"Tous les deux, nous plaisantions sans arrêt."
Translation:We both were joking nonstop.
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1737
Is it common for the 'tous les deux' to be used at the start instead of Nous plaisantions tous les deux sans arrêt? Are both equally correct?
We were both joking nonstop would be a more natural english translation surely.
Shouldn't this read something like: Nous deux, nous plaisantions sans arrêt instead of tous les deux?
- 763
Dislocation is used very commonly in French, particularly spoken French, but Duo has not really explained this feature and does not apply it consistently. In this case, left-dislocation of "'tous les deux" to the beginning emphasises that what is following is about both of us and this is then restated in the second part with "nous nous". However this construction is not used so much in English, which is why it often sounds so odd. Hence in this instance the literal translation, that Duo often prefers, "Both of us, we were/used to joking/joke all the time." has been dropped in favour of a more idiomatic one. However there are simpler English version, such as "We both joked non-stop." - which is what you get if you put it into Collins.
This is the first time I've seen this construction. It seems a bit strange to say "tous les deux" to imply "both". I wanted to apply it to a second or third person. Definitely not first person plural.
------- "both of us, we used to joke endlessly " why no good ? . . .
Big 29 jul 20
