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à peine

English translation: On pain of

05:08 Jun 30, 2001
French to English translations [PRO]
Bus/Financial
French term or phrase: à peine
On allocation of year-end results:
*à peine de nullité de toute délibération contraire, il est pratiqué sur le bénéfice de l’exercice diminué, le cas échéant, des pertes antérieures, une dotation égale à un dixième au moins affectée à la formation d’un fonds de réserve dit "réserve légale".
I get the rest of the sentence more or less, though the "à peine" as is used here is undermining my confidence in turning it around.
Parrot
Spain
Local time: 11:02
English translation:On pain of
Explanation:
Sounds like they mean to say "sous peine de nullité...........

So "on pain of" or "at the risk of" would appear suitable.

All the best

Barnaby Capel-Dunn
Selected response from:

Barnaby Capel-Dunn
Local time: 11:02
Grading comment
Thanks, and thanks also for the confirmations.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
na +2On pain of
Barnaby Capel-Dunn
naVain attempt , fruitless attempt/efforts
1964
naAny oppsing/ contrary action being liable to be cancelled, it is ....
Telesforo Fernandez (X)
naNote
Nikki Scott-Despaigne
na -1A personal opinion
Nikki Scott-Despaigne


  

Answers


9 mins peer agreement (net): +2
On pain of


Explanation:
Sounds like they mean to say "sous peine de nullité...........

So "on pain of" or "at the risk of" would appear suitable.

All the best

Barnaby Capel-Dunn

Barnaby Capel-Dunn
Local time: 11:02
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 42
Grading comment
Thanks, and thanks also for the confirmations.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Yves Georges: assumption "à peine de" = "sous peine de" correct
40 mins
agree  Nikki Scott-Despaigne: 'At the risk of + -ING form of verb. Avoid 'on pain of'.
1 hr
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48 mins
Vain attempt , fruitless attempt/efforts


Explanation:
useless , unproductive efforts. Just a proposal.

1964
Türkiye
Local time: 12:02
Native speaker of: Native in TurkishTurkish
PRO pts in pair: 294
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1 hr
Any oppsing/ contrary action being liable to be cancelled, it is ....


Explanation:
This is the way to trasnpose it to get clear version.
All the best.

Telesforo Fernandez (X)
Local time: 14:32
PRO pts in pair: 216
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8 hrs peer agreement (net): -1
A personal opinion


Explanation:
"under threat of", "at the risk of" sound quite natural. I may be wrong but "on pain of" sounds distinctly odd.





Nikki Scott-Despaigne
Local time: 11:02
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 4638

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Nigel Patterson: fI think your alternatives are fine, but I don't agree with your objection to 'on pain of ..'! (Depends what
20 hrs
  -> I stand corrected. It's fine of course! Legal context, perhaps "subject to the penalty of" is better...
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1 day 17 hrs
Note


Explanation:
Just a further explanation of "on pain of". Whilst it is of course English, in my short legal career (UK), I do not recall ever having come across it, which is why I am not so sure of it. This does not mean it is not used in legal contexts of course, but I would never the less be certain that "subject to the penalty of" for exmaple does sound much more 'legal' and the other suggestion of "at the risk of" works in both ordinary and legal contexts. "On pain of" makes me think of more literary contexts. Could just be a personal tic though!

Nikki Scott-Despaigne
Local time: 11:02
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 4638
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