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ازلام الطاغية

English translation: The tyrant's goons

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07:48 Dec 21, 2011

Arabic to English translations [PRO]
Government / Politics / politicki nemiri

Arabic term or phrase: ازلام الطاغية

I found this phrase in many texts after the killing of The Libyan President Ghadafi. Could you please tell me exactly how does it translates: does it refer to those who dethroned him or it refers to the "dethroned dictator"?

Gordana Kubura

English translation:The tyrant's goons

Explanation:
.

Selected response from:

dimamarcel
Local time: 14:02

Grading comment

Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

4 +2

The tyrant's goons

dimamarcel

dictator's thugs

albermanil

4 +1

the tyrant's factotums

Liliane Hatem

remnants of the tyrant

ayman bakr

tyrant's/dictator's puppets/servants/pawns/tools/instruments

Mohammad Arrajihi

pro-tyrant

hassan zekry

The tyrant's supporters/followers

Heba Abed

Discussion entries: 2

Answers

23 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

The tyrant's goons

Explanation:
.

dimamarcel
Local time: 14:02
Native speaker of:

Arabic
PRO pts in category: 16

Grading comment

Selected automatically based on peer agreement.

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thank you!

14 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

the tyrant's factotums

Explanation:
followers to serve him

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Note added at 28 mins (2011-12-21 08:17:33 GMT)
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him pretending that he bribes the tyrant's factotums and the narrator is disagreeing as he too has protested in front of the embassy (meaning that there was not bribed)

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Note added at 29 mins (2011-12-21 08:18:21 GMT)
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pls read (meaning that there was no bribe)

Liliane Hatem
Local time: 23:02
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English,

Arabic
PRO pts in category: 58

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thank you very much!

28 mins confidence:

The tyrant's supporters/followers

Explanation:
The tyrant's supporters/followers

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Note added at 31 mins (2011-12-21 08:20:13 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

http://area254.com/index.php/eng/LifeStyle/Health/Forum-Arch...

Heba Abed
Egypt
Local time: 22:02
Works in field
Native speaker of:

Arabic
PRO pts in category: 21

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thank you very much! This will do!

7 mins confidence:

pro-tyrant

Explanation:
.

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Note added at 59 mins (2011-12-21 08:48:25 GMT)
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pro- is a prefix; it conveys the meaning of : Supporting; favoring:

hassan zekry
Local time: 22:02
Works in field
Native speaker of:

Arabic
PRO pts in category: 110

Notes to answerer

Asker: Shoukran! Anyhow, this translation fits best to the meaning of the overall text, although I don't understand it from the gramatical point of view.

Asker: Thank you!

9 hrs confidence:

dictator's thugs

Explanation:
Another option

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Note added at 9 hrs (2011-12-21 17:32:24 GMT)
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I could also add the word "despot" for taghiya

albermanil
Local time: 22:02
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

Arabic
PRO pts in category: 4

23 hrs confidence:

tyrant's/dictator's puppets/servants/pawns/tools/instruments

Explanation:
I think all all the previous 5 answers are correct, but I just would to make the word أزلام clearer to the asker. By definition, أزلام or dividing arrows are small arrows the pre-Islamic people used to use on some of which they wrote "Do" and on the others they wrote "Do not do" in order to consult these arrows first before doing anything. However, in the contemporary Arabic, the idiom أزلام الطاغية refers to those people who are completely controlled and manipulated by an absolute ruler who uses them to perform unpleasant or dishonest tasks. Thus, I think the above mentioned terms are close equivalents to the word أزلام in this particular context.

http://www.almaany.com/home.php?language=arabic&word= أزلام&...

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/puppet

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Note added at 23 hrs (2011-12-22 07:05:27 GMT)
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P.S.: أزلام also refers to the consultants and assistants of a tyrant.

Mohammad Arrajihi
Yemen
Local time: 23:02
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

Arabic

9 days confidence:

remnants of the tyrant

Explanation:
according to mass media, I belive this would be the most probable meaning. however, the context is much needed.

ayman bakr
Local time: 22:02
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

Arabic
PRO pts in category: 12

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ازلام الطاغية

English translation: The tyrant's goons

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ازلام الطاغية

English translation: The tyrant's goons

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Answers

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ProZ.com ideas

KudoZ™ translation helpThe KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

KudoZ™ translation help
The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.