Glossary entry (derived from question below)
French term or phrase:
frapper les esprits
English translation:
to leave its mark/make waves/shock people
Added to glossary by
Victoria Porter-Burns
Apr 7, 2008 08:00
16 yrs ago
1 viewer *
French term
United Kingdom
BA(Hons) FITI MCIL CL ISO 17100:2015
Native in: English 
Works in: French to English, Spanish to English, English, and 1 more.
frapper les esprits
French to English
Social Sciences
Government / Politics
In an article on democracy in Central Asia:
"Aussi son retour sur le devant de la scène politique, après une si longue absence, n’a-t-il pu se faire qu’au prix d’une violence verbale destinée à **frapper les esprits**.
Any natural-sounding English translations of 'frapper les esprits' would be much appreciated.
TIA
Vicky
"Aussi son retour sur le devant de la scène politique, après une si longue absence, n’a-t-il pu se faire qu’au prix d’une violence verbale destinée à **frapper les esprits**.
Any natural-sounding English translations of 'frapper les esprits' would be much appreciated.
TIA
Vicky
Proposed translations
(English)
| 3 +5 | which is bound to leave its mark |
David BUICK
|
| 4 +1 | to shock people / make waves / unsettle people's minds |
Expialidocio (X)
|
| 4 +1 | draw/turn attention to him |
Bourth (X)
|
| 4 | knock his resolve |
Jack Dunwell
|
| 3 +1 | fire the imagination |
CMJ_Trans (X)
|
| 3 +1 | (intended) to provoke ...; (intentionally) provocative |
Carol Gullidge
|
| 4 | a verbal violence meant to to strike hard at (hearts and)minds |
Ahmed Alami Masmoudi (X)
|
| 3 | shake up the minds |
Gustavo Silva
|
Proposed translations
+5
5 mins
David BUICK
Native in English
Reactive, reliable, win/win service
Native in: English
Works in: French to English, English to French
Related KudoZ points
:
35
Selected
which is bound to leave its mark
I think here the idea is more that of leaving a mark than of impacting minds. I would almost be tempted to put "is bound to make a splash" if the register is informal enough to get away with it. You might want to fiddle with the tenses there too.
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Note added at 29 mins (2008-04-07 08:30:41 GMT)
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Hi Emma. I did wonder, but from the context I don't think "destinée" has the sense of intent here (one gets the feeling they could well have done without the "violence verbale): one could almost translate it word for word "which is destined to..."
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Note added at 49 mins (2008-04-07 08:50:40 GMT)
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Aude Sylvain: I meant that the important thing to get across here is the "marquer" rather than the "esprits" part of the phrase.
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Note added at 29 mins (2008-04-07 08:30:41 GMT)
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Hi Emma. I did wonder, but from the context I don't think "destinée" has the sense of intent here (one gets the feeling they could well have done without the "violence verbale): one could almost translate it word for word "which is destined to..."
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Note added at 49 mins (2008-04-07 08:50:40 GMT)
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Aude Sylvain: I meant that the important thing to get across here is the "marquer" rather than the "esprits" part of the phrase.
3 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks to all who contributed. I finally used 'intended to leave its mark', rather than 'bound to'. Thanks!"
+1
19 mins
to shock people / make waves / unsettle people's minds
destinée à frapper les esprits -> meant to shock people
or "to make waves" or "to unsettle people's minds"
A few more options.
or "to make waves" or "to unsettle people's minds"
A few more options.
23 mins
Gustavo Silva
Portugal
Portugal
Portugal
The best value for your money
Native in: Portuguese
Works in: French to Portuguese, English to Portuguese
shake up the minds
my suggestion :-)
Example sentence:
They need to shake up their thinking
Our deal is to shake up people's ideas
57 mins
knock his resolve
They are aimed at discouraging him.
Knocking his morale, resolve, will
Knocking his morale, resolve, will
+1
10 mins
fire the imagination
get people thinking
grab their attention
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Note added at 1 hr (2008-04-07 09:50:38 GMT)
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XX launched into a verbal tirade that couldn't go unnoticed/couldn't escape notice/was bound to grab people's attention
grab their attention
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Note added at 1 hr (2008-04-07 09:50:38 GMT)
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XX launched into a verbal tirade that couldn't go unnoticed/couldn't escape notice/was bound to grab people's attention
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Grace Delobel
: agree, but as 'grab attention' or 'grab people's attention'
41 mins
|
|
I entirely agree
|
+1
2 hrs
Carol Gullidge
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Native in English
Works in field
United Kingdom
poetically precise prose with... panache
Native in: English
Works in: French to English, Spanish to English, English
Related KudoZ points
:
24
(intended) to provoke ...; (intentionally) provocative
destinée à frapper les esprits: intended to...
... to provoke any or all of anger, outrage and action
intentionally takes in destinée
... to provoke any or all of anger, outrage and action
intentionally takes in destinée
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
suezen
: yes, a deliberately provocative verbal tirade/exhortation
12 mins
|
|
thanks suezen - very nicely put!
|
+1
3 hrs
draw/turn attention to him
Intended to ...
... place him at the forefront of people's minds
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Note added at 3 hrs (2008-04-07 11:02:30 GMT)
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... focus all eyes on him
... place him at the forefront of people's minds
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Note added at 3 hrs (2008-04-07 11:02:30 GMT)
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... focus all eyes on him
1 day 3 hrs
French term (edited):
violence verbale destinée à frapper les esprits.
a verbal violence meant to to strike hard at (hearts and)minds
le monde diplomatique-Ignacio Ramonet:
Vf:..L’agression du 11 septembre révèle à la fois, chez ses auteurs, une cruauté fantastique et un très haut degré de sophistication. *Ils ont voulu frapper fort, frapper au cœur et frapper les esprits*. Et ont recherché à produire au moins trois types d’effets : des dégâts matériels, un impact symbolique et un grand choc médiatique.
Eng :
The 11 September attack showed its perpetrators capable of cruelty and a high degree of sophistication. *Their aim was to strike hard, at the core, at hearts and minds*. They were intent on three levels of effect: material damage, a symbolic impact and a world media coup.
Vf:..L’agression du 11 septembre révèle à la fois, chez ses auteurs, une cruauté fantastique et un très haut degré de sophistication. *Ils ont voulu frapper fort, frapper au cœur et frapper les esprits*. Et ont recherché à produire au moins trois types d’effets : des dégâts matériels, un impact symbolique et un grand choc médiatique.
Eng :
The 11 September attack showed its perpetrators capable of cruelty and a high degree of sophistication. *Their aim was to strike hard, at the core, at hearts and minds*. They were intent on three levels of effect: material damage, a symbolic impact and a world media coup.
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