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ayant à les connaître

Glossary entry

French term or phrase:

s\'engagent à ce que

English translation:

undertake to ensure that

Added to glossary by pooja_chic
Jan 29, 2011 20:29
13 yrs ago
8 viewers *
French term

s'engagent à ce que

French to English Law/Patents Law: Contract(s)
Les Parties s'engagent à ce que les Informations Confidentielles :
a) soient protégées et gardées strictement confidentielles et soient traitées avec le même degré de précaution et de protection qu’elle apporte à la protection de ses propres informations confidentielles ;
Proposed translations (English)
4 +4 undertake to ensure that
5 +1 undertake that
4 +2 mutually undertake that
4 -1 mutually agree that
Change log

Jan 30, 2011 13:57: Stéphanie Soudais (X) changed "Field" from "Other" to "Law/Patents"

Proposed translations

+4
8 mins
Selected

undertake to ensure that

You really have to re-word this for it to work naturally in EN.

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Note added at 5 hrs (2011-01-30 01:46:56 GMT)
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It's terribly important to differentiate between a true reflexive, the type of reflexive (as here) that invites a passive construction in EN — and the use of 'se' in a reflexive sense between two parties, as is being interpreted by some as 'mutually', but which I don't think applies here with 'engager'.

Ils se faisaient la bise = they kissed each other (you'd look pretty silly kissing yourself)

Ils se lavaient les mains = they (each) washed (their own) hands — no notion of mutually washing each others hands here!

Les tâches de peinture s'éliminent avec du térébenthine = Paint splashes can be removed using turpentine
Peer comment(s):
agree Bourth (X) : Rewording required too because what starts out with Les Parties soon becomes elle apporte and ses propres informations!
7 mins
Thanks, Alex! Yes, indeed, well spotted! I've just done a 4k+ word contract with similar appalling errors :-(
neutral Jack Dunwell : Don't need "to ensure" ...standard usage Well I agree with your phrasing...that's good
7 mins
No, but it reads better, J, if you take the whole of the rest into account; otherwise, you end up with 'undertake that confidential information be protected..." Unless you use an auxiliary verb up front, you either use one later, or have the awkward subj.
agree liz askew : A better construction and easier to incorporate with the rest of the text
2 hrs
Thanks, Liz! I'm glad you saw what I was getting at.
agree cc in nyc : used on Eur-Lex
3 hrs
Thanks, CC! I feel privileged to be in such good company ;-)
agree Alain Mouchel
13 hrs
Merci, Alain !
Something went wrong...
2 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "thanks "
+1
7 mins

undertake that

It's the usual translation.
Peer comment(s):
neutral Tony M : Yes, but creates a rather unnatural construction requiring the EN subjunctive in Asker's specific context
2 mins
agree Jack Dunwell : Yes, agreed Don't agree with yr comment below, A!
6 mins
Something went wrong...
+2
9 mins
French term (edited): s\'engagent à ce que

mutually undertake that

This may be ugly, but it's perfectly legitimate. The Parties mutually undertake that the Confidential Information [etc.]
Peer comment(s):
neutral Tony M : 'mutually undertake' doesn't really make a lot of sense, nor is it even necessary. I'm not sure it's "correct": s'engager = commit oneself = undertake. Where is 'mutually' in the s/t? / Over-interpretation; not saying it doesn't exist, but not here
1 min
And yet it brought up many references from legal documents in Google. I agree it's not smooth as glass, but what counts is its correctness. The Parties make commitments with respect to each other, not into the ether.
agree Jack Dunwell : Yes, that makes sense too, Stéphanie. They both undertake, together, is mutual. I dion't see the problem, why this should be attacked!
7 mins
Thank you!
neutral Alistair Ian Spearing Ortiz : I agree with Tony M.
14 mins
agree TAKOAS (X) : like it because you have translated "s'" in s'engage.
14 hrs
Something went wrong...
-1
20 mins

mutually agree that

("undertake that" sounds like a literal translation from German or Albanian, or something out of an 1849 country lawyer's drafting)

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Note added at 21 mins (2011-01-29 20:50:42 GMT)
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Here's one of the many howlers, this one from Pakistan:
----
[PDF]
2 2. We undertake that in case any discrepancy is subsequently ...
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - Quick View
We undertake that in case any discrepancy is subsequently detected by the State Bank of Pakistan in the remittance of dividends made by us, ...
www.sbp.org.pk/updated fe manual/pdf/appendix59b.pdf
Peer comment(s):
disagree Tony M : Not just a cosy agreement, but an actual solemn commitment (= undertaking) to do (or not do) something; you have to be very careful, as 'agree' may well have been used elsewhere in the doc. / 'Undertake to' is perfectly legitimate, if used appropriately
2 mins
False. "Agree" is quite formal!! The use of "undertake to" is "International English" or archaic English at best, not modern legal English. I agree that it means "formally agree to", but the word "formally" is not needed in a contract -- it is implied.
neutral liz askew : "undertake to" is good English though.
2 hrs
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