Glossary entry (derived from question below)
French term or phrase:
s'il survient un échec
English translation:
even when proved wrong
Added to glossary by
L.J.Wessel van Leeuwen
Aug 3, 2009 15:15
14 yrs ago
French term
Belgium
Works in: French to English
s'il survient un échec
French to English
Science
Esoteric practices
The authors talks here about how 'proof' does not work necessarily convincing; to give one example: farmers a few decades ago knew long before scientists that meteorites existed. Even with many farmers telling the same story, and even when the rock were brought to the scientists, they were still ignored.
To give a part of the text:
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Celui qui demande une preuve, si on la lui donne, en voudra une deuxième, puis encore et toujours une autre, car c'est sa tournure d'esprit.
Puis, celui qui a eu une preuve, qui même en a eu dix, s'il survient un échec, sortira souvent furieux, en claquant la porte.
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My question here is:
this can be interpreted as two mainly things: (very freely translated)
-> with all the actual proof they seen, if one thing fails, they leave the room
-> with all the proof they seen, if they find themselves in a position where they can no longer ignore it (as in 'checkmate'), they will leave the room with slamming door
Given the sentence itself, the latter seems more plausible, anyway, I'm looking for suggestion to best represent the author's intention.
To give a part of the text:
-
Celui qui demande une preuve, si on la lui donne, en voudra une deuxième, puis encore et toujours une autre, car c'est sa tournure d'esprit.
Puis, celui qui a eu une preuve, qui même en a eu dix, s'il survient un échec, sortira souvent furieux, en claquant la porte.
-
My question here is:
this can be interpreted as two mainly things: (very freely translated)
-> with all the actual proof they seen, if one thing fails, they leave the room
-> with all the proof they seen, if they find themselves in a position where they can no longer ignore it (as in 'checkmate'), they will leave the room with slamming door
Given the sentence itself, the latter seems more plausible, anyway, I'm looking for suggestion to best represent the author's intention.
Proposed translations
(English)
Change log
Aug 5, 2009 04:28: L.J.Wessel van Leeuwen Created KOG entry
Proposed translations
2 hrs
L.J.Wessel van Leeuwen
South Africa
South Africa
Native in English
South Africa
Willing & Ready to be of service to YOU!
Native in: English 
, Dutch
Works in: Dutch to English, Afrikaans to English, French to English, and 3 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
7
French term (edited):
s\'il survient un échec
Selected
even when proved wrong
you could try something like... Even so, having received a proof, or maybe even ten, when proved wrong, he will often leave furiously, banging the door behind him.
Puis, celui qui a eu une preuve, qui même en a eu dix, s'il survient un échec, sortira souvent furieux, en claquant la porte.
Puis, celui qui a eu une preuve, qui même en a eu dix, s'il survient un échec, sortira souvent furieux, en claquant la porte.
3 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "I ended up translating the text in the context that polyglot45 stated in the discussion.
Since I can't reward him, points go to the runner-up. My gratitude however, goes to each one of you."
3 mins
in the event of a failure
Non Impediti Ratione Cogitationis
It should be the motto all all in esoteric practices
It should be the motto all all in esoteric practices
10 mins
in the event of defeat
You could use defeat or failure, depending on which you think best fits the context. (Also, be careful with the verb tense of "to see" - it should be either "saw" or "did/have seen".)
24 mins
and should that fail to work (to convince)
Hello,
He will get furious, if after presenting all this evidence (even 10 pieces of evidence), the other person is not convinced.
I hope this helps.
He will get furious, if after presenting all this evidence (even 10 pieces of evidence), the other person is not convinced.
I hope this helps.
1 hr
philgoddard
United States
United States
Native in English
United States
Six languages into flawless English
Native in: English
Works in: German to English, French to English, Spanish to English, and 4 more.
if all the evidence is stacked against them
I don't think a literal translation (failure or defeat) works here.
Discussion
I understand your need to protect yourself and I find it a healthy trade to want to use your own brain. Then again: what this book talks about is:
Let's say you read the above and say "that's rubbish", I don't have a hole in my eye: what I see is what really is" and that even after you look into an anatomy book you say "I don't buy into that... what I see is what really is".
The author illustrates that for such people, nothing can be done: they'll just keep asking for proof, rejecting all that is presented.
He never asks to eat up what he presents, he encourages to try what he says, so you can see with your own eyes. Along the way he just warns that a non-believer is not worth your energy.<br><br>You may want to look at the BBC documentary 'Heretics' to get a glimpse of how this plays in today's world... you'll see that science isn't always that 'scientific'. You'll also see that greats amounts of proof hardly make any difference at all... that is what is warned for here.
Maybe you can add this suggestion, so that I can reward points for your contribution?