Glossary entry

French term or phrase:

dispersion

English translation:

self-fragmentation

Added to glossary by Helen Shiner
Sep 4, 2009 13:45
14 yrs ago
4 viewers *
French term

dispersion

French to English Art/Literary Philosophy
This occurs in a text about St. Augustine.

Ce qui sépare l'homme de la manifestation divine en laquelle résident sa béatitude et sa fin, Augustin le pense comme différence radicale de la créature au Créateur, mais que le péché a encore aggravée, faisant d'elle un abîme infranchissable. L'homme diffère désormais selon les modes de la dissemblance, du refus, de la dispersion, de l'atermoiement et du regard. Une phénoménologie de la différence augustinienne ne doit pas reculer devant le recours au terme derridien de "différance", seul à même de rendre compte du mouvement de différer qui fait toute la vie de l'ego ainsi envisagé.

My client tells me that this is 'dispersion de soi', a sort of equivalent of the loss of self and a descent into 'le multiple'. Has anybody got any good ideas about how I might render this? In my view 'dispersal' alone will not work.

Discussion

John Detre Sep 7, 2009:
OK, thanks Helen I should read Augustine!
Helen Shiner (asker) Sep 7, 2009:
Thanks, John The term is Augustinian rather than Derridean. My author gave me a long paragraph in explanation when telling me he was delighted with self-fragmention, but I don't think I should post this here.
John Detre Sep 4, 2009:
Hi Helen, glad you were able to partially use my suggestion, but on second thought, given the author's apparent Derridean bent, I wonder if something along the lines of "decentering" might not work better?
Helen Shiner (asker) Sep 4, 2009:
And you Jocelyne!
Jocelyne S Sep 4, 2009:
Glad to hear it! Hi Helen, Glad to hear that you've found a solution! Have a good weekend, Jocelyne
Helen Shiner (asker) Sep 4, 2009:
Just to let you all know my client is delighted with 'self-fragmentation', so thanks to all of you for getting me there!
Helen Shiner (asker) Sep 4, 2009:
Some thoughts I wonder whether one should approach this from the opposite angle and instead speak of a 'loss of focus' or 'loss of concentration'.
Helen Shiner (asker) Sep 4, 2009:
Many thanks, Jocelyne for your help so far.
Jocelyne S Sep 4, 2009:
Hmm... Not an easy one for a Friday afternoon! I'll come back in a little while if anything better comes to mind. I agree that you may need to unravel the sentence a bit to have it flow more smoothly in EN.
Helen Shiner (asker) Sep 4, 2009:
Hi Jocelyn it needs - at present - to follow 'varying modes/forms of dissemblance, reticence... procrastination, tardiness.' Maybe 'self-fragmentation' or self-fracture' would work, but really I feel it needs unpacking as a sentence. How to avoid it sounding like mental disintegration?
Jocelyne S Sep 4, 2009:
I've been toying with self-fracture/fracture of the self too. How have you translated the rest of the sentence so far?
Helen Shiner (asker) Sep 4, 2009:
Does 'fracture of the self' sound ok? I'm feeling a bit fractured myself!
Helen Shiner (asker) Sep 4, 2009:
Yes, Jocelyne that is exactly the problem - the FR somehow suppresses that bit.
Helen Shiner (asker) Sep 4, 2009:
Anne-Marie maybe 'loss of self in fragmentation'? I do like 'fragmentation', thanks, John.
Jocelyne S Sep 4, 2009:
Fragmentation or fracture It's the loss of self bit that is going to be tough to get across, IMO. Fracture is what's coming to my mind, but fragmentation works too; these however omit the loss of self side of things.
Anne-Marie Grant (X) Sep 4, 2009:
loss of self/fragmentation I wonder whether your own idea of 'loss of self' might work.
Helen Shiner (asker) Sep 4, 2009:
correction that should read 'retard' and not 'regard' at the end of the second sentence. Apologies.

Proposed translations

16 mins
Selected

fragmentation

possibly
Note from asker:
Thanks, John, for putting me on the right track.
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks for pointing me in the right direction."
8 mins

dissipation


dispersion
nf [+débris, objets] scattering
[+efforts] dissipation

Translation French - English Collins Dictionary
Note from asker:
Thank you for your answer, Constantinos, but I am afraid 'dissipation' sounds like descent into drink, drugs and loose women! Scattering of the self might work, but I was hoping for something else since this is not very clear either.
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1 hr

modes of distraction

Hello,

Doing too many things at one time...not focused enough

I know that in French when you say "dispersion" in everyday language, it probably means that someone is focused on too many things at one time (arrêtez la dispersion = Get more focused)

"La dispersion d'esprit" is what, I believe, is being referred to here.

I hope this helps.
Note from asker:
This is a good thought - I will suggest a variety of solutions to my client and see which he prefers.
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7 hrs

self-dispersion

It would appear to be the same term in English theological and philosophical writings: a scattering of oneself in all directions. Check out other references to Saint Augustine and dispersion versus unicity of the self. Unfortunately, I don't have "The Confessions" here.

Fragmentation does not seem right. Client happiness is not always the solution!
Example sentence:

In addition to Bergson, St. Augustine of Hippo, in the Confessions, .... of real or pretended self-dispersion, or national and historical catastrophes

Note from asker:
Thanks, Gabrielle, for your assistance. My client is the author of the text and an expert in the field, so if he is happy, and he is very precise about language, English included, I am happy. It does look as if your 'self-dispersion' is used, as, indeed, is 'self-fragmentation' in similar contexts. Clearly Augustine was writing in Latin so there are a variety of ways of rendering the original phrase. I was unable to get very far with the link you give here unfortunately - the usual subscription issue. But I am grateful for your prompt to check the academic literature which has confirmed 'self-fragmentation', too, which seems clearer to me than 'self-dispersion'. Your reference material below is also great, so thanks very much indeed for taking the time to submit this information.
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Reference comments

6 hrs
Reference:

Augustine & dispersion de soi

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