A maladie individuelle: solution individuelle; à maladie collective, solution...

07:10 Apr 13, 2016
French to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Anthropology / Medical anthropology
French term or phrase: A maladie individuelle: solution individuelle; à maladie collective, solution...
This academic text compares two different approaches to treating alcoholism - that of Alcoholics Anonymous and that of Vie Libre.
This is how it appears in the text:
L'alcoolisme est conçu [par Vie Libre] comme un mal collectif et la cause d'une souffrance collective, et l’abstinence des conjoints est recommandée, par solidarité, en vue d’aider à sa guérison ou à sa stabilisation. A maladie individuelle: solution individuelle; à maladie collective, solution collective. Ces deux conceptions des conditions de la guérison sont sous-tendues par des différences culturelles, en partie d'inspiration religieuse

Alcoholism is perceived as a collective problem and the cause of a collective suffering and spouses are recommended to abstain from alcohol too, in solidarity, in order to help the drinker recover and stabilise. An individual illness requires an individual solution; a collective illness requires a collective solution. These two conceptions of the conditions of recovery are underpinned by cultural differences, partly inspired by religion.

But the author replied: "ce n’est pas moi qui dit qu’une maladie individuelle exige une solution individuelle ; mais c’est une façon de montrer le lien direct entre la conception qu’ils ont de la nature de la maladie et la conception qu’ils ont de la nature de la solution."

Any suggestions on how to render this construction? Thanks
Jenefer Bonczyk
France
Local time: 00:25


Summary of answers provided
4individual problem so individual solution, but a collective problem needs collective solutions.
Karen Vincent-Jones (X)


Discussion entries: 11





  

Answers


4 days   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
individual problem so individual solution, but a collective problem needs collective solutions.


Explanation:
This stark dichotomy works well in French, but less so in English. It needs expanding - maybe something like "seeing alcoholism as an individual illness leads to individual solutions, but seeing it as a collective problem suggests that the solution must also be collective.

Karen Vincent-Jones (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:25
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
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.

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:
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search