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instructif, intéressant, nécessaire tout autre livre est un crime de lèse-peuple

English translation: lèse-peuple

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

French term or phrase:	instructif, intéressant, nécessaire tout autre livre est un crime de lèse-peuple
English translation:	lèse-peuple
Entered by:	espintl

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04:26 Nov 7, 2009

French to English translations [Non-PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature / Motto

French term or phrase: instructif, intéressant, nécessaire tout autre livre est un crime de lèse-peuple

What does it mean?

“instructif, intéressant, nécessaire tout autre livre est un crime de lèse-peuple”, Voltaire.

Inscription on the 3rd title page of Qu’est-ce que le rêve?”, by A. Weill 1872

espintl
Australia

lèse-peuple

Explanation:
"lèse-peuple" refers to the expression "lèse-majesté" which means a direct attack against the king (of France). In this context, it is a crime against the people (of France)! As how to translate it, seen that it is a french expressionand that it does'nt really exist (Voltaire made it up!!!), I would keep the word as it is and write the translation (crime against the people) within bracket. All the same, wait for more comments!

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Note added at 15 hrs (2009-11-07 20:02:04 GMT)
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In case that's what you need, here is the whole sentence :
'Instructive, interesting, necessary any other book is a crime of lèse-peuple', (a crime against the people).

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