The best useful translation I've heard is "Such is life" - inferring, "This is just the way life is."
An associated idiom, "C'est la guerre", which means "This is war", would likewise best be interpreted as "Such is war.", inferring "This is just the way war is"
(Idiom) Literally translated, means "It is the life". Better translations lead to "That's life" or "it's life". Basically shut up and get over it, used as a puit down. The best retort to this is "C'est la guerre", which means "This is war".
*A and B find A's car being keyed by a person known to be a local trouble maker*
A: Damn that bastard! I'll kill him.
B: So what about your car, c'est la vie. He's just a kid anyway...