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But inhabited by who? By whom?

French translation: ---

12:46 Aug 10, 2009
English to French translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Linguistics
English term or phrase: But inhabited by who? By whom?
When I read a book in my foreign languages, I frequently ask myself how I would translate such and such things. This time, I am at a loss since I do not have a single clue.
The book I am reading is "First Light" by Peter Ackroyd.

"It [The landscape] looks as if it's been inhabited for thousands and thousands of years. But inhabited by who? By whom [whom in italics]?"

Any idea as to how to render this?
Many thanks in advance.

Agnès
Agnès Flandin
France
Local time: 21:21
French translation:---
Explanation:
Je crois que c'est une correction grammaticale qui permet d'éviter une répétition trop banale. En traduisant ainsi : "Par qui ? Par qui donc ? ", je pense que ça pourrait faire l'affaire.


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Note added at 11 minutes (2009-08-10 12:58:11 GMT)
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Si vous connaissez des langues à déclinaison, on dit aussi que whom est une marque de l'accusatif ce qui rejoint les propos des collègues vu que l'accusatif indique la fonction COD. Le "donc" de ma trad n'a rien de grammatical car comme l'a dit jmleger impossible de rendre cette particularité en français. Ca permettra au moins de conserver le rythme...
Selected response from:

Kévin Bacquet
France
Local time: 21:21
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +3---
Kévin Bacquet
4qui
jmleger
4qui vs. par qui
André Vanasse (X)
3par qui donc ? par quel peuple ?
cchat


Discussion entries: 6





  

Answers


5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
who vs. whom
qui


Explanation:
Il gaut trancher le noeud gordien. Il n'y a pas d'équivalent français du pronom personnel sujet vs complément. Pas la peine de se prendre le chignon à mon avis. A moinsse que vous souhaitiez reproduire artificiellement les angoisses grammaticales de l'auteur. Dans ce cas, bonne chance.

jmleger
Local time: 14:21
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 4
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7 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
who vs. whom
qui vs. par qui


Explanation:
Who est un sujet alors que whom est un complément.

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Note added at 9 mins (2009-08-10 12:55:50 GMT)
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Habité par qui? Qui les a envoyés?

André Vanasse (X)
South Korea
Local time: 04:21
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench, Native in EnglishEnglish
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2 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
who vs. whom
---


Explanation:
Je crois que c'est une correction grammaticale qui permet d'éviter une répétition trop banale. En traduisant ainsi : "Par qui ? Par qui donc ? ", je pense que ça pourrait faire l'affaire.


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 11 minutes (2009-08-10 12:58:11 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Si vous connaissez des langues à déclinaison, on dit aussi que whom est une marque de l'accusatif ce qui rejoint les propos des collègues vu que l'accusatif indique la fonction COD. Le "donc" de ma trad n'a rien de grammatical car comme l'a dit jmleger impossible de rendre cette particularité en français. Ca permettra au moins de conserver le rythme...

Kévin Bacquet
France
Local time: 21:21
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Beila Goldberg: D'accord avec Kevin : chaque langue possède des particularités propres. Sa proposition de traduction respecte le sens et les questions que l'auteur se pose.
1 hr
  -> Merci beaucoup Beila !
agree  George C.
20 hrs
agree  Sara M: bonne idée, je trouve
2 days 24 mins
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26 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
but inhabited by who? by whom?
par qui donc ? par quel peuple ?


Explanation:
"par qui donc" to convey the informal aspect of by who
"par quel peuple" to try to convey a more formal phrasing of the question.
But the broader context might suggest other options.

cchat
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 29
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