This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
  1. KudoZ™ Top
  2. French to English
  3. Psychology

en pure perte

20:05 Aug 20, 2010
This question was closed without grading. Reason: Other

French to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Psychology / Psychoanalytic Case Histories
French term or phrase: en pure perte
Mother-daughter relationship/ravage.

Contexte:

"A l'endroit du désert laissé par la disparition de la jouissance maternelle ruineuse peut s'éprouver une jouissance seulement phallique, **en pure perte.** Cette jouissance sexuelle de la femme est-elle pourtant 're-suscitée' de celle éprouvée avec sa mère dans le ravage?"

Merci,

femme
Barbara Cochran, MFA
United States
Local time: 22:30


Summary of answers provided
2 +3perfectly gratuitous
polyglot45
2 +1purposeless
Claire Nolan


  

Answers


45 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5 peer agreement (net): +3
perfectly gratuitous


Explanation:
perhaps

polyglot45
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Jennifer Levey: I'd prefer 'entirely' gratuitous (or maybe 'wholely').
3 hrs
  -> question of taste but I was thinking of "perfectly gratuitously"
agree  Daniel House
14 hrs
agree  Tony M: I actually think 'purely gratuitous' would work Ok too; though I'm a bit worried that this would usually translate 'gratuit', so is there a nuance of meaning involved here?
1 day 10 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5 peer agreement (net): +1
purposeless


Explanation:
Agir en pure perte. Agir sans aucun profit, inutilement.

http://www.cnrtl.fr/definition/perte

Claire Nolan
Local time: 22:30
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 12

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Jennifer Levey: Yes - but in Asker's sentence it would be 'without purpose'.
2 hrs
  -> Thanks, mm.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

Return to KudoZ list

KudoZ™ translation help

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

See also:
ProZ.com term search
Search millions of term translations
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search