Apr 18, 2013 09:58
11 yrs ago
6 viewers *
French term
l'acteur
Non-PRO
French to English
Social Sciences
Government / Politics
text written by Medecins sans Frontieres about the Syrian civil war
This is about the political party called the PYD.
Context:
'En résistant plus de quatre mois aux assauts de Jebal al Nusra, soutenu directement par les turques, ils ont fait la démonstration d’une réelle capacité de résistance. En se maintenant dans les quartiers nord de Alep ou dans la région d’Affrin entre opposition et régime, parfois assailli par l’opposition et le régime, ils montrent encore cette capacité autonome dans le conflit. Le PYD est l’acteur de terrain incontournable kurde. '
I have not found a good way of translating 'acteur', in this context.
Context:
'En résistant plus de quatre mois aux assauts de Jebal al Nusra, soutenu directement par les turques, ils ont fait la démonstration d’une réelle capacité de résistance. En se maintenant dans les quartiers nord de Alep ou dans la région d’Affrin entre opposition et régime, parfois assailli par l’opposition et le régime, ils montrent encore cette capacité autonome dans le conflit. Le PYD est l’acteur de terrain incontournable kurde. '
I have not found a good way of translating 'acteur', in this context.
Proposed translations
(English)
| 4 +1 | stakeholder |
Cyril B.
|
| 4 +5 | protagonist |
Josephine Cassar
|
| 4 +2 | actor/s |
liz askew
|
| 4 +2 | - |
Nikki Scott-Despaigne
|
| 3 +2 | player |
Tony M
|
| 3 | leader or govornor |
Chié_JP
|
Change log
Apr 19, 2013 05:22: Sandra & Kenneth Grossman changed "Level" from "PRO" to "Non-PRO"
Votes to reclassify question as PRO/non-PRO:
Non-PRO (3): philgoddard, Jane Proctor (X), Sandra & Kenneth Grossman
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Proposed translations
+1
9 mins
Selected
stakeholder
Often, for NGOs
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Note added at 11 mins (2013-04-18 10:10:06 GMT)
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or 'power', here
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Note added at 13 mins (2013-04-18 10:11:50 GMT)
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"The PYD is the prevailing power in the Syrian Kurdish areas"
http://www.understandingwar.org/sites/default/files/Backgrou...
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Note added at 11 mins (2013-04-18 10:10:06 GMT)
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or 'power', here
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 13 mins (2013-04-18 10:11:50 GMT)
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"The PYD is the prevailing power in the Syrian Kurdish areas"
http://www.understandingwar.org/sites/default/files/Backgrou...
3 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "I would say that 'prevailing power' is the best translation, as it gives the idea of being a 'stakeholder' in the situation and also acting on this/living there and ruling the territory."
+2
5 mins
French term (edited):
acteur
player
One of the 'standard' translations for 'acteur' — and I don't really see why it couldn't fit here, albeit with a little tweaking to fit it in with the always tricky 'incontournable'.
+5
35 mins
Josephine Cassar
Malta
Malta
Native in English
Malta
12 yrs. experience translating EU stuff
Native in: English (Variants: British, UK) 
, Maltese
Works in: English to Maltese, Italian to Maltese, French to Maltese, and 3 more.
protagonist
Also used in this context & in conflicts- chief protagonist
Note from asker:
| My view on this is that they may not be the main protagonists, as they would be happy just to live in the area, but other powers attack them if they do. |
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
liz askew
: This is the best choice for the context.
2 hrs
|
| agree |
katsy
2 hrs
|
| agree |
Jane Proctor (X)
9 hrs
|
| agree |
AllegroTrans
10 hrs
|
| agree |
David Goward
20 hrs
|
+2
2 hrs
actor/s
Great Syrian Revolt - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Syrian_Revolt
•
•
French forces entering Syria faced resistance from local actors in the north in 1919, with ... War I, the territory that tribes would wander was divided between Turkey, the ...of minorities from the new country of Turkey, namely Armenians and Kurds, ... upon hearing of this, the Druze returned their support to the al-Atrash family, ...
www.ekurd.net/mismas/articles/misc2012/11/syriakurd667.htm
•
Nov 12, 2012 – National Conflicts Emerge in Syrian Civil War 12.11.2012 ... In this regard, they are independent actors in the conflict in Syria, much as they were in Iraq..... Kurdish resistance may break the Syrian rebels 30.10.2012 ...
The Kurdish question in Syria: a litmus test | Counterfire
www.counterfire.org › Features › International
Sep 23, 2012 – As civil war, imperial intervention and sectarianism threaten to undermine the Syrian uprising the Kurds, up until now a lesser actor, ... of oppression by, resistance to, and sometimes accommodation with, the local regimes.
Paper Abstracts | Resolving the Syria Crisis:
cmesconference.wordpress.com/paper-abstracts/
•
In thinking about possible outcomes of the Syrian revolution and civil war, ... ethnic cleansing, and the possible future of the Alawite and Kurdish regions. ... geographic location, its membership of the “resistance front” against Israel, .... Syrian people are likely to face and what, if anything, outside actors can do to help them.
RealClearWorld - The Restive Kurds and Syria's Future
www.realclearworld.com/.../the_restive_kurds_and_syrias_fut...
Feb 19, 2013 – ... to be the Democratic Union Party (PYD) – a powerful Syrian Kurdish ... as well as tensions between the PYD and other revolutionary actors ...
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2013-04-18 12:29:46 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Power, Wealth and Global Equity: An International Relations ... - Page 12 - Google Books Result
books.google.co.uk/books?isbn=191971393X
Patrick J. McGowan, Scarlett Cornelissen, Philip Nel - 2007 - Political Science
The extreme variety of actors and interest groups in the system makes conflict ... But the academic subject called International Relations does not only study ...
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2013-04-18 12:31:30 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Download Full Paper - the British International Studies Association
www.bisa.ac.uk/index.php?option=com_bisa&task...1...
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - Quick View
Apr 27, 2011 – be of importance, for instance relations between state and non-state actors and relations between local and international actors. Security ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Syrian_Revolt
•
•
French forces entering Syria faced resistance from local actors in the north in 1919, with ... War I, the territory that tribes would wander was divided between Turkey, the ...of minorities from the new country of Turkey, namely Armenians and Kurds, ... upon hearing of this, the Druze returned their support to the al-Atrash family, ...
www.ekurd.net/mismas/articles/misc2012/11/syriakurd667.htm
•
Nov 12, 2012 – National Conflicts Emerge in Syrian Civil War 12.11.2012 ... In this regard, they are independent actors in the conflict in Syria, much as they were in Iraq..... Kurdish resistance may break the Syrian rebels 30.10.2012 ...
The Kurdish question in Syria: a litmus test | Counterfire
www.counterfire.org › Features › International
Sep 23, 2012 – As civil war, imperial intervention and sectarianism threaten to undermine the Syrian uprising the Kurds, up until now a lesser actor, ... of oppression by, resistance to, and sometimes accommodation with, the local regimes.
Paper Abstracts | Resolving the Syria Crisis:
cmesconference.wordpress.com/paper-abstracts/
•
In thinking about possible outcomes of the Syrian revolution and civil war, ... ethnic cleansing, and the possible future of the Alawite and Kurdish regions. ... geographic location, its membership of the “resistance front” against Israel, .... Syrian people are likely to face and what, if anything, outside actors can do to help them.
RealClearWorld - The Restive Kurds and Syria's Future
www.realclearworld.com/.../the_restive_kurds_and_syrias_fut...
Feb 19, 2013 – ... to be the Democratic Union Party (PYD) – a powerful Syrian Kurdish ... as well as tensions between the PYD and other revolutionary actors ...
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2013-04-18 12:29:46 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Power, Wealth and Global Equity: An International Relations ... - Page 12 - Google Books Result
books.google.co.uk/books?isbn=191971393X
Patrick J. McGowan, Scarlett Cornelissen, Philip Nel - 2007 - Political Science
The extreme variety of actors and interest groups in the system makes conflict ... But the academic subject called International Relations does not only study ...
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2013-04-18 12:31:30 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Download Full Paper - the British International Studies Association
www.bisa.ac.uk/index.php?option=com_bisa&task...1...
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - Quick View
Apr 27, 2011 – be of importance, for instance relations between state and non-state actors and relations between local and international actors. Security ...
Note from asker:
| You might be correct, here, Liz, but it doesn't sound right, to me. It is possible that that is because I haven't read enough of the kinds of documents you refer to, but it is also possible that this use originated in a mistranslation from the French. |
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
writeaway
: is the one thing it almost never means in English. virtually a faux ami
15 mins
|
|
What? see my last reference/I would recommend you further your reading.
|
|
| agree |
kashew
1 hr
|
| agree |
philgoddard
: This is perfectly OK, and the obvious choice.
5 hrs
|
+2
8 hrs
Nikki Scott-Despaigne
Native in English
Specializes in field
Psychologist, Court-certified legal
Native in: English 
Works in: French to English
Related KudoZ points
:
31
-
In addition to one of the more usual solutions already put forward above, it is quite possible to avoid using it at all in turning the sentence round.
There is no avoiding the kurdish PYD.
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Note added at 8 hrs (2013-04-18 18:44:06 GMT)
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Kurdish, with a capital letter.
There is no avoiding the kurdish PYD.
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Note added at 8 hrs (2013-04-18 18:44:06 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Kurdish, with a capital letter.
9 hrs
leader or govornor
It is rather sounding like a governor of the earth.
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Jane Proctor (X)
: Uh?!?
44 mins
|
Discussion