Apr 28, 2017 09:45
7 yrs ago
English term
Belgium
Marketing, Tourism & Cinema
Native in: French (Variants: Canadian, Belgian, Standard-France)
Works in: English to French, Italian to French, French to English, and 2 more.
non-existence
English to French
Art/Literary
History
Even these powerful men were manipulated by the needs of their wives and children. They didn't realize that by taking films from me they betrayed their communist ethics to non-existence.
CONTEXT: This is taken from a documentary about Romania during Ceausescu's dictatorship. The speaker here is Mr. Zamfir, a businessman who smuggled VHS tapes into the country at a time when the only thing that was on TV was political propaganda. One night, the Party's secret police barged in M. Zamfir's house to take the tapes away from him. Zamfir subsequently tries to bribe high officials by giving them free VHS tapes. I'm having trouble translating the "non-existence" part here, can anybody help? Many thanks in advance!
CONTEXT: This is taken from a documentary about Romania during Ceausescu's dictatorship. The speaker here is Mr. Zamfir, a businessman who smuggled VHS tapes into the country at a time when the only thing that was on TV was political propaganda. One night, the Party's secret police barged in M. Zamfir's house to take the tapes away from him. Zamfir subsequently tries to bribe high officials by giving them free VHS tapes. I'm having trouble translating the "non-existence" part here, can anybody help? Many thanks in advance!
Proposed translations
(French)
Proposed translations
+4
46 mins
English term (edited):
they betrayed [their communist ethics] to non-existence.
Selected
[ils ont trahi leur éthique communiste] au point de la réduire à néant
de la faire disparaître entièrement
de la faire partir en fumée
de l'envoyer au diable
d'en faire une moquerie complète
...
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Note added at 52 mins (2017-04-28 10:37:07 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
IOW these "defenders" of the communist ethics trampled to such extent on principles they were supposed to be enforcing that these principles ceased to exists for them
de la faire partir en fumée
de l'envoyer au diable
d'en faire une moquerie complète
...
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 52 mins (2017-04-28 10:37:07 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
IOW these "defenders" of the communist ethics trampled to such extent on principles they were supposed to be enforcing that these principles ceased to exists for them
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Fanette Pocentek-Leroy
8 mins
|
|
Merci!
|
|
| agree |
Chakib Roula
21 mins
|
|
Merci!
|
|
| agree |
GILLES MEUNIER
: oui
40 mins
|
|
Merci!
|
|
| agree |
Maïté Mendiondo-George
1 hr
|
|
Merci!
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks a lot Daryo"
+2
37 mins
l'absence de
leur comportement trahissait chez eux l'absence d'éthique communiste
the formulation of the source is debatable : taking the tapes betrayed the non-existence of their communist ethics.
you cannot "betray to non-existence"
the formulation of the source is debatable : taking the tapes betrayed the non-existence of their communist ethics.
you cannot "betray to non-existence"
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Hélène OShea
: oui c'est probablement ça.
7 mins
|
|
merci!
|
|
| agree |
Kevin Thevenet
13 mins
|
|
merci!
|
|
| neutral |
Maïté Mendiondo-George
: je penserais plutôt que la cupidité avait anéanti -comme ce fut souvent les cas à ette époque l'éthique communiste de ces individus . Le désir était au dessus de tout Pensons à lanomenclatura -
5 hrs
|
+2
1 hr
Maïté Mendiondo-George
France
France
Native in French
Specializes in field
France
Au Plus près des mots et des cultures
Native in: French 
, German
Works in: German to French, English to French, French to German, and 2 more.
ils trahissaient leur éthique communiste jusqu'à l'anéantir
dans le même sens que Daryo
Discussion
En se fondant dans le communisme (je ne parle pas d'activisme communiste) on devient tous un peu anonyme, on n'existe plus beaucoup en tant que personne individuelle, c'est une sorte de non-existence