French term
United Kingdom
lassitude
"En outre, la Compagnie aérienne ABC, qui a été destinataire de courriers recommandés et qui ne s'est jamais donné la peine de répondre, * comptant sur la lassitude des demandeurs * et l'abandon de toute tentative de règlement par ceux-ci, devra être condamnée pour la résistance abusive dont elle a fait preuve."
The claimants wrote twice to the air carrier in question to request compensation for travel expenses incurred by them after their flight was cancelled at short notice, but it simply did not reply, apparently hoping the claimants would get tired of trying and just give up. How to express this thought of 'lassitude', though?
Non-PRO (1): cc in nyc
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Proposed translations
tire of trying and abandon
I admit this doesn't sound like very formal language fior use in such a legal document, but I think it could be usable?
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Note added at 47 mins (2011-02-10 12:33:51 GMT)
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I think it makes the register more appropriately formal if you leave out the 'get' and use a more formal word for 'give up'.
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cc in nyc
: yes, I would "verb it" too
21 mins
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Thanks, CC! Yes, often seems to be the best solution in FR > EN, doesn't it?
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Bourth (X)
: Though I think Charlotte must be capable of coming up with that too (in fact she said almost the same in her Q), so must be looking for something else ..... (mystified)
1 hr
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Thanks, Alex! Yes, I feel it is just the little 'tweak' to make it sound less ifnormal that could perhaps make all the difference here.
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B D Finch
10 hrs
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Thanks, Barbara!
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Experience and accuracy
Native in: French 
Works in: English to French, Danish to French
fatigue
| neutral |
Tony M
: Yes, but as asker says, how could one work that credibly into the text as it stands?
34 mins
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Spain
Specialized in Business translation
Native in: English 
Works in: French to English, Spanish to English
weariness
hoping claimants would simply give up in despair
| agree |
Catherine Gilsenan
20 hrs
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| agree |
Catharine Cellier-Smart
22 hrs
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| agree |
Fr-EnD
4 days
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Ireland
right word, right place. everytime
Native in: English (Variants: US, Canadian, Irish, UK)
Works in: French to English, Spanish to English, English, and 1 more.
(so confident in the ) lassitude (of clients pursuing)
The company ...has not bothered to reply because...it is so confident in the lassitude of clients pursuing the matter or pursuing their claim (for compensation)...
2 Aug 2008 ... He also answered my complaint about the lassitude in pursuing declassification of the relevant documents with a huffy protestation of how ...
www.americantorture.com/labels/David Addington.html - Cached
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Note added at 2 hrs (2011-02-10 14:43:35 GMT)
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31 Dec 2008 ... Insane Israeli leadership and Arab leaders lassitude .... against Hamas, isolating Gaza, and pursuing a policy of aggression, killings, ...
www.payvand.com/news/08/dec/1328.html - Cached
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - Quick View
8 Dec 2008 ... that, “the real case against the government is its lassitude in pursuing reform and EU accession - especially after Mr Gül's elevation.”28 ...
www.parliament.uk/documents/commons/lib/research/.../rp08-0...
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cc in nyc
: To me, lassitude sounds more like languor or indifference (as suggested http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/lassitude ) than weariness
23 hrs
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relying on the hope that claimants would not pursue their claim
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Mary Lalevee
50 mins
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| neutral |
cc in nyc
: That might work for "l'abandon de toute tentative de règlement par ceux-ci" but IMO not a good rationale for deleting "la lassitude des demandeurs"
23 hrs
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Discussion