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réduire à merci

English translation: subdue

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15:34 May 2, 2011

French to English translations [Non-PRO]
Military / Defense

French term or phrase: réduire à merci

Could you help me translate it to english?

Pouvez-vouz m'aider de trouver le sens de cette expression?

the contect is like that: (...) on prolonge l'oppression des populations de syrie par les turco-allemands, et, ce qui est pire, on néglige de réduire à merci un ennemi ébranlé.

trumanshow

English translation:subdue

Explanation:
"vanquish" (="defeat thoroughly") is arguably similar in meaning, but "subdue" is an order of magnitude more common in contemporary English.

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Note added at 14 hrs (2011-05-03 05:38:22 GMT)
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FWIW, Collins-Robert gives "to force into submission" for this phrase. (Reduce them to a state of being at the victor's mercy?)

Use it if you're trying to run up your target-language word count…

Selected response from:

rkillings
United States
Local time: 23:00

Grading comment

Selected automatically based on peer agreement.

Summary of answers provided
4 +2	subdue	rkillings
4	vanquish	cc in nyc
4 -1	to get at mercy	Michel F. Morin
3	to subdue at will	MatthewLaSon

Discussion entries: 1

Answers

28 mins confidence:

vanquish

Explanation:
IMO, for this context.

cc in nyc
Local time: 02:00
Does not meet criteria
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4

5 hrs confidence:

to subdue at will

Explanation:
Hello,

That's how I read it.

réduire = to subdue

à merci = at will

reduire in this context doesn't mean 'reduce' but rather 'dominate' or 'subdue'; thus reduire a merci actually means 'subdue at will. ...
www.powells.com/review/2010_07_07.html

I hope this helps.

MatthewLaSon
Local time: 02:00
Does not meet criteria
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 16

3 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

subdue

rkillings
United States
Local time: 23:00
Does not meet criteria
Native speaker of:

English

Grading comment

Selected automatically based on peer agreement.

15 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): -1

to get at mercy

Explanation:
Tentative... See "http://idioms.yourdictionary.com/at-the-mercy-of".

Michel F. Morin
France
Local time: 08:00
Does not meet criteria
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

French
PRO pts in category: 32

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Changes made by editors

May 2, 2011 - Changes made by Tony M:
Term asked	\"réduire à merci\" => réduire à merci

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réduire à merci

English translation: subdue

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réduire à merci

English translation: subdue

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KudoZ™ translation helpThe KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

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