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Glossary entry

French term or phrase:

martelait

English translation:

insisted

Added to glossary by Sheila Hardie
Aug 18, 2020 08:21
3 yrs ago
45 viewers *
French term

martelait

French to English Other General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
D’abord, à nouveau dans le Journal d’Horticulture pratique, Dupont s’était fait l’écho d’un débat autour de l’acclimatation qui se serait déroulé dans une société horticole parisienne. Un « théoricien, écrivain distingué » y aurait, en effet, défendu celle-ci, contre des centaines de « praticiens » et le « fait » qu’aucune plante, malgré une présence séculaire, ne s’était jamais acclimatée, ***martelait*** le Belge.

This is a text about 19th century botany in Belgium - I am not sure of the best translation for 'martelait' here.

Many thanks in advance!


Sheila
Proposed translations (English)
5 +5 , the Belgian banged on / insisted
Change log

Aug 18, 2020 12:58: philgoddard changed "Field" from "Science" to "Other" , "Field (write-in)" from "Acclimatisation in 19th century " to " "

Aug 23, 2020 09:08: Sheila Hardie Created KOG entry

Discussion

Sheila Hardie (asker) Aug 21, 2020:
Thank you for all the suggestions Many thanks for all the suggestions! My first thought was to translate it as 'insisted' but felt it did not really convey the image that the author might have wanted to create. I am still thinking about this and will let you know what I decide. Thanks again!
Sheila Hardie (asker) Aug 19, 2020:
Thank you for all the suggestions Many thanks for all the suggestions! My first thought was to translate it as 'insisted' but felt it did not really convey the image that the author might have wanted to create. I am still thinking about this and will let you know what I decide. Thanks again!
Shelley Upton Aug 18, 2020:
marteler Don't worry, I wouldn't have translated it as 'the Belgian'... I was just using it as a placeholder and trusting Sheila to choose the most appropriate term in context :- )
Shelley Upton Aug 18, 2020:
martelet Then building on ph-b's suggestion, how about "... the Belgian impressed upon them." Would that work?
polyglot45 Aug 18, 2020:
not against the idea of "impressed upon" but perhaps "was at pains to impress upon"?

And I hate "the Belgian" - it is a typical trick of French style so as not to repeat the person's name. Probably just "he" or something like the "author" or the "writer" would suffice
Shelley Upton Aug 18, 2020:
martelet Then building on ph-b's suggestion, how about "... the Belgian impressed upon them." Would that work?
ph-b (X) Aug 18, 2020:
marteler There is of course a link with marteau, as has already been pointed out. Just out of curiosity, I checked CNRTL/Grand Robert, etc. and found that sylviculteurs ("foresters"?, anyway, not far from botany) use a special kind of marteau in order to make une marque que l'on imprime, par percussion, sur l'arbre destiné à l'abattage ou à la réserve. (https://www.cnrtl.fr/definition/marteau). See also: Spécialt. Eaux et Forêts. Marteler les arbres à abattre, les marquer au marteau. ➙ Martelage. (Le Grand Robert de la langue française). While I agree of course with "hammer home/hammer out" (etc.), can you not use "imprint"/"leave a mark on minds" or words to that effect in English, or would that be too awkward or far-fetched?
SafeTex Aug 18, 2020:
@ all Polyglot is absolutely right. Emphasised, underlined, insisted, hammered home the point are all possibilities
Shelley Upton Aug 18, 2020:
the verb "marteler" I think polyglot has probably hit the nail on the head!!
polyglot45 Aug 18, 2020:
the verb "marteler" comes from "marteau" (hammer) and therefore suggests that the guy was trying to hammer the message home. There is an underlying idea of repetition (keeping on hitting it home).
Maybe 'insisted' would fit the bill

Proposed translations

+5
3 hrs
Selected

, the Belgian banged on / insisted

To bang on or insist on smtg
Peer comment(s):
agree philgoddard : Insisted. "Banged on" is inappropriately colloquial.
1 hr
Very true! Good point
agree Tony M : Or 'emphasized'... but not 'banged on about', as phil says.
3 hrs
agree Eliza Hall : Insisted, yes. In a different turn of phrase, "hammered" can also be used for this type of speech in English.
7 hrs
agree AllegroTrans : "insisted"
9 hrs
neutral ph-b (X) : Sounds + like an explanation than a translation. Insister exists in French, yet the author chose to use marteler. You've left out the "hammering" mentioned in the discussion box. And "to bang on" is not the same register as marteler.
19 hrs
agree Shelley Upton : Another way of saying insisted: "hammered his point home".
1 day 4 hrs
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Many thanks to everyone for your answers and ideas! In the end, I used 'insisted', which is actually what I had been thinking of using before I posted this question. Thank you all once again! "
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