Glossary entry

French term or phrase:

elle s’identifie avec lui

English translation:

the actions taken confirm the existence of an order

Added to glossary by Wendy Cummings
Aug 15, 2016 13:55
7 yrs ago
French term

elle s’identifie avec lui

French to English Law/Patents General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters military transport regulations dispute
Taken from a rather convoluted document submitted to the Council of State about a couple of cases in 1919, at a time when the railways were under control of the military authorities. In short, appellants are claiming that the Commission de Reseau issued an order but had not been given authority to do so.

...admettons que l’administration ne justifie pas d’un ordre écrit du général en chef. Mais les règlements le requéraient-ils ?
En aucune façon et, à les parcourir, on ne trouvera jamais trace, lorsqu’il s’agit de décisions d’une autorité supérieure, de l’obligation d’un ordre écrit, parce que toute l’économie de l’organisation du haut commandement repose sur la seule nécessité de simples « instructions d’ensemble » disent les textes, qui peuvent être prises sous la forme que dictent les événements : téléphoniques, écrites, verbales même au cours de conférences qui sont une partie essentielle de la méthode féconde des états-majors,
Vous êtes en présence d’un fait : l’ouverture des lignes au trafic privé. Elle suppose nécessairement l’ordre écrit ou verbal de l’autorité supérieure; elle s’identifie avec lui, alors surtout qu’aucune décision ultérieure n’est venue le supporter et qu’il a été confirmé par des mesures d’exécution (affichages ou autres) constantes, ininterrompues, jamais désavouées.


Hopefully that gives enough context to make sense, but I can supply more if required. I am struggling with the phrase in bold. The closest I can come up with is "it appears as though that were the case/all indications point to that being the case".

Thank you.

Discussion

Nikki Scott-Despaigne Aug 16, 2016:
Whatever solution is adopted here, "elle" and "lui" denote two separate entities, x and y, if you like. The problem in English, as there is no gender here, you have to be careful with the phrasing. If you start this sentence with "it" for "elle", then you cannot really use "it" for "lui". Either you start with "they", or turn the sentence round, but "it... it" does not work in English as the phrase then reads as if one is talking about the same thing, which defeats the object of the phrase, that two different things go together in some way, are one and the same, literally, one can be identified with the other.

If this were about people, which it is not, then "she" and "he" could be used; there'd be no problem.

Proposed translations

+1
1 day 11 hrs
French term (edited): elle [= l'ouverture l’ouverture des lignes au trafic privé] s’identifie avec lui [un odre]
Selected

the actions taken confirm the existence of an order / are the order

the whole sentence will have to be rephrased - the key step is to get first the intended meaning

elle [= l'ouverture effective des lignes au trafic privé] s’identifie avec lui [l'ordre d'ouvrir des lignes au trafic privé]

this is variation on "accepting a contract by executing it" i.e. the simple fact of executing a proposed contract is proof of acceptance, even if the contract was never signed nor even verbally accepted;

HERE the simple fact that an order was continuously executed without any hindrance for a period of time is the proof of existence of the order (doesn't matter if the order was never put in writing, and was maybe just given verbally during a meeting) / replace the order

"elle" [the fact that railway lines were open to private traffic / that private traffic went on unhindered] is the same as / is identical to "il" [an order given to that effect]


Vous êtes en présence d’un fait : l’ouverture des lignes au trafic privé. Elle suppose nécessairement l’ordre écrit ou verbal de l’autorité supérieure; elle s’identifie avec lui, alors surtout qu’aucune décision ultérieure n’est venue le supporter et qu’il a été confirmé par des mesures d’exécution (affichages ou autres) constantes, ininterrompues, jamais désavouées.

You are faced with a fact: .... . This fact implies that a written or verbal order must have been given by the superior authority THIS FACT takes the identity of THIS ORDER, ...
Peer comment(s):

agree B D Finch : The performance implies the existence of an order.
10 hrs
Yes, another way of saying it. Thanks!
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thank you. I had been considering the "hand in hand" option, with the wording "the two go hand in hand" in order to avoid the it/it issue raised by Nikki. But I like this solution as it is much clearer and to the point. "
-1
1 hr

it goes hand in hand with it (high command authority)

The decision cannot be made by a person other than the High Command Authority.

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Note added at 4 hrs (2016-08-15 18:00:50 GMT)
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Erratum: 'they go hand in hand' instead of it goes hand in hand with it
Peer comment(s):

neutral Nikki Scott-Despaigne : "They go hand in hand". The powers that be issue "instr. d'ens.", so the fact that the lines were opened up means the order was given. Hwvr it'd appear no such order is/was to be found. (No caps on h. comm. auth.)/Cannot use "it" twice here. "They go...".
1 hr
In US English, x and y go hand in hand = x (y) goes hand in hand with y (x)
disagree Daryo : you have first to define what/who is the "elle" et "lui" and then you have a sporting chance of getting the intended meaning which is not the one you suppose
1 day 8 hrs
Something went wrong...
-1
9 hrs

in complete agreement with

Parce que je m'identifie, avec ces propos pleins de bon sens, à Jacques Delors, je n'ai pas voté en faveur du rapport de M. Duhamel.
europarl.europa.eu

In complete agreement with the common sense of Jacques Delors's words, I did not vote in favour of Mr Duhamel's report.
Peer comment(s):

disagree Daryo : you have first to define what/who is the "elle" et "lui" and then you have a sporting chance of getting the intended meaning which is not the one you suppose + this IS NOT politics but legal matters
1 day 27 mins
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