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une politique volontariste
organisation transverse

Glossary entry

French term or phrase:

Fantassins du quotidien

English translation:

Front-line fighters

Added to glossary by veratek
Oct 24, 2012 15:49
11 yrs ago
French term

Fantassins du quotidien

French to English Art/Literary Government / Politics
Fantassins du quotidien, vous êtes le rempart de la loi, le recours des victimes, le médiateur des conflits. Vous êtes aussi l’oreille qui écoute, l’œil qui surveille et la main qui frappe. Votre mission exige un engagement et une passion sans faille

Fictional politician speaking to policemen.
Proposed translations (English)
3 +1 Front-line fighters
4 +3 the foot-soldiers of everyday life
3 +1 soliders in the trenches
3 Front line infantry
3 front line troops, out there every day

Discussion

Marie Jackson Oct 27, 2012:
I have to agree with Carol - this is the sort of rhetoric we hear all the time regarding the police and I think the world would be quite a boring place without the odd metaphor here and there. I don't think the reason this metaphor is used so much in the UK is down to policing style, either; it's rather to do with being on the front line in the fight against crime (the metaphor can be extended ad infinitum!). Interesting observation about the French police, though; I've been involved with France since I was about four years old and still find it extremely disconcerting to see French policemen with guns, even after all this time - so it's interesting that it's more for show than anything else! You just never stop learning!
Carol Gullidge Oct 27, 2012:
@ Daryo yes, thank you, but I was already aware of all the points you mention - just couldn't see their relevance here, and certainly don't wish to get embroiled in any political discussions about whose policemen are better or worse than any other country's. This is after all strictly a linguistic forum and not a political one.

And the whole point of metaphors is that they are NOT to be taken literally.
Daryo Oct 27, 2012:
@ Carol to make it less cryptic:
a literal "front line" is a place where a lot of shooting goes on; French police, although armed, don't indulge in shooting so I don't see "front line" as a good imagery to use here. By comparison with UK, where when the police is armed, they tend to behave like on a literal “front line": case of the Brazilian electrician de Menezes, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Jean_Charles_de_Meneze...] and a far less known case of the “table leg shooting” [en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Harry_Stanley], to mention few.
Marie Jackson Oct 24, 2012:
Carol I just feel that the use of 'everyday' would be surplus to requirement in the suggestions already made. If another answer were put forward that didn't quite have the force of the others then it might be necessary to include something to do with 'everyday' to emphasise the job these people are doing... but it would really depend on the suggestion. I can't imagine what that answer would have to be for 'everyday' or 'daily' to become necessary. I was essentially agreeing with you.
Carol Gullidge Oct 24, 2012:
Marie I think you need to explain that!
Why would it need to be less emotive and why would that entail the "everyday" element needing to be less subtle?
Marie Jackson Oct 24, 2012:
re. everyday I think I'd agree that the solutions suggested thus far all imply the notion of "everyday", however a less emotive/figurative translation would probably need this to be included.
Carol Gullidge Oct 24, 2012:
@Pascale re everyday I was implying this - if somewhat obliquely - in "front line" => on the street (metaphorically) = where it's at on a day-to-day basis. But perhaps I was being too subtle?
Pascale van Kempen-Herlant Oct 24, 2012:
and what about "quotidien"? something with daily or today or everyday? or not?
Timothy Rake Oct 24, 2012:
@soldiers we know this concerns policemen, but the "fantassins" is a metaphor for "those on the front line" or those in the "tenches" and "soldiers in the trenches" carries the metaphor forward, making us understand that these are the guys that carry the load daily.
Marie Jackson Oct 24, 2012:
Of course! I just got carried away with my writing; I was commenting more on the use of "you" than the translation of the troublesome "fantassins du quotidien". I'll be sure to proofread my contributions a little more carefully in future!
Colin Rowe Oct 24, 2012:
I agree with your points... ... but just a reminder that the "soldiers" are metaphorical: it is actually "policemen" to whom he is appealing for their support!
Marie Jackson Oct 24, 2012:
I think that a good way to approach this would be to repeat the pronoun "you", even at the start of the paragraph, e.g. "You, the soldiers in the trenches/on the front line, you are the A, the B. You are the X, the Y....". It is a good rhetorical device and helps to foreground the emotive quality of the utterance where the politician is appealing to the soldiers for their support. I can certainly hear a politician making a speech to that effect.

Proposed translations

+1
14 mins
Selected

Front-line fighters

the front line here being the streets - not quite the image of the bobby-on-the-streets, but at least the face of the police as seen by everyday folk
Peer comment(s):
agree Colin Rowe : Nice one! The fighters on the front line.
12 mins
many thanks Colin :)
neutral Marie Jackson : Following on from Colin's slight amendment, I'd be tempted to say "soldiers on the front line". I think that "soldiers" is more emotive than "fighters" and I'd guess that that's the effect the politician would be looking for.
15 mins
I see what you're getting at regarding politician's rhetoric but am still not sure I agree that "soldiers" (here) is any more emotive than "fighters" in this context
neutral Daryo : I would more see it as the "coal-face" of the daily grind of maintaining law and order, rather than a “front line” (French police is armed, but they don’t go around shooting at people carrying table legs, nor electricians)
7 hrs
coal face is also a good metaphor; however I don't see that it dertacts from the front-line metaphor, nor what it has to do with table legs or electricians, or even shooting, come to that!
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Although the original was in French, it was not a reference to French police only. I thought this capture well the tone. Thank you."
+1
4 mins

soliders in the trenches

...another words, the grunt workers.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 mins (2012-10-24 15:56:24 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I mean SOLDIERS! Pardon. And could even be "foot soldiers"
Peer comment(s):
agree AllegroTrans : good solution!
1 min
Thanks AllegroTrans!
Something went wrong...
1 hr

Front line infantry

just a suggestion as "fantassins" usually refers to foot soldiers, so perhaps this works with less emphasis than either fighters or soldiers?

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Note added at 5 hrs (2012-10-24 20:56:35 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Given the peer comments this should just be infantry without the "front line". In old battles the infantry 'foot soldiers' were always there first and called up the reinforcements. Even in modern days people have used this phrase to refer to those who brought to light injustices. This context is obviously different, as the police are usually in the front line for dealing with demonstrations, but are nonetheless there first!

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 5 hrs (2012-10-24 20:57:34 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Please note nothing to do with trenches or soldiers.

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Note added at 5 hrs (2012-10-24 21:17:55 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Yet on reflection this should be 'front line troops' for much the same reasons, and in particular because the gendarmes in France are considered as 'militaires' and the police as almost the same. So I can well see a politician fictious or otherwise as referring to "front line troops". They are the first on the scene , hear the first witnesses, take the first impressions, etc.
Peer comment(s):
neutral Carol Gullidge : erm - isn't this just a rehash of Colin's and my posts, infantry being another word for foot soldiers, even given as an alternative translation in the trusty Collins!
38 mins
Maybe, but the PBI were always in the front, even when not actually talking about soldiers but about anyone such as the unions etc. PBI = poor bloody infantry
Something went wrong...
+3
7 hrs

the foot-soldiers of everyday life

those performing day by day necessary basic tasks

a "foot soldier" is not necessarily a soldier, so it fits perfectly

"foot soldier n.
1. A soldier who fights on foot; an infantry trooper.
2. One who performs necessary but basic, often mundane tasks....."
[http://www.thefreedictionary.com/foot soldier]

le quotidien = everyday life


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 7 hrs (2012-10-24 23:34:29 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

If it sounds a bit illogical, don't shoot the messenger - that's the ST – a politician trying to please his audience.
Peer comment(s):
agree Cyril B.
3 hrs
Merci!
agree Sébastien GUITTENY
11 hrs
Merci!
agree Yolanda Broad
1 day 1 hr
Merci!
Something went wrong...
15 hrs

front line troops, out there every day

I'm trying to get inside the mind of the politician, who might use such words in English!
Something went wrong...
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