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French Translation (The History of Britain Revealed)
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Mick Harper
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Nonsense, Hatty, they are commands. Alincthun does not have the grasp of English idioms that you have but, because you know you are looking for something specific in French, you can search out the French idiom. Though of course Alincthun, once alerted, is free to use his greater grasp of French idioms to get to an even better mot juste.
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alincthun



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I am sorry, I really need some rest. I also needed encouragement. Thank you very much, Hatty.

Does c'est comme ça ! convey "It just happened"?

I propose "c'est pourtant bien ce qui est arrivé".

Also, not sure if you intentionally left out "military" in the phrase "military arbiters" (right at the end of your extract)?

You're right: "arbitres miltaires".

And, lastly, the tribes, not the collection, are 'parfaitement obscurs'..

Yes, "un ensemble de peuplades parfaitement obscures".
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alincthun



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Remorse:

You're right: "arbitres militaires".

"... et agissant réguli�rement en arbitre militaire du monde civilisé".

I think of "gendarme" (the USA as the gendarme of the world). In fact, I don't really know what Mick means by "frequently acting as the military arbiters of the civilised world".
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Hatty
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In: Berkshire
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"c'est pourtant bien ce qui est arrivé". sounds good, or "c'est ainsi que c'est arrivé, tout simplement" (accompanied by a gallic shrug) - as for le Pape, I think you get the message across quite clearly! I also need a break, how about the weekend off, d'accord?
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alincthun



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Very good idea.
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Hatty
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Re your "Sur la foi de pareilles inepties." it's actually rather accurate, though not sure about the "inepties" but it's sort of along the lines of "sur la base de pareilles imbecilites" (please add accents), will think about it.

Glad we're in agreement, all work and no play, etc.
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Mick Harper
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Weekend off! WEEKEND OFF! You two treat me as though I were Louis XIII.
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alincthun



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"Bottez le cul du pape !" The phrase is a genuine Ulster Protestant one, plastered on walls and so forth. Would this be known to a French audience?


Mick, I didn't know that. I don't think many people know it in France.

Does not the English phrase really denote '(Let's) kick the Pope' and should therefore be Bottons le cul du pape! But, given that it is a command, when does the tutoyer kick in? Is the speaker addressing everyone (vous) or is he speaking personally to you, his political comrade-in-arms, and therefore it might be Bott le pape, which sounds really quite good.


Neither am I really satisfied with "bottez le cul du pape". That doesn't sound very good in French, and it's too long.

Alincthun, I cannot help noticing that you are tutoying Hatty. Has she given permission? Or did she start doing it to you first? How do these things work precisely? En Anglais, s'il te plait.[/quote]

You had already asked me a question about tutoiement. I wished to answer, but I was plunged in the translation and the time has passed.

I propose to hark back to those two questions (le cul du pape and tu or vous) tomorrow. But Hattie has tutoyéd me first.
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alincthun



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"...both plug yourself in but then make yourself special". Maybe something like s'enfoncer/se mettre au courant for "plug"? Make yourself special, se distinguer? You're the expert.

"Plug" is a real difficulty. "Se brancher" doesn't suit, nor do "s'enfoncer/se mettre au courant". I've thought of "se connecter" (to connect) or "établir une liaison" (to make a connection), "s'intégrer" (to become integrated), "s'implanter" (something like to find one's place. Please tell me what you think.

"Se démarquer" and "se distinguer" both are correct.
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alincthun



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1. ("credit" has a slightly sarcastic tone, don't know if there's another word except croire[/i]?)

I don't think we could find another word, but I'll bear it in mind.

2. "stuff" - perhaps [i]trucs rather than objets (it's quite idiomatic...)


I absolutely agree.

3. "Comes closest to" - maybe rapprocher rather than rencontrer?

All right.

4. I'm not sure mettre fin � is strong enough - "extirpate" is a bit more brutal..

That is true. But I cannot use "extirper leurs ingérences". "En finir avec leurs ingérences" is perhaps better. I'll remember.

5. Hatty, Mick, I'm not sure anyone of us three is satisfied to come across the traces of my untimely emotional demonstrations? Even if I don't renounce them, don't you think they could be erased?
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Mick Harper
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Dunno what you're talking about, poppet, but erase away if you want (including this post) (I believe you have deletion powers as the Moderator of this thread). Personally I like to see the paroxysms of the creative process laid bare so I'd leave things be if I were you. Which thank the Lord I'm not, Sir...you being French and all.
PS I think this is the liveliest thread on the site presently. Though possibly only the three of us are reading it. Fie to all those Biblical enthusiasts!
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alincthun



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You"re probably right, Mick.
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alincthun



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I confess watching le Cardinal de Richelieu solemnly saying "You're probably right, Mick" is priceless.
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Hatty
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More on the pope's buttocks, maybe "En bas le Pape" would be more akin to French - what expressions were used during the barricades or any of the (numerous) demos?

I agree about "extirper" not fitting in here, too horticultural perhaps. Can you use anéantir, effacer or éteindre (it's just that "en finir" sounds more like 'do away with' or 'finish off' and extirpate was chosen deliberately...)

Never quite sure what the etiquette is but seems tutoyer is used more freely these days, and we are colleagues, friends even!

If I don't get the weekend off I shall indulge in untimely emotional demonstrations myself.
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Hatty
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Votre éminence,

seems to me that 'fact' might be better as 'science certaine' rather than 'point fort' - the certainty needs to be emphasised?

"s'intégrer" is quite apt for "plug oneself in" I think - one of the many French words we've borrowed is 'niche' as in 'find one's niche' but I don't know if this is a faithful interpretation of the French.

Bonne soirée.
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