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que la nécessité (..) les appelle - grammatical?

English translation: a construction with "rather"


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18:01 Jan 4, 2012
French to English translations [PRO]
Bus/Financial - Business/Commerce (general) / discourse on Change Management
French term or phrase: que la nécessité (..) les appelle - grammatical?
Hm - as I see it and in a nutshell, the urgency (regarding change) is mainly down to what the shakers & movers feel is required. Am I missing something? Here is the surrounding text.

Préalablement au traitement de la problématique du changement en général et de celui d’une entreprise en particulier, il est nécessaire d’observer quelles étaient les données de contexte global d’abord, transactionnel ensuite, motivant la nécessité d’un changement ou non.

On réalise en effet que le degré d’urgence d’un changement résulte moins d’une réalité qui s’impose, tant pour des critères objectifs ou quantifiables, que d’une perception par les agents du changement que la nécessité d’un changement les appelle. C’est notamment, ce qui explique que le changement soit adopté précocement pour certains, collectivement pour la moyenne des individus et tardivement pour d’autres.
ormiston
Local time: 09:29
English translation:a construction with "rather"
Explanation:
This can be turned round in a number of ways. Dropping the "en effet", the use of which is overseasoned in French, play around with 'rather' and 'indeed' to make it read as though it does actually mean something! Here's one :

The extent to which change is a priority is rather less the result of a clearly defined reality, both objective and quantifiable, than a perception by those implementing the change that it is indeed necessary.

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Note added at 14 mins (2012-01-04 18:16:07 GMT)
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comma after "priority"
Selected response from:

Nikki Scott-Despaigne
Local time: 09:29
Grading comment
3 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +2that there is a need for changephilgoddard
3 +3a construction with "rather"
Nikki Scott-Despaigne
4that they feel the need for a change
B D Finch
3 +1that they have 'heard the call' of a need for...
Tony M
4that necessity for a change callstranscimed


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
que la nécessité (..) les appelle
that there is a need for change


Explanation:
I don't think you can translate "les appelle" literally.

philgoddard
Local time: 02:29
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 147

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Tony M: Yes, "they perceive a need for change"
11 mins
agree  AllegroTrans
1 hr
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14 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
a construction with "rather"


Explanation:
This can be turned round in a number of ways. Dropping the "en effet", the use of which is overseasoned in French, play around with 'rather' and 'indeed' to make it read as though it does actually mean something! Here's one :

The extent to which change is a priority is rather less the result of a clearly defined reality, both objective and quantifiable, than a perception by those implementing the change that it is indeed necessary.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 14 mins (2012-01-04 18:16:07 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

comma after "priority"

Nikki Scott-Despaigne
Local time: 09:29
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 67

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Tony M: No need for comma after 'priotity', though I do think you need to repeat 'of' before 'a perception'
2 mins
  -> Perhaps right about the comma after all. Too many commas kill a comma (or lead to coMa?)
agree  Rosa Paredes: Yes. And no comma.
5 hrs
agree  Edward Tully
2 days1 hr
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4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
que la nécessité (...) les appelle
that they have 'heard the call' of a need for...


Explanation:
I don't see it as ungrammatical, just a convoluted way of expressing it!

I think you're right in your interpretation, and of course my suggestion above is no more than an aid to unravelling the sense, and should in no way be considered as a serious suggestion for a finished translation!

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Note added at 4 mins (2012-01-04 18:06:22 GMT)
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Or indeed 'are hearing the call'

It is merely their perception that change is called for...

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Note added at 25 mins (2012-01-04 18:26:49 GMT)
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Couldn't agree more! I'm not sure it so much implies pressing, perhaps more the idea of 'crying out for...' — i.e. more obvious than just a 'vague feeling...'?

Tony M
France
Local time: 09:29
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 413
Notes to answerer
Asker: I would rather avoid being convoluted myself! they perceive that a need for change has come to their attention is a bit of a pleonasm. Perhaps 'appelle' indicates more of a 'pressing' need ? Phil, without translating it literally?


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Verginia Ophof
2 mins
  -> Thanks, Verginia!
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32 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
that necessity for a change calls


Explanation:
There are times in life when necessity calls...


    Reference: http://www.umc.org/atf/cf/%7BDB6A45E4-C446-4248-82C8-E131B64...
transcimed
France
Local time: 09:29
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench
Notes to answerer
Asker: hard to work into the sentence (and 'needs must' !)

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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
that they feel the need for a change


Explanation:
The 'need' may be anything from justifying their own existence and salary, to a genuinely perceived improvement.

I also think that you can drop the "en effet" without using anything to replace it.

B D Finch
France
Local time: 09:29
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 201
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