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we would all be living

French translation: nous vivrions tous sous surveillance permanente

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:we would all be living under permanent surveillance
French translation:nous vivrions tous sous surveillance permanente
Entered by: markmx

17:28 Oct 20, 2002
English to French translations [Non-PRO]
Art/Literary
English term or phrase: we would all be living
'If his prediction had been correct we would all be living under permanent surveillance.'

I do not want to say 'we would live'

I want to retain the continuous form, meaning right now, not in another future.

Is there an alternative to 'nous vivrions'?
markmx
Local time: 13:43
nous sérions tous sous surveillance permanente:ininterrompue
Explanation:
There is "en train de" but it's too heavyhanded and, here, would distract from the thrust of the idea.
Selected response from:

Arthur Borges
China
Local time: 19:43
Grading comment
Thank you very much, Arthur, and thank you, especially, Etienne for the go-ahead to use vivrions! It may not be particularly idiomatic, but I'm constrained by the context to make as literal translation from English as possible
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +10nous sérions tous sous surveillance permanente:ininterrompue
Arthur Borges
5 +1Notre vie serait sous surveillance permanente...
Nancy Bonnefond
4 +1Nous ferions à présent l'objet d'une surveillance constante
DPolice
5nous devrions tous vivre...
ohlala (X)


  

Answers


3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +10
nous sérions tous sous surveillance permanente:ininterrompue


Explanation:
There is "en train de" but it's too heavyhanded and, here, would distract from the thrust of the idea.

Arthur Borges
China
Local time: 19:43
PRO pts in pair: 242
Grading comment
Thank you very much, Arthur, and thank you, especially, Etienne for the go-ahead to use vivrions! It may not be particularly idiomatic, but I'm constrained by the context to make as literal translation from English as possible

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  GILLES MEUNIER: serions
1 min
  -> Mérci :-)
agree  Arnold Baren
3 mins
agree  Etienne Amblard (X): agree but "vivrions" renders the meaning in the same way and would be perfectly correct
9 mins
  -> Yes of course!
agree  Florence Bremond: serions - and agree with Etienne too
29 mins
  -> Yes of course!
agree  Geneviève von Levetzow: D'accord avec Étienne et Florence
1 hr
  -> Yes of course!
agree  Ahmad Maher Sandouk
2 hrs
agree  Said Kaljanac a.k.a. SARAJ: serions
2 hrs
agree  JCEC
2 hrs
agree  IlonaT
9 hrs
agree  Clair Pickworth: yup!
13 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

12 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Nous ferions à présent l'objet d'une surveillance constante


Explanation:
The continuous present does not exist in French. You have to use adverbial phrases like "à présent" (= en ce moment)

DPolice
Local time: 13:43
PRO pts in pair: 779

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  ohlala (X)
1 hr
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
nous devrions tous vivre...


Explanation:
ou nous vivrions tous à présent...

ohlala (X)
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench, Native in RussianRussian
PRO pts in pair: 247
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

14 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Notre vie serait sous surveillance permanente...


Explanation:
...si ses prédictions étaient exactes

Nancy Bonnefond
France
Local time: 13:43
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 161

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Yolanda Broad: bonne solution
1 day 8 hrs
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