
Moreover, since he's using "être pris pour", the pun is plain for me.
Would he not like to be prized only, he'd have said "être hommagé", and in that case we'd have laughed at his clumsy use of an improper adjective