Glossary entry (derived from question below)
French term or phrase:
la dépouille d'une parole sans vérité
English translation:
the carcase of an utterance stripped of truth
Added to glossary by
laurawheeler
Dec 10, 2003 13:13
20 yrs ago
1 viewer *
French term
France
Quick, conscientious & thorough
Native in: English 
Works in: English to French, French to English
la dépouille d'une parole sans vérité
French to English
Art/Literary
I., quand il parle de lui, ne regarde pas son interlocuteur en face. Ses yeux s'enfuient de tous côtés comme une armée en déroute abandonnant à l'ennemi la dépouille d'une parole sans vérité.
Proposed translations
(English)
Proposed translations
+1
1 hr
Richard Benham
France
France
Native in English
France
When quality counts
Native in: English 
Works in: German to English, French to English, English
Related KudoZ points
:
614
Selected
the carcase of an utterance stripped of truth
A bit of licence here, but a carcase of an utterance (or of words) without truth sounds a bit lame in English.
Carcases are often stripped of things (e.g. flesh) by scavengers such as ravens, vultures, hyenas, ants, etc.
Carcases are often stripped of things (e.g. flesh) by scavengers such as ravens, vultures, hyenas, ants, etc.
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
+3
7 mins
Pierre POUSSIN
France
France
Native in French
France
Fast and accurate.
Native in: French (Variant: Standard-France)
Works in: English to French, French to English, Latin to French, and 2 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
400
French term (edited):
la d�pouille d'une parole sans v�rit�
the empty shell of a truthless word
or "a word without sincerity"
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Vicky Papaprodromou
4 mins
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Merci!
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| agree |
sktrans
6 mins
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Thank you!
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| agree |
Juan Jacob
: I like that. Very good.
1 hr
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Muchas Gracias!
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+1
9 mins
the empty remains of truth
:)
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Note added at 2003-12-10 13:29:10 (GMT)
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no, that was wrong. Too fast off the trigger!
HERE
the remains of words without truth.
hollowed out words without truth.
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Note added at 2003-12-10 13:54:44 (GMT)
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OR
remains of truthless words...
:)
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Note added at 2003-12-10 13:56:27 (GMT)
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a or the shell of truthless words
parole is speech but here it would be WORDS
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Note added at 2003-12-10 13:57:10 (GMT)
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a carcass of truthless words
a carcass of false words
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Note added at 2003-12-10 13:29:10 (GMT)
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no, that was wrong. Too fast off the trigger!
HERE
the remains of words without truth.
hollowed out words without truth.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-12-10 13:54:44 (GMT)
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OR
remains of truthless words...
:)
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-12-10 13:56:27 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
a or the shell of truthless words
parole is speech but here it would be WORDS
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-12-10 13:57:10 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
a carcass of truthless words
a carcass of false words
1 hr
William Stein
Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Native in English
Costa Rica
Translations that read like originals
Native in: English (Variants: UK, US)
Works in: French to English, German to English, Spanish to English, and 3 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
1737
French term (edited):
la d�pouille d'une parole sans v�rit�
like an empty skin devoid of truth
"Dépouille" literally means skin, especially the kind of snake skin that is sloughed off. I think that works particularly well here, since the idea is that the snake (like the army) escapes will leaving only its old skin behind. The metaphorical implication is that the speaker reveals his former self without revealing his true, present self, because he has changed over time.
4 hrs
the spoils of lies / rotting carcases of untruths
Your question may have been motivated by the less common meaning of dépouille (usually plural), the one similar to its English meaning, the spoils of war, booty. But I don't think that is the intended image here, 1) because the singular is used, and 2) untruths hardly constitute booty (whereas truths undoubtedly would!).
So I think you have to go with the "dépouille mortelle" image, which also ties in with the image of warfare. Personally, I'd add "rotting" to accentuate the contempt felt for lies.
So I think you have to go with the "dépouille mortelle" image, which also ties in with the image of warfare. Personally, I'd add "rotting" to accentuate the contempt felt for lies.
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