s’avéra dépassé par la réalité

English translation: (hardly was the ink dry but the report) was overtaken by events

22:29 Mar 9, 2008

French to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Government / Politics

French term or phrase: s’avéra dépassé par la réalité

Phrase et contexte:

À peine dévoilé, le rapport du XXX sur les changements climatiques s’avéra dépassé par la réalité. Ce que les scientifiques prédirent comme impacts sur les régions polaires pour une décennie se réalisèrent dans la seule année 2007.

I'm not sure of the nuance of the tense here... s'avera dépassé. Is it the future form used to indicate possibility, or expectation or... For some reason that whole first sentence is really sending my over-caffeinated tired brain into a spin.. Hmmm.... au secours??

Un gros merci!!

isarcat KudoZ activity Questions: 101 (none open) (5 closed without grading) Answers: 157
Local time: 02:26

English translation:(hardly was the ink dry but the report) was overtaken by events

Explanation:
preterite tense/simple past/past historic (one off)

Hardly was the report published but events showed that it had understated the case

The translation needs working on but this is the direction to be looking

Selected response from:

CMJ_Trans (X)
Local time: 08:26

Grading comment

'm selecting this answer because it was closest to what I ended up using.... (I'm just D-U-H today!). Thanks a million everybody!!!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

3 +7

(hardly was the ink dry but the report) was overtaken by events

CMJ_Trans (X)

4 +1

proved to be outstripped by (the) reality (of the situation).

Melissa McMahon

Surpassed or overshadow by reality

Teri Szucs

the report on ...had just been released, and yet was already outdated

Denali

Reality took precedence over the report/trumped the report as soon it was released

MatthewLaSon

Discussion entries: 4

Answers

8 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +7

(hardly was the ink dry but the report) was overtaken by events

CMJ_Trans (X)
Local time: 08:26
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 184

Grading comment

'm selecting this answer because it was closest to what I ended up using.... (I'm just D-U-H today!). Thanks a million everybody!!!

1 hr confidence:

s'avéra dépassé par la réalité Surpassed or overshadow by reality

Explanation:
I think this option sounds less translated

Teri Szucs
United States
Local time: 23:26
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

Spanish

1 hr confidence:

the report on ...had just been released, and yet was already outdated

Explanation:
in light of recent data/events/statistics....
or just nothing after "oudated".

... and yet was already considered old news...

Denali
Local time: 02:26
Native speaker of: French

34 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

proved to be outstripped by (the) reality (of the situation).

Explanation:
Agree with CMJ on basic sense, just an alternative formulation.

Regarding your question about tense, I get the impression French accounts of past events are more often told in a kind of dramatic present tense than in English.

In English: "Barely released, the report on climate change will prove to be oustripped by the reality of the situation..." - it's describing a past event, but in a dramatic way - as you might in a voice-over in current affairs or documentary, and maybe some kinds of feature article in a newspaper, but mostly I would put this back in the past tense...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2008-03-10 00:26:27 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

It's not a future in the sense of referring to events that haven't happened yet, but a 'rhetorical' future: it's because the events are in the past that we have a priveleged overview, put ourselves at the moment in question (the release of the report) and say "this will happen".

We use the future tense in this way in English too: "Diana left the Ritz. It will be the last time she ever does so." - it's a bit tabloidy and 9/10 times it's more appropriate to translate as past tense because it's not a 'real' future and we just don't do this as much in English I think... but it is future tense!

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2008-03-10 00:33:00 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Missed the preterite here, but same effect I think.

Melissa McMahon
Australia
Local time: 16:26
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 15

17 hrs confidence:

Reality took precedence over the report/trumped the report as soon it was released

Explanation:
Hello,

I prefer to use the active voice to the passive voice here in English.

dépassé = trumped by/overshadowed by

Reality took precedence over the report
Reality trumped the report

I hope this helps.

MatthewLaSon
Local time: 02:26
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 32

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English translation: (hardly was the ink dry but the report) was overtaken by events

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