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Glossary entry

français term or phrase:

l’atmosphère devînt plus respirable

anglais translation:

for the atmosphere of repression to lift

Added to glossary by Karen Vincent-Jones (X)
Nov 14, 2011 09:39
12 yrs ago
français term

l’atmosphère devînt plus respirable

français vers anglais Sciences sociales Histoire
From an academic article about memorials to leftist victims of the Finnish Civil War. He's saying that after 1937, the repressive atmosphere relaxed, calmed down a bit, and people could go back to making memorials for leftists again. I could write it like that, but would prefer to find some expression/ image/ sens figure to match his, but can't think of anything. Wondering if you guys could help?

"L’interdiction des formations d’extrême gauche en 1930 et la fermeture autoritaire ou violente de nombreuses maisons du Peuple entraînèrent une nouvelle vague de terreur défavorable aux manifestations du souvenir. Il fallut attendre les élections de 1937 pour que l’atmosphère devînt plus respirable."
Proposed translations (anglais)
4 +2 for the atmosphere of repression to lift
3 +4 for the tension in the air to abate (show any sign of abating)
5 +2 to allow time for the dust to settle
3 +1 for the climate to lighten
4 for the repression to die down/ease off
3 for the climate to subdue
3 for more breathing space
3 the stifling repressive veil was lifted
3 for everyone to breathe more easily
3 the air becomes more breathable
Change log

Nov 16, 2011 08:41: Karen Vincent-Jones (X) Created KOG entry

Proposed translations

+2
1 heure
Selected

for the atmosphere of repression to lift

I don't see why you can't keep 'atmosphere', as it is commonly used in conjunction with 'repression'..
Reference:

http://www.hrw.org/news/2009/10/23/tunisia-elections-atmosphere-repression

Peer comment(s):
agree Eleanor P : I think this sounds like the most natural expression in English
5 heures
Thank you, Eleanor!
agree Catherine Gilsenan
1 jour 3 heures
Thank you, Catherine!
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "I've chosen this one since the author is not just talking about tension in the air, but actual violence, arrests, gestapo like behavior, so repression needs to be there"
10 minutes

for the climate to subdue

or for a wave of relief
Peer comment(s):
neutral Jim Tucker (X) : subside, perhaps?
1 heure
How right you be! What was I thinking of.
neutral Karen Vincent-Jones (X) : subdue is a transitive verb, you have to subdue something.
1 heure
See Jim.
Something went wrong...
11 minutes

for more breathing space

http://www.google.ca/search?q=Finland elections of 1937 crea...

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Note added at 11 mins (2011-11-14 09:51:21 GMT)
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www.havetravelfun.com/finland/finland-information.htm
can be outdated since we made this page after visiting the country for the last time! ... Finland has more than 60000 lakes and there are more than 20000 small islands ... in Sweden who had some influence on the election of the Swedish kings. ... But the revolution of 1905 gave Finland some breathing space and in 1906 a ...
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+1
28 minutes

for the climate to lighten

another kind of metaphor but I feel this might work
Peer comment(s):
agree Alistair Ian Spearing Ortiz
2 minutes
Something went wrong...
10 minutes

the stifling repressive veil was lifted

*

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 11 minutes (2011-11-14 09:50:36 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

could link up with "veiled memorials"

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 32 minutes (2011-11-14 10:11:50 GMT)
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Lifted somewhat - not completely, I think?
Note from asker:
agree with you that its not completely lifted, but the tone is a bit too strong/poetic here, this author is generally straightforward....
Something went wrong...
+4
40 minutes

for the tension in the air to abate (show any sign of abating)

to keep the "atmosphere" notion
Peer comment(s):
agree Sheila Wilson
30 minutes
agree Theodora OB
1 heure
agree ormiston : this conveys the French idea of 'relief'
8 heures
agree ATP522
17 heures
Something went wrong...
+2
2 heures

to allow time for the dust to settle

I would tranlsate it like this, which is nice as the imagery is not lost.
Note from asker:
sorry even though the image is nice, it is not the same meaning. I agree with emiledgar-it doesnt mean the same thing
Peer comment(s):
agree philgoddard : Perfect - it's almost the exact equivalent of the French. But I don't agree with "to allow time for". "Il fallut attendre" doesn't mean "they had to wait" - it just means "it was not until the 1937 elections that the dust settled".
2 heures
Thank you Phil!
agree Laura Nagle (X) : Agree with Phil -- this is the best expression, but the "allow time" part is unnecessary.
3 heures
neutral Karen Vincent-Jones (X) : It does change the metaphor, however
3 heures
neutral emiledgar : "dust to settle" has a specific meaning; it means that a calm after action occurred, not that things got less repressive which is specifically what the "devînt plus respirable" is referring to.
4 heures
neutral ormiston : I also feel it eclipses the notion of life becoming less unbearable
6 heures
Something went wrong...
7 heures

for everyone to breathe more easily

Another suggestion
Note from asker:
sorry but the register or tone of this one isnt academic or scientific enough :)
Peer comment(s):
neutral Evans (X) : sounds unfortunately like an ad for a well-known throat sweet.
32 minutes
Oh god! ;-) At least, the phrasing isn't too clumsy, then.
Something went wrong...
1 heure

for the repression to die down/ease off

Just another option which would sound natural here.

If you wanted to keep "atmosphere" in the phrase, you could say "for the repressive atmosphere to ease off/die down"

I would probably change the whole sentence to:

"It was not until the 1937 elections that the repressive atmosphere eased off"


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Note added at 23 hrs (2011-11-15 09:29:30 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I think my suggestion above "for the repressive atmosphere to die down" would work.
Note from asker:
I like your suggestion, but to keep the meaning the same it is not the actual repression that died down, but the atmosphere/climate/ feeling etc, so I'd need to modify...
Something went wrong...
1 jour 6 heures

the air becomes more breathable

A literal translation.. and why not?
Note from asker:
because it doesnt convey the same meaning
Something went wrong...
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