Glossary entry (derived from question below)
French term or phrase:
la négligence s\'installe ...
English translation:
Otherwise standards will gradually drop
Added to glossary by
Clare Hogg
Mar 31, 2012 19:18
12 yrs ago
1 viewer *
French term
Spain
My passion is your project
Native in: English 
Works in: French to English, Spanish to English, English
la négligence s'installe ...
French to English
Bus/Financial
Business/Commerce (general)
employee expenses
I am translating some company training material focusing on the procedure to be followed by employees when filing their expenses. This appears as a motto at the end of the very first slide which is all about company compliance with the law and individual (manager and employee) responsibility where expenses are concerned:
"L'exigence est un etat d'esprit qui s'impose jusque dans les details. **Sinon, la négligence s'installe progressivement.**"
Can't get this into natural English. Thanks very much in advance for any suggestions you can give.
"L'exigence est un etat d'esprit qui s'impose jusque dans les details. **Sinon, la négligence s'installe progressivement.**"
Can't get this into natural English. Thanks very much in advance for any suggestions you can give.
Proposed translations
(English)
Proposed translations
+3
2 mins
Sarah Bessioud
Germany
Germany
Native in English
Specializes in field
Germany
A way with words
Native in: English (Variants: British, UK, US) 
Works in: German to English, French to English, English
Related KudoZ points
:
75
Selected
standards drop / carelessness increases
Two options to get the ball rolling.
Alternatively, people gradually become increasingly careless...
Alternatively, people gradually become increasingly careless...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Wonderful translation! Thanks very much for your help!"
1 min
negligence takes root
for instance
+3
9 mins
John Marston
United States
United States
Native in English
Specializes in field
United States
Conscientious FR>EN Translator
Native in: English (Variant: US)
Works in: French to English, English
Related KudoZ points
:
7
carelessness will become the norm
Another way of saying it.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
veratek
: One option (which fits nicely with my suggestion for the previous phrase :-)
2 hrs
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Thanks, veratek!
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| agree |
Jessica Noyes
: Yes, although I would add "gradually"
7 hrs
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I considered including that, but "progressivement" isn't included in the term. Thanks, Jessica.
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| agree |
Wendy Streitparth
: or : carelessness will (gradually) result
15 hrs
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Another possibility. Thanks!
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+1
21 mins
French term (edited):
Sinon, la négligence s'installe progressivement.
Otherwise negligence will gradually set in
I think you need to take the phrase as a whole.
I also think this is one of the cases where the present tense in FR may be best rendered by the future tense in EN. In this instance, we hope it isn't going to happen...
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Note added at 23 mins (2012-03-31 19:42:04 GMT)
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I'm far from convinced about 'negligence', but it's hard to find a single-word solution in EN.
You might be able to try something along the lines of "Otherwise, people gradually become less watchful/vigilant (etc.)"
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Note added at 24 mins (2012-03-31 19:43:15 GMT)
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Or: "...it's easy to gradually become too lax"
I also think this is one of the cases where the present tense in FR may be best rendered by the future tense in EN. In this instance, we hope it isn't going to happen...
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Note added at 23 mins (2012-03-31 19:42:04 GMT)
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I'm far from convinced about 'negligence', but it's hard to find a single-word solution in EN.
You might be able to try something along the lines of "Otherwise, people gradually become less watchful/vigilant (etc.)"
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Note added at 24 mins (2012-03-31 19:43:15 GMT)
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Or: "...it's easy to gradually become too lax"
1 hr
carelessness will progressively take over
Otherwise carelessness will progressively take over
3 hrs
Lara Barnett
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Native in English
Specializes in field
United Kingdom
www.lingocraft.co.uk
Native in: English (Variants: British, Scottish, Irish, Singaporean, UK, South African)
Works in: French to English, Italian to English, Romanian to English, and 2 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
44
a gradual sense of neglect takes root
Maybe using "sense of" makes it easier to use neglect as a synonym for negligence.
+2
13 hrs
sloppiness starts creeping in
or something along those lines (although you have plenty choice!)
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Tony M
: Yes, I think 'sloppiness' is just the word needed here! / Yes, to me, 'creeping in' is perfect for "s'installer progressivement"
24 mins
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thank you Tony - and the creeping in bit?
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| agree |
Karen Vincent-Jones (X)
: Yes, this sounds good.
2 hrs
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-1
1 day 20 hrs
Mohamed Hosni
Morocco
Morocco
Morocco
Native in: Arabic
Works in: Arabic to French, English to Arabic, French to Arabic, and 3 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
4
negligence settles / neglect settles.
negligence settles / or also ,neglect settles progressively or gradually.
Bonne chance.
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Note added at 1 day20 hrs (2012-04-02 16:08:44 GMT)
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dans le sens que la négligence s'établit bien évidemment.
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Note added at 2 days9 hrs (2012-04-03 05:03:42 GMT)
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it is in the sense that the negligence or neglect "reign".
Bonne chance.
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Note added at 1 day20 hrs (2012-04-02 16:08:44 GMT)
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dans le sens que la négligence s'établit bien évidemment.
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Note added at 2 days9 hrs (2012-04-03 05:03:42 GMT)
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it is in the sense that the negligence or neglect "reign".
Peer comment(s):
| disagree |
Tony M
: But that wouldn't be natural in EN; 'settles' on its own like that isn't an intransitive verb; you'd need to say 'settles in', though in fact 'sets in' would probably be more natural. Cf. "how are you settling in to your new home?" / "The rot sets in"
1 hr
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