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a table set that even Christ might find delight in serving

French translation: une table est dressée que même le Christ aimerait servir ...

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English term or phrase:	a table set that even Christ might find delight in serving
French translation:	une table est dressée que même le Christ aimerait servir ...
Entered by:	M A Dionne

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05:31 Sep 1, 2009

English to French translations [PRO]
Philosophy

English term or phrase: a table set that even Christ might find delight in serving

Entire sentence: "Ah! starved and starving souls, held in leash by fear, while just beyond your present vision is a table set that even Christ might find delight in serving, crying out or smothering the cry for one dear Mother Heart to lay thy head upon!"

I just don't get the meaning of this after a table set. I don't understand who is crying out, who is smothering the cry "for one dear Mother Heart to lay thy head upon"?

I asked a friend, former English teacher, but his analysis brings him to a table set crying out... Hmmm..!

M A Dionne KudoZ activity Questions: 61 (none open) (7 closed without grading) Answers: 209 Canada
Local time: 02:30

une table est dressée que même le Christ aimerait servir ...

Explanation:
... pendant que vous criez ou étouffez vos cris pour trouver un coeur de mère sur lequel poser la tête.

starved and starving souls -----> crying out -----> thy head (same subject, "souls") ... vous, les âmes affamées

Selected response from:

FX Fraipont
Belgium
Local time: 08:30

Grading comment

Merci encore pour avoir décortiqué la structure (que je ne parvenais pas à voir - il y a de ces jours!) et pour la réponse la plus proche, à mon avis, de l'original. (J'aime bien quand on peut reproduire en français l'ambiguïté de l'original!) Bravo!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

3 +4

une table est dressée que même le Christ aimerait servir ...

FX Fraipont

une tablée que même le Christ pourrait se faire un plaisir de servir

Tony M

4 -1

une table mise à plaire même le Christ (le Seigneur) serviteur, qui hurlera

Timothy Rake

une table dressée où même le Christ se fairait le plaisir de servir

mimi 254

Answers

10 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +4

a table set that even christ might find delight in serving, crying out (etc.)

une table est dressée que même le Christ aimerait servir ...

FX Fraipont
Belgium
Local time: 08:30
Native speaker of:

French
PRO pts in category: 4

Grading comment

Notes to answerer

Asker: Ah! merci! Je viens de voir. Je n'y arrivais pas. C'est évident, mais ça m'échappait. Merci beaucoup!

18 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): -1

a table set that even christ might find delight in serving, crying out (etc.) une table mise à plaire même le Christ (le Seigneur) serviteur, qui hurlera

Explanation:
le sens est que cette scène (une table bien joliment mise ... de couvert? de fleurs? de mets?, d'eucharistie? n'importe) plaira tellement au Christ qu'il fera service avec grande joie à tous ceux qui sont autour, en hurlant de joie ou en étouffant son cri pour que la Mère Sacre Coeur s'y mette la tête . .

Timothy Rake
United States
Local time: 23:30
Native speaker of:

English

Notes to answerer

Asker: I hope you are kidding...

4 hrs confidence:

a table set that even christ might find delight in serving une table dressée où même le Christ se fairait le plaisir de servir

Explanation:
... ou servirait avec plaisir

"starved or starving souls crying out or smothering the cry for one mother heart to lay their head upon while just beyond, there is a table set that Christ might find delight in serving"; voilà un peu comment je comprends la phrase.

hope it helps

mimi 254
Cameroon
Local time: 08:30
Native speaker of:

English,

French

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thanks for trying. I do appreciate.

2 hrs confidence:

une tablée que même le Christ pourrait se faire un plaisir de servir

Explanation:
While I can't really vouch for my suggesion in tems of the FR, I feel sure this is what it means.

The 'table set' is nothing to do with how the table is decorated; it means 'the group of people sitting at the table', and is a clear reference to the last Supper.

The writer is contrasting the "starved and starving souls, crying out..." with the happy people sitting round the table waiting to be served a super meal by the Lord himself (who reputedly was not quite so happy about serving the apostles at the Last Supper, since he at least knew what the outcome was going to be).

F-X has of course correctly pointed out that the subject of the verb 'crying' and what follows is of course the 'starved and starving souls'.

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Note added at 2 hrs (2009-09-01 07:57:27 GMT)
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To me, the key clue is that it is a "table set that Christ would delight in serving" — now if it meant 'a table, nicely laid with clean linen and pretty flowers', then one would be unlikely to say that someone would 'serve' it — we might 'serve in / on / at' a table, but saying 'serve' like this with no preposition seems to me a clear indication that this is a different meaning of 'set', i.e. the set of people around the table (cf. for example 'the jet-set') — if it is referring to people (like the 'set' of apostles), then of course the verb 'serve' would be used with out a preposition.

Note, however, the modern US usage of 'to wait table' — but I get the impression that this is not modern language, and possibly not US either, and I am not familiar with 'to serve table' used in the same way.

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Note added at 6 hrs (2009-09-01 12:23:57 GMT)
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Well, that's quite surprising, since it is one of the most prominent examples in the Bible of Christ serving a meal to others.

Tony M
France
Local time: 08:30
Native speaker of:

English

Notes to answerer

Asker: Hi Tony, I'm afraid, considering the larger context (which would be too long to explain here), that it is highly unlikely this is a reference to the last Supper.

Asker: You tried so hard! I must give you a special thanks! Keep it up!

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a table set that even Christ might find delight in serving

French translation: une table est dressée que même le Christ aimerait servir ...

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