Need help for an english translation (hard one!)

[French jurist]

Hi!

I wonder what should be understood as
"she wait sat tranced, becalmed in the stillness as one only otherwise is in the midst of speed."

- sat tranced : we sat in trance (?)... But why "wait" is not "waits" ?? (mistake?)
- becalmed in the stilness : that's ok, I can translate it
- as one only otherwise is in the midst of speed : "in the midst of speed" is easy to translate but "as one only otherwise is in" is a weird formulation.

Since most are native english speakers, is this sentence written correctly (very "literary") ?

Thanks ! (maybe should I put it in the culture section but well).

I ask because it's rather an enigma to me (I'm not obliged to translate it)

 

[YohoYoho]

Is it in the context of drugs?

 

[French jurist]

Is it in the context of drugs?

No, it's in the context of one of the translation companies I work for and that bring me a very decent quality of life .

This company works with projects submitted to their translators : I'm sure that nobody will pick this one, but since I like challenges (and I am a bit crazy too), I'm sure I'll take it!

 

[jp]

It doesn't read well. Reads a little bit like someone trying too hard to be lyrical in a language they aren't comfortable with.

 

[HowardinBA]

I couldn,t say that sober!!!

 

[elhombresinnombre]

Surely that's got to be a typo. Are there any other obvious errors in the passage?

 

[French jurist]

It's the only passage ManWithoutAName, it's a new client and for sure, I'm the best candidate to translate this crazy text!

 

[Zissou]

"she wait sat tranced, becalmed in the stillness as one only otherwise is in the midst of speed."

I think the above is an awkward choice of words trying to say something along the lines of the below:

She waited, sat entranced, becalmed by the stillness the way one is seemingly immobilized when surrounded by speed.

 

[Canick]

I tried making the "s" after the word "wait" belong to wait, but it still sounds like someone whose first language is not english, making an attempt at poetry, without using proper grammar and possible stoned. OR how about this? There is a club called TRANCED and a girl on speed who at this moment is having an epiphany... ok, maybe not.

"she waits at Tranced
becalmed in the stillness
as one only otherwise is
in the midst of speed."

failing that, the sentence works as is if I do it in a Jamaican accent...

 

[YohoYoho]

That is why I was wondering if it was about drugs because is she on speed or is she surrounded by a speeding world?

"High on speed she waits entranced becalmed in the stillness." or "In the midst of speed she waited, becalmed in stillness, she sat entranced"

Side note: The amount of times I have had to edit this, I need to be on something.