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taillent dans la masse
pas prises en compte pour
Jun 13, 2011 11:22
13 yrs ago
French term

éternel dans sa conversation

French to English Art/Literary Art, Arts & Crafts, Painting sculpture
"... la dualité de ce matériau (verre) : d’une extrême fragilité, il est pourtant éternel dans sa conversation."
Proposed translations (English)
4 ever-present in his discourse
3 +2 and yet it conveys an eternal message
4 +1 offering a perpetual/timeless dialogue (with us)
3 +1 speaks to us of eternity
4 it ceaselessly conveys the artist's message over the centuries
3 eternal in what it portrays
3 portrays the same message
3 conducts an everlasting dialogue

Discussion

cc in nyc Jun 14, 2011:
redux extremely fragile, yet with a durable presence; perishable yet perdurable. ;-)
kashew (asker) Jun 14, 2011:
It's still unclear! Anybody have any clear thoughts this morning :-)
Just Opera Jun 13, 2011:
take route one. it is eternal in the the *way* is speaks to us (*how* it converses) not eternal as an inherent quality.

coversation = Manière de converser, de parler en conversant.

Helen Shiner Jun 13, 2011:
kashew Think it refers to the artist's discourse or internal debating with the material, so to speak (bit tired so can't think of useful formulation.)
ormiston Jun 13, 2011:
polyglot may be right i.e. (if you manage not to break it!), it will not perish, it will remain forever as it is, everlastingly this and that....
polyglot45 Jun 13, 2011:
typo for conservation ?
kashew (asker) Jun 13, 2011:
Fuller context: Les stratifications du verre sont une constante dans son travail. L’une des raisons de ce choix est la dualité de ce matériau : d’une extrême fragilité, il est pourtant éternel ***dans sa conversation***. La dualité devient un leitmotiv : violence-amour, souffrance-espoir, mémoire-oubli, vie-mort…

Proposed translations

4 hrs
Selected

ever-present in his discourse

Would that do? See my discussion post. This duality or tension seems to be the subject / leitmotif / recurring theme of the artist's work.
Note from asker:
Q: Good morning! Is it the artist's discourse or the object's discourse? Same thing?
Peer comment(s):
neutral philgoddard : This is nice, but it doesn't convey enough of a contrast with "fragilité".
2 hrs
I don't that is what is being asked for and many of the answers here misunderstand the meaning.
neutral cc in nyc : Oops, "il" refers to "le verre" – not to the artist. // Apparently we read "la dualité de ce matériau : d’une extrême fragilité, il est pourtant éternel dans sa conversation" differently. :)>- But of course it's up to kashew.
4 days
oops, obviously you have not read the extended passage given by kashew in the discussion box. Does 'dans son travail' also refer to the glass in your reading, too? I agree we read the queried phrase differently. I am sorry you don't accept k's choice.
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks to everyone!"
3 mins

eternal in what it portrays

Could conversation be what it portrays? Glass definitely does not 'speak' in English.
Note from asker:
Discours sounds better to me - it was a non-French writer. So, discourse in English now occurs to me.
Peer comment(s):
neutral cc in nyc : We probably need more context to explain the "conversation"
4 mins
Something went wrong...
12 mins

portrays the same message

expresses the same message
Something went wrong...
16 mins

conducts an everlasting dialogue

As in, the "dialogue" that is created between the piece and the viewer is powerful, in contrast to the fragility of the glass, and never wanes; there are of course many different words you can use for "éternel", I suggest "everlasting" as I like the strong contrast with fragility...
Something went wrong...
+1
42 mins

speaks to us of eternity

extremely fragile, it nevertheless speaks to us of eternity

Just another option among many.
Peer comment(s):
agree philgoddard
6 hrs
cheers, Phil!
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1 hr

it ceaselessly conveys the artist's message over the centuries

mostly because the colours do not fade out...
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+2
18 mins
French term (edited): il est pourtant éternel dans sa conversation

and yet it conveys an eternal message

One of many possibilities

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Note added at 7 hrs (2011-06-13 18:24:22 GMT)
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Maybe even better:
and yet it conveys a timeless messge
(with a nod to LaraBarnett)
Peer comment(s):
agree silvester55
5 hrs
Thank you!
agree philgoddard
6 hrs
Thank you!
Something went wrong...
+1
14 mins

offering a perpetual/timeless dialogue (with us)

This could be one of expressing this. I like "timeless" but I also provide an alternative.

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Note added at 16 mins (2011-06-13 11:38:38 GMT)
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Or even:

"It speaks to us in its timeless way."

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Note added at 1 day3 hrs (2011-06-14 14:47:51 GMT)
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Another variation:

"It's dialogue continues into perpetuity"

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Note added at 1 day3 hrs (2011-06-14 14:48:22 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Or even:

"Its dialogue continues into timelessness"
Peer comment(s):
agree liz askew : This does it for me.
2 hrs
Thank you.
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