Thread: Please translate this long sentance:

Its one of Victor's, would anyone like to translate it for me?

Fut-il, au milieu d'une de ces distractions et de ces affections qui occupaient sa vie, subitement atteint d'une de ces coups mysterieux et terribles qui viennent quelquefois renverser, en le frappant au coeur, l'homme que les catastrophes publiques n'ebranleraient pas en le frappant dans son existence et dans sa fortune?

Originally Posted by Biancca

Its one of Victor's, would anyone like to translate it for me?

Fut-il, au milieu d'une de ces distractions et de ces affections qui occupaient sa vie, subitement atteint d'une de ces coups mysterieux et terribles qui viennent quelquefois renverser, en le frappant au coeur, l'homme que les catastrophes publiques n'ebranleraient pas en le frappant dans son existence et dans sa fortune?

Wow... hard reading material you've got there. Ebranler.. good word .

This is my attempt, but there are many ways you could try to translate this:

Was he, in the midst of one of those distractions and loves that occupied his life, suddenly able to attain one of those terribly mysterious realizaitions that can sometimes toally change, by touching him in the heart, the man who public catastrophies had never personally moved?

That make sense in the context?

Yep, that makes sense, thanks.

Wow!

And then people complain French is too hard!! You have chosen the most difficult material ever!

This is how I would translate it, formally not artistically, although I'm not a native interlocutor.

Was he, in the middle of the distractions and pleasures that took up his life, suddenly struck by one of those terrible, mysterious blows that from time to time upset, by piercing the heart, a man who would be unshakeable in the face of public catastrophe such as those that attack his person or his fortune?

I'll break it up bit-by-bit so you'll be able to see where I'm coming from:


Fut-il, au milieu d'une de ces distractions et de ces affections qui occupaient sa vie, subitement atteint d'une de ces coups mysterieux et terribles

This part translates pretty straightforwardly. It introduces a man who is enjoying a normal life, and suddenly he is struck by (subitement atteint d') one of those mysterious blows (un de ces coups mysterieux). Note that coup is masculine, so the original sentence is incorrect.


qui viennent quelquefois renverser, en le frappant au coeur, l'homme que les catastrophes publiques n'ebranleraient pas en le frappant dans son existence et dans sa fortune?

This is a little trickier...it introduces by means of a relative pronoun the mysterious blows which (notice present tense, so it is not referring to the specific situation but mysterious blows in general) can sometimes totally turn our lives upside down. Those blows do this by striking at our heart, and they can even afflict a man who would normally be unshakeable when only his "existence" or "fortune" is stricken--it is emphasizing the power that these mysterious blows to the heart have. The other way to interpret it would be that the mysterious blows cripple him in his existence and fortune BY piercing his heart, but I don't think that's what's intended.

Well that is my take on it, but I don't have the context so there may be other ways to interpret it.

Nathan

Hey Nathan how come you changed your name?

Anyway I knew it was you before I saw the signature. Very technical.

Thanks