Glossary entry (derived from question below)
French term or phrase:
apôtre de la rigueur
English translation:
staunch advocate of austerity
- The asker opted for community grading. The question was closed on 2012-05-24 20:54:07 based on peer agreement (or, if there were too few peer comments, asker preference.)
May 21, 2012 19:56
11 yrs ago
French term
Portugal
Nothing lost in translation.
Native in: English (Variants: British, US) 
Works in: Spanish to English, Portuguese to English, Italian to English, and 3 more.
apôtre de la rigueur
French to English
Bus/Financial
Finance (general)
Dans un effort pour contenter à la fois la chancelière allemande Angela Merkel, apôtre de la rigueur, et les nouveaux dirigeants italien Mario Monti et français François Hollande, .....
Would an adequate translation be something along the lines of "an advocate/apostle of stringency/strictness/austerity''?
Merci!
Would an adequate translation be something along the lines of "an advocate/apostle of stringency/strictness/austerity''?
Merci!
Proposed translations
(English)
Proposed translations
+5
57 mins
ANNIE BATTEN
Germany
Germany
Native in English
Germany
www.english-wiesbaden.com
Native in: English (Variant: British)
Works in: French to English, English
Related KudoZ points
:
4
Selected
staunch advocate of austerity
Just another suggestion! Difficult to keep the religious imagery in English - I like high priestess of austerity which I think gives a slightly ironic tone and fits with the general perception of Merkel but it depends on the overall tone you are going for in relation to the source text.
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Selected automatically based on peer agreement."
4 mins
proponent of austerity
Germany's Angela Merkel has long been the most staunch proponent of austerity as the prescription for Europe's ills, but on Saturday she
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
philgoddard
: "Staunch proponent" would be good, but "proponent" is a bit colourless for "apôtre".//Yes, but they're not just PR people, they're zealous advocates.
47 mins
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Aproponent is someone who promotes a doctrine or a cause, which is incidentally what an apôtre does. Then you have nowhere to go if the phrase becomes "apôtre acharné de l'austérité".
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| neutral |
Nikki Scott-Despaigne
: I like the "staunch proponent" (a lot) but still don't like austerity.
57 mins
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+3
13 mins
high priestess of austerity
very frivolous I know, but just to evoke that missionary type zeal which is implied...
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Note added at 16 mins (2012-05-21 20:12:27 GMT)
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Goodness me! It gets some google hits - I thought I was half-joking! http://www.correntewire.com/andrew_cuomo_high_priest_austeri...
http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/beat-the-press/thomas-fr...
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Note added at 27 mins (2012-05-21 20:23:12 GMT)
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I would keep 'austerity', as "austerity" and "growth" seem to be the two poles of present discussion on how to deal with the economic situation in Europe
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Note added at 1 hr (2012-05-21 21:12:46 GMT)
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OTT perhaps, mais j'assume! As Annie says, it does contain irony and would be to be used if one wants to criticise those who favour austerity. But I have to confess the expression came to mind, and I couldn't resist proposing it ...
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Note added at 16 mins (2012-05-21 20:12:27 GMT)
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Goodness me! It gets some google hits - I thought I was half-joking! http://www.correntewire.com/andrew_cuomo_high_priest_austeri...
http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/beat-the-press/thomas-fr...
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Note added at 27 mins (2012-05-21 20:23:12 GMT)
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I would keep 'austerity', as "austerity" and "growth" seem to be the two poles of present discussion on how to deal with the economic situation in Europe
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Note added at 1 hr (2012-05-21 21:12:46 GMT)
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OTT perhaps, mais j'assume! As Annie says, it does contain irony and would be to be used if one wants to criticise those who favour austerity. But I have to confess the expression came to mind, and I couldn't resist proposing it ...
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
philgoddard
: This is very good, and it keeps the religious theme.
36 mins
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thank you Phil :-)
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| neutral |
Nikki Scott-Despaigne
: Religious theme maintained, but high priestess smacks of witchcraft. "Apôtre" is much more sober.//I agree with the irony, a step away from the French but licence enough for it to be fine step towards a nice English style.
46 mins
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Nikki, thanks for yr remark :-) been listening to too much French radio, where she's often depicted as "méchante"! Might agree with neg. connotations,exp. often used to criticise proponents of austerity /as MarilynM said: that's just elegant, Nikki, tx:)
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| agree |
B D Finch
: More a classical than a "witchcraft" association and I see it as ironic but neither approving nor disapproving.
12 hrs
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thanks BD :-)
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| agree |
Dr. Mara Huber
1 day 14 hrs
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thank you Mara :-)
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+3
3 mins
Nikki Scott-Despaigne
Native in English
Psychologist, Court-certified legal
Native in: English
Works in: French to English
Related KudoZ points
:
162
the epitome of rigour
I would shy away from "austerity", often used to describe the current situation, as in "une période d'austérité".
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Note added at 1 hr (2012-05-21 21:04:26 GMT)
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An "apôtre" follows, is on a mission. A priestess leads, so I have a problem with that one as being a little OTT.
A couple more suggestions with austerity this time as it does seem to be in favour here!
"...Merkel, one of austerity's most fervent disciples"
"... Merkel, austerity incarnate"
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Note added at 13 hrs (2012-05-22 09:54:33 GMT)
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"... a paragon of austerity"
I know it's too late, but it came to me on the bus this morning, in a flash!
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Note added at 14 hrs (2012-05-22 10:01:41 GMT)
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Apôtre is someone who believes in something in particular and who spreads the word. I think that it is not easy to strike the right balance.
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Note added at 1 hr (2012-05-21 21:04:26 GMT)
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An "apôtre" follows, is on a mission. A priestess leads, so I have a problem with that one as being a little OTT.
A couple more suggestions with austerity this time as it does seem to be in favour here!
"...Merkel, one of austerity's most fervent disciples"
"... Merkel, austerity incarnate"
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Note added at 13 hrs (2012-05-22 09:54:33 GMT)
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"... a paragon of austerity"
I know it's too late, but it came to me on the bus this morning, in a flash!
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Note added at 14 hrs (2012-05-22 10:01:41 GMT)
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Apôtre is someone who believes in something in particular and who spreads the word. I think that it is not easy to strike the right balance.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
katsy
: to "austerity incarnate"
1 hr
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| agree |
mimi 254
13 hrs
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| agree |
Yolanda Broad
: I like "paragon of austerity." Glad to see you've moved over to "austerity" -
20 hrs
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17 hrs
Advocate-in-Chief of financial discipline
"Advocate-in-Chief" underlines her leading role in advocating financial discipline, while avoiding the negative connotation created by "high priestess"
As a digression, why "high priest of .." would associate to a respectable religion and "high priestess of .." to a maligned one is a question for another debate.
"financial discipline" is what she is defending, (if you follow the whole saga of the Euro, you would think “la rigueur” is used in the meaning of “sticking to rules”, ).
"austerity" is the only an unpleasant consequence.
As a digression, why "high priest of .." would associate to a respectable religion and "high priestess of .." to a maligned one is a question for another debate.
"financial discipline" is what she is defending, (if you follow the whole saga of the Euro, you would think “la rigueur” is used in the meaning of “sticking to rules”, ).
"austerity" is the only an unpleasant consequence.
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