benevolente indulgence

English translation: willing indulgence

20:30 Aug 20, 2002
French to English translations [Non-PRO]
Art/Literary
French term or phrase: benevolente indulgence
"Le roi sourit de sa benevolente indulgence"
from a pun-filled novel - is "benevolente" Latin? I know it's Spanish... what could the author mean?
A. M.
English translation:willing indulgence
Explanation:
The king smiled at his ...

bénévolent = done as a favor, without expectation of anything in return. Usually used in some combination describing volunteer work. In this case, it simply means that this "indulgence" is freely given. I'm using "willing" to reflect this gratuitous gesture. If there is some kind of irony or judgment involved in this description, why don't you try "gratuitous indulgence"? Or, if this is someone who is trying to cozy up to this king, even "pandering indulgence"...



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Note added at 2002-08-20 20:56:54 (GMT)
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Ah... Queneau. One of my very favorite authors. Let\'s switch this around and go with \"the king smiled at his indulgent pandering.\"

As an aside: Are you familiar with his \"Dîner de têtes\"? It is just about the most amusing piece of absurdity I know. And I am fascinated by his \"Je vous écris d\'un pays lointain\"... How does he know so much about alienation (otherness)? This is just about the clearest expression of the feminine condition that I know of...
Selected response from:

Yolanda Broad
United States
Local time: 12:34
Grading comment
Thank you! The king is in fact congratulating himself on what he _thinks_ is a favor, but is in fact a bad joke. I think "gracious indulgence" might hit the right note. Le Petit Robert is not going to suffice, I see.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +3kind indulgence
Fernando Muela Sopeña
5benevolent is also English...
Richard Genest
3 +1benevolent tolerance
writeaway
2 +1willing indulgence
Yolanda Broad


Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
kind indulgence


Explanation:
Good luck!

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Note added at 2002-08-20 20:37:42 (GMT)
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index- [Traduzca esta página ]
... With your kind indulgence, I would like to use this page to address some of
the notes/questions/suggestions that have turned up recently in the Co-op ...
www.mindspring.com/~durhamcoop/FAQs.htm - 25k - En caché - Páginas similares

MH Williams- [Traduzca esta página ]
... 14, 2002 With your kind indulgence I offer the following criticisms of the two
papers in which you present a theoretical analysis of special relativity and ...
www3.sympatico.ca/wbabin/paper/williams.htm - 13k - En caché - Páginas similares

FNDP: Coming Attractions -- Dec. \'95- [Traduzca esta página ]
... With no way of knowing for sure, it looks like I\'m forced to rely on your kind indulgence,
not to mention one of the year\'s most rampant catch-phrases, to get ...
users.aol.com/DanPersons/text/comeattr.html - 16k - En caché - Páginas similares


Fernando Muela Sopeña
Spain
Local time: 17:34
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in pair: 58

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Lise Boismenu, B.Sc.
12 mins

agree  Therese Nichols
55 mins

agree  evelyn evans
1 day 16 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
benevolent tolerance


Explanation:
My suggestion.

writeaway
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 2913

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Mark Nathan: but I would like to see at least the previous sentence
9 mins
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

22 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5 peer agreement (net): +1
willing indulgence


Explanation:
The king smiled at his ...

bénévolent = done as a favor, without expectation of anything in return. Usually used in some combination describing volunteer work. In this case, it simply means that this "indulgence" is freely given. I'm using "willing" to reflect this gratuitous gesture. If there is some kind of irony or judgment involved in this description, why don't you try "gratuitous indulgence"? Or, if this is someone who is trying to cozy up to this king, even "pandering indulgence"...



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-08-20 20:56:54 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Ah... Queneau. One of my very favorite authors. Let\'s switch this around and go with \"the king smiled at his indulgent pandering.\"

As an aside: Are you familiar with his \"Dîner de têtes\"? It is just about the most amusing piece of absurdity I know. And I am fascinated by his \"Je vous écris d\'un pays lointain\"... How does he know so much about alienation (otherness)? This is just about the clearest expression of the feminine condition that I know of...


    Oxford 3-in-1
Yolanda Broad
United States
Local time: 12:34
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 1551
Grading comment
Thank you! The king is in fact congratulating himself on what he _thinks_ is a favor, but is in fact a bad joke. I think "gracious indulgence" might hit the right note. Le Petit Robert is not going to suffice, I see.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  herve laurent: good one!
1 hr
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
benevolent is also English...


Explanation:
and can be found in every dictionary.

Richard Genest
PRO pts in pair: 16

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  amcginnis: I wanted to know what _precise_ connotation it had in French, since it does not appear in a major dictionary, nor could google.fr find an single francophone site using it. A good, straightforward word in English, yes.
2 hrs
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