Would like a little help translating from Fr. to Eng.

[gramie]

I'm translating a web site and have been running into a few difficulties. Up to now I've just about solved tem all, but the following paragraph has me blocked. Here it is:
"Faisant vivre le projet jusqu'en 2006 nous souhaitons ensuite passer le relais au célébrations du cinquantenaire de l'Année Géophysique Internationnale qui vit les débuts du Traité de l'Antarctique"

Here is how I started:" We are now sole sponsors of this project until 2006 but are hoping to..." I was going to write "pass the flag" but I guess "relay" would be a better word in context. Can someone help me with the rest?

This is the last paragraph of the fist part of my translation. And as this is my first really important translation, I would like to find someone to make a few comments on it, and just to make sure it's all right. I am just beginning in this trade, and would like it to be perfect(well almost!) before I send it.
Thank you for any help u can provide.

(this one is just too cute to resist)

[Kate]

"Making live the project until 2006 we then wish to pass the relay to the celebrations of the fiftieth anniversary of the Geophysical Year Internationnale which saw the beginnings of the Treaty of the Antarctic."

Here's what it turns up.

[gramie]

"Making live the project until 2006 we then wish to pass the relay to the celebrations of the fiftieth anniversary of the Geophysical Year Internationnale which saw the beginnings of the Treaty of the Antarctic."

Here's what it turns up.

Sorry, this is too litteral, I doesn't render the text properly. you cannot translate this way or you loose the meaning of the text.
For example, here, the meaning of the beginning of the sentence is that they are the onlys ponsors the project until 2006. If you read your text without reading the French text first, you will see what I mean.
Did you get this from an electronic translator? If so, you will soon see that they are not reliable. Believe me, I know, I wasted about an hour typing a text, and when it was done, I couldn't make heads or tail out of it. So I just took the whole progran, wich I had downloaded on a trial basis, and threw it in the garbage bin. It was much easier to start from scratch.
A good book that would help you, if you intend to do any serious translation, is J.P. Vinay and J. Darbelnet's "Stylistique Comparée du Français et de l'Anglais. It explains all the complexities of translation.

Thanks for trying to help.

[Franrose]

Maybe the idiom "pass the baton" would apply here - is that what you were thinking with relay? Pass the baton refers to relay racing, and has the suggestion of team spirit, enthusiasm, doing one's best and taking turns.

[gramie]

Maybe the idiom "pass the baton" would apply here - is that what you were thinking with relay? Pass the baton refers to relay racing, and has the suggestion of team spirit, enthusiasm, doing one's best and taking turns.

It's a web site about the Antarctic, and and it would seem that the organization wants to let another group take care of it (whoever is organizing the events around the 50th anniversary...) you might say they want to 'pass the buck', but I will not put that in this translation., as it is a type of documentary site.

[Kate]

It is very helpful to me. I happened upon this site, puzzling a letter that was written in Latin. I am woefully behind the curve on language acquisition, although I am confident with the nuances of English. I find this site very stimulating, pressing me on to the further possibilities. I will look for the book you recommended.

[really Kate2]

I scanned down the page and saw someone else has posted under Kate.
Enjoyed meeting you and finding this fascinating site!