Glossary entry (derived from question below)
French term or phrase:
de manière bien peu reluisante
English translation:
in a manner that is far from brilliant
Added to glossary by
Gayle Wallimann
Jul 9, 2004 14:24
20 yrs ago
2 viewers *
French term
de manière bien peu reluisante
French to English
Tech/Engineering
Law: Contract(s)
In a court proceeding, the defense is using shaddy techniques to prove its innocence. These techniques aint't foolin' anyone. The lawyer for the other side says:
"Cette entreprise joue avec la réalité et la procédure de manière bien peu reluisante".
It's "reluisante" I'm having trouble with.
"Cette entreprise joue avec la réalité et la procédure de manière bien peu reluisante".
It's "reluisante" I'm having trouble with.
Proposed translations
(English)
| 5 +3 | in a manner that is far from brilliant |
Rachael Singh
|
| 5 +1 | in a manner that is hardly transparent |
Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X)
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| 4 +2 | in a rather despicable manner |
Emérentienne
|
| 4 +1 | I think you said it (almost) |
Bourth (X)
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| 4 | without excelling themselves |
BAmary (X)
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| 4 | ... hardly shows them in a good light - see explanation |
caroail (X)
|
Change log
Jun 20, 2005 05:56: Gayle Wallimann changed "Term asked" from "please see sentence" to "de mani�re bien peu reluisante"
Proposed translations
+3
1 hr
Rachael Singh
Native in English
High-quality accurate legal translations
Native in: English 
Works in: French to English, Spanish to English, Latin to English, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
8
French term (edited):
please see sentence
Selected
in a manner that is far from brilliant
"Reluire" means "to shine", "reluisant" is therefore "shiny" or "brilliant".
Good luck! The judge sounds rather sarcastic to say the least! :-)
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Note added at 1 hr 28 mins (2004-07-09 15:52:40 GMT)
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sorry, I mean the opposing lawyer!
Good luck! The judge sounds rather sarcastic to say the least! :-)
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Note added at 1 hr 28 mins (2004-07-09 15:52:40 GMT)
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sorry, I mean the opposing lawyer!
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "The defense is presenting arguments that have no basis and they know it. Everyone can see what they are doing, that they'll try anything (beause the case is lost for them anyway). So yes they are being very transparent. They are not playing smart. "
7 mins
French term (edited):
please see sentence
without excelling themselves
It seems to me they he is being ironic.
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Note added at 37 mins (2004-07-09 15:02:11 GMT)
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Oxford Dictionary: E.g. She excelled herself in the oral.
You\'ve really excelled yourself!
Another dictionary:
http://www.allwords.com/word-excel oneself.html
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Note added at 37 mins (2004-07-09 15:02:11 GMT)
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Oxford Dictionary: E.g. She excelled herself in the oral.
You\'ve really excelled yourself!
Another dictionary:
http://www.allwords.com/word-excel oneself.html
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X)
: not grammatical to excel onself...
6 mins
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| neutral |
Tony M
: Just checking in to disagree with Jane --- you certainly CAN 'excel yourself' (though I don't honestly think this is the intended meaning here)
52 mins
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I took it this way: the company plays with reality in such a non-brilliant, obvious way (probably lying openly) that they look stupid. Everyone sees their game.
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| neutral |
Gina W
: that's the basic idea, but it seems to me there's a better way to put this. // Note 7/9/04 12: 50 EST: Hey, I've been there! ;)
1 hr
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Yes, I think that's the meaning, but my words were not the best
|
+1
7 mins
French term (edited):
please see sentence
in a manner that is hardly transparent
to keep the French style...by transforming it to British dry style...
if something does not reluire it is DARK or sombre OR not transparent...
in more everyday language, one can also say:
in a rather underhanded way...
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Note added at 7 mins (2004-07-09 14:32:19 GMT)
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transparence being something that is POSITIVE
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Note added at 24 mins (2004-07-09 14:48:41 GMT)
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Please note the French logic:
il joue d\'une manière reluisante: he plays brilliantly
il joue d\'une manière peu reluisante: he does not play brilliantly...
The lawyer was trying to say: he is obviously playing with these proceedings and is NOT being serious..only that is not what he said...
the lawyer said, \"he is playing with these proceedings in a manner that is not so brilliant....\"....if he had played with the proceedings in a brilliant manner, would that be praiseworthy? I think not....He is playing brilliantly...in this context is the same as: he is playing transparently ie obviously...only he says: he is hardly playing brilliantly or transparently...and he MEANT probably: It is obvious that he is playing a game....
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Note added at 33 mins (2004-07-09 14:58:08 GMT)
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I disagree with Cécile because I think he lawyer meant to say one thing and said another;..he clearly says: il joue d\'une manière peu reluisante.....in any language..that\'s to NOT PLAY BRILLIANTLY..he may have meant:IS PLAYING UNFAIRLY but that is NOT WHAT HE SAID...so, I think one has to translate what is there and not what is meant.
what is meant is: HE IS HARDLY PLAYING FAIRLY or FAIR
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Note added at 41 mins (2004-07-09 15:05:47 GMT)
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Final thought: if the text had said: l\'enterprise se comporte d\'une manière peu reluisante..OR agit d\'une manière peu reluisante, I would agree with Cécile but since it says JOUE...I disagree...:)..There are often, in public utterances, these contradictions. People mean to say one thing and say another. IF you listen carefully, you hear them.
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Note added at 1 hr 18 mins (2004-07-09 15:42:31 GMT)
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Note to Dusty:
There is the whole issue here of what was intended versus what was said. I apologize for being long winded but my argument did have a material basis and I just wanted to be clear.
if something does not reluire it is DARK or sombre OR not transparent...
in more everyday language, one can also say:
in a rather underhanded way...
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Note added at 7 mins (2004-07-09 14:32:19 GMT)
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transparence being something that is POSITIVE
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 24 mins (2004-07-09 14:48:41 GMT)
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Please note the French logic:
il joue d\'une manière reluisante: he plays brilliantly
il joue d\'une manière peu reluisante: he does not play brilliantly...
The lawyer was trying to say: he is obviously playing with these proceedings and is NOT being serious..only that is not what he said...
the lawyer said, \"he is playing with these proceedings in a manner that is not so brilliant....\"....if he had played with the proceedings in a brilliant manner, would that be praiseworthy? I think not....He is playing brilliantly...in this context is the same as: he is playing transparently ie obviously...only he says: he is hardly playing brilliantly or transparently...and he MEANT probably: It is obvious that he is playing a game....
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Note added at 33 mins (2004-07-09 14:58:08 GMT)
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I disagree with Cécile because I think he lawyer meant to say one thing and said another;..he clearly says: il joue d\'une manière peu reluisante.....in any language..that\'s to NOT PLAY BRILLIANTLY..he may have meant:IS PLAYING UNFAIRLY but that is NOT WHAT HE SAID...so, I think one has to translate what is there and not what is meant.
what is meant is: HE IS HARDLY PLAYING FAIRLY or FAIR
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Note added at 41 mins (2004-07-09 15:05:47 GMT)
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Final thought: if the text had said: l\'enterprise se comporte d\'une manière peu reluisante..OR agit d\'une manière peu reluisante, I would agree with Cécile but since it says JOUE...I disagree...:)..There are often, in public utterances, these contradictions. People mean to say one thing and say another. IF you listen carefully, you hear them.
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Note added at 1 hr 18 mins (2004-07-09 15:42:31 GMT)
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Note to Dusty:
There is the whole issue here of what was intended versus what was said. I apologize for being long winded but my argument did have a material basis and I just wanted to be clear.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Vicky Papaprodromou
: Not yet. I suppose it will soon show up.
3 mins
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did you get my email??? Just sent it///
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| neutral |
Emérentienne
: peut-être mais ça ne rend pas le sens de "peu reluisant" - on n'utilise l'expression que dans son sens négatif "pas ou peu reluisant " - Non, il ne s'agit pas d'un jeu ou d'une bêtise de la part de l'avocat mais d'une sorte de manque d'éthique
6 mins
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En fait. c'est contradictoire en français...s'il jouait d'une mannière reluisante, cela serait mieux?? L'avocat a dit une bêtise que j'ai bien rendu...Il a voulu dire: joue ouvertement, ou bien, fait un jeu de cette procedure. Sauf que c'est raté...
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| agree |
Nanny Wintjens
9 mins
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| neutral |
BAmary (X)
: Jane, please see the note in my answer.
29 mins
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fair enough...but I would not use it...I am unfamiliar with that usage...never heard it in my life,,which has been long and very ''exposed" ...:)
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| neutral |
Tony M
: Nice to hear about your long 'exposure', Jane --- I'm panting to hear more...! :-)) But please don't lecture so!
56 mins
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sorry Dusty...I do misinterpret but I think I did get this and others didn't...Sometimes, explanations take time and Cecile was on my case so I had to lay out the argument, as it were..
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| disagree |
Rachael Singh
: it's about the lack of originality in their underhandedness, not how transparent or obvious it is
1 hr
|
+2
16 mins
French term (edited):
please see sentence
in a rather despicable manner
-
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Note added at 19 mins (2004-07-09 14:44:14 GMT)
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pas or peu reluisant really means that you are lowering yourself in the way that you are doing things
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Note added at 25 mins (2004-07-09 14:49:57 GMT)
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you could also say :
in a rather unprofessional manner
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Note added at 27 mins (2004-07-09 14:52:14 GMT)
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Jane, peu reluisant has nothing do with being or not being brilliant.
Your \"French logic\" is beside the point because you didn\'t get the meaning in the first place
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Note added at 1 hr 20 mins (2004-07-09 15:44:30 GMT)
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Pour mieux comprendre le sens de peu reluisant :
BD Gest\' - Coulisses du pouvoir (Les) 6. Le dossier Washford
... Par Croaa Les coulisses du pouvoir, ou comment dénoncer les pratiques
peu reluisantes des politiciens et autres industriels véreux. ...
www.bdgest.com/critique_194.html - 35k - En cache - Pages similaires
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Note added at 19 mins (2004-07-09 14:44:14 GMT)
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pas or peu reluisant really means that you are lowering yourself in the way that you are doing things
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Note added at 25 mins (2004-07-09 14:49:57 GMT)
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you could also say :
in a rather unprofessional manner
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Note added at 27 mins (2004-07-09 14:52:14 GMT)
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Jane, peu reluisant has nothing do with being or not being brilliant.
Your \"French logic\" is beside the point because you didn\'t get the meaning in the first place
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Note added at 1 hr 20 mins (2004-07-09 15:44:30 GMT)
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Pour mieux comprendre le sens de peu reluisant :
BD Gest\' - Coulisses du pouvoir (Les) 6. Le dossier Washford
... Par Croaa Les coulisses du pouvoir, ou comment dénoncer les pratiques
peu reluisantes des politiciens et autres industriels véreux. ...
www.bdgest.com/critique_194.html - 35k - En cache - Pages similaires
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X)
: ça c'est ce qu'il aurait voulu dire mais il ne l'a pas dit en fait..il joue d'une mannière peu reluisante...he is not playing brilliantly....honestly.rather despicable would have to be d'un manière plutôt x..don't know the word.
13 mins
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but really, peu reluisant means hardly professional - it's not a question of not playing brilliantly
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| agree |
Tony M
: Robert-Collins certainly gives 'despicable' as one of the figurative meanings, as applied to a person...
48 mins
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merci, l'expression s'applique aussi à une pratique (voir exemple ci-dessus)
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| agree |
Gina W
1 hr
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+1
1 hr
French term (edited):
please see sentence
I think you said it (almost)
If something doesn't shine much, chances are it's shady.
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Note added at 1 hr 48 mins (2004-07-09 16:12:47 GMT)
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Otherwise, to put another log on the fire and throw some light into the ambient darkness in which little shines, \"in a discreditable manner\", which has the advantage of criticizing the defence fairly strongly, but indirectly, since it implies (slightly) that the defence lawyer is in fact a man of honour who is currently bringing discredit on his name my acting \"out of character\". That is part of the reason (at least) for the roundabout sort of expression in French: to criticize, but not overtly, or not excessively so.
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Note added at 1 hr 48 mins (2004-07-09 16:12:47 GMT)
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Otherwise, to put another log on the fire and throw some light into the ambient darkness in which little shines, \"in a discreditable manner\", which has the advantage of criticizing the defence fairly strongly, but indirectly, since it implies (slightly) that the defence lawyer is in fact a man of honour who is currently bringing discredit on his name my acting \"out of character\". That is part of the reason (at least) for the roundabout sort of expression in French: to criticize, but not overtly, or not excessively so.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Abdellatif Bouhid
: shady businesses and shady businessmen, of questionable taste or morality (louche), WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University
1 day 19 hrs
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1 hr
French term (edited):
please see sentence
... hardly shows them in a good light - see explanation
This company/corporation is playing with truth and the legal process in a manner which hardly shows them in a good light
Just a suggestion - you get the idea of light from "luire" and the rather "sarky" tongue in cheek remark beloved of some counsel
Just a suggestion - you get the idea of light from "luire" and the rather "sarky" tongue in cheek remark beloved of some counsel
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