Emmanuella Jul 31, 2021:

Thanks.

Conor McAuley Jul 31, 2021:

[Deleted post. Emmanuella: "Therefore, what would you suggest?"]

That's not the question. But I would say required/compulsory/mandatory, etc. Very straightforward.

Conor McAuley Jul 31, 2021:

The choice between "choose" and "decide" doesn't affect how you translate "imposé" or "obligatoire" in any way, as these adjectives refer to the fact of asking von Tieschowitz, whether it is optional in any way (NO!), not to anything else.

The text is telling us that asking him is NOT a choice.

Emmanuella Jul 31, 2021:

Si l'on utilise un verbe 'choose' , quid de 'Imposé' et 'obligatoire' , soit des adjectifs?

Conor McAuley Jul 30, 2021:

Otherwise
"It was with confidence that he was asked to choose", if you don't like "decision"/"decide".

Part of the problem here, of course, is that we don't know who is doing the asking. The French?

If so, you can say, very simply:

"The French confidently asked him to choose [...]"

Conor McAuley Jul 30, 2021:

Well, with my answer at least, it's "decision" in the previous sentence, and then "decide".

Also French has a problem with this kind of repetition, but English less so.

While, I'm here:
"On 16 August 1940, Count Franz Wolff-Metternich, who had been appointed by Hitler to oversee France’s art collection, duly arrived. In his diary, Jaujard recalled that Metternich almost seemed relieved to find the Louvre to be empty. Like many German aristocrats, Metternich was not a Nazi party member and, as long as he was able to, he tried to help Jaujard to preserve France’s art from looting Nazis such as Hermann Goering, Joseph Goebbels and Joachim von Ribbentrop."
(Quote from about halfway through the article.)
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/22/mona-lisa-spir...

SafeTex Jul 30, 2021:

@all The problem for me with the present suggestions is that "decision" is in the preceding sentence. I don't like the repetition. Maybe use "intervention" or "adjudication" or something similar instead?

Samuël Buysschaert Jul 30, 2021:

I think it means here, they ask for his decision, even though there was probably already a request/order from his hierarchy on the matter and mandatory when it involves art transportation.

A bit more context if it can help a bit

Montauban,1942
https://books.google.fr/books?id=0-tmDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT144&lpg=P...
"Saving Mona Lisa: The Battle to Protect the Louvre and Its Treasures During World War II" by Gerri Chanel