Talk:avoir un poil dans la main
@Metaknowledge: Dégourdi, bricoleur, adroit comme un singe, inventif, hardi, insolent, rouspéteur, ne se laissant pas marcher sur les pieds, il eût dû réussir dans la partie, mais voilà, en authentique enfant du faubourg, Émile avait un poil dans la main et, au lieu d'apprendre consciencieusement ce beau métier de machiniste de théâtre, qui est de tradition un métier d'homme libre, quoique se pratiquant en équipe, un travail un peu irrégulier, il est vrai, mais enchanteur parce qu'en dehors du commun, il se rendit rapidement odieux à tous, faisant montre de puériles prétentions d'artiste, d'ambition ridicule [...]"
"Smart/resourceful, skilful/handy, nimble as a monkey, creative/inventive, bold/brave, cheeky, refusing to put up with nonsense, not letting people walking over him, he should have been successful in the job; but, you see, as a true child of the neighbourhood, Emile was extremely lazy, and instead of learning conscientiously the nice craft/trade/profession of stagehand/scene-shifter (which is traditionally a free man's craft/trade/profession, although it's practised in teams; a somewhat irregular job, although charming because unconventional), he rapidly came to be hated by everybody, because he childishly set his sights on becoming an artist, was making a display of ridiculous ambition [...]"
- I don't know how to translate rouspéteur: it's the agent noun of rouspéter, literally "a complainer", but with a positive connotation here: someone who doesn't put up with nonsense and doesn't hesitate to voice their opposition
- enfant du faubourg: maybe street child
- un travail un peu irrégulier: meaning there are periods of high activity, and periods of low activity, depending on what the demand is