Glossary entry (derived from question below)
French term or phrase:
Toujours est-il que
English translation:
Be that as it may, ...
French term
Toujours est-il que
CONTEXT: Les miroirs en verre étamé n'apparaissent pas avant l'époque chrétienne, sans toutefois qu'on puisse affirmer qu'ils soient dus à une influence étrangère. Ils rentrent, au contraire, dans la donnée des procédés tels que la dorure, l'argenture, les alliages métalliques, les fausses pierres et les fausses perles que le papyrus X de Leyde et les plus anciens écrits alchimiques mettent au compte des orfèvres, fondeurs et verriers égyptiens si habiles à imaginer et à fabriquer des substituts aux matières naturelles et les premiers créateurs de ce que nous appelons aujourd'hui les procédés d'imitation. ***Toujours est-il qu'on n'en connaît pas encore*** qui soient antérieurs à l'époque chrétienne.
ATTEMPTS: Nevertheless, which of them predate the Christian era remain unknown.
Which ones date prior to/before the Christian era are still unknown.
The fact remains that those predating the Christian era are still unknown.
ISSUE: I'm stuck trying to translate this sentence accurately yet flowingly.
Thanks in advance for any thoughts!
| 4 +6 | Be that as it may, ... |
Tony M
|
Jul 28, 2017 00:02: Nikki Scott-Despaigne changed "Level" from "PRO" to "Non-PRO"
Non-PRO (3): Tony M, writeaway, Nikki Scott-Despaigne
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Proposed translations
Be that as it may, ...
Also, 'This doesn't alter the fact that...' and other equivalents to be selected to suit your register...
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Note added at 14 minutes (2017-07-27 20:48:50 GMT)
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BTW, I think you're misunderstanding the remainder...
"on n'en connaît pas encore qui soient antérieurs à l\'époque chrétienne"
That 'en' is very important and can't just be overlooked!
So we get something like "...we still don't know of any that pre-date the Christian era"
Hopefully now it's starting to make better sense to you?
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