légèrement bancale...

English translation: slightly dodgy / rather shaky

10:28 Jun 7, 2020
French to English translations [Non-PRO]
Art/Literary - General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
French term or phrase: légèrement bancale...
Extrait du dialogue :

" Contrairement à nous, Dieu est censé être, avoir et générer la béatitude infinie. La quantité ou la qualité de sa béatitude ne peut augmenter, diminuer ou être altérée de quelque façon que ce soit. Par conséquent, comment pourrais-je plaire ou offenser la Source toute-puissante des univers par mes petites actions ? Cela ressemble un peu à un concept pédagogique, légèrement bancale..."

Last sentence would be : " It looks like a pedagogical / educational concept, slightly wobbly "

I'm seeking advice about "wobbly", is it a relevant way to express it in English ?
Hugues Roumier
France
Local time: 10:26
English translation:slightly dodgy / rather shaky
Explanation:
I think if I were originating this in EN, that's the way I'd express it. 'Wobbly' is a good translation of 'bancale' for anything physical, but possibly less so for something more abstract — and it carries the risk of making it sound not like 'weak' so much as 'vacillating'; like singing a 'wobbly' note, which wavers between being in tune and out, in a way that goes beyond deliberate vibrato!
'shaky' perhaps best conveys the notion that the concept is a bit weak, doesn't really hold up / stand up to thorough analysis.


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Note added at 40 mins (2020-06-07 11:09:20 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Cf. "You're on shaky ground there!" / "Easily demolished her shaky theory..."

'shaky' is usable in the register here; 'dodgy' perhaps rather less so...


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 41 mins (2020-06-07 11:10:20 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

And of course 'shaky' corresponds well to 'bancale' in its sense of 'lopsided' or 'rickety'.


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Note added at 44 mins (2020-06-07 11:12:58 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

"looks a bit like / feels a bit like..." — and depending on what follows, I'd be inclined to bring the qualifiers up to the front, unless the continuation precludes that...


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Note added at 4 hrs (2020-06-07 15:24:43 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

There seems to be an issue of register here: while the first part of this text does indeed seem to me to suggest a fairly formal register, to me the term 'bancale' seems to reflect a much less formal register, which is what i ahve sought to reproduce here.
Perhaps Asker could enlighten us as to the register of their document overall, and what immediately follows this extract in particular. It would of course help to understand the source of this document, and to whom it is addressed?

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Note added at 21 hrs (2020-06-08 08:22:46 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

OK, Asker, that is easier to understand now; and in the light of your comment about 'bancale', then I think 'shaky' is acceptable as equivalent register (but clearly not 'dodgy'!)
Selected response from:

Tony M
France
Local time: 10:26
Grading comment
Thank you very much ! I ll keep shaky
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +8slightly dodgy / rather shaky
Tony M
3 +6rather questionable
Barbara Cochran, MFA
5slightly wonky
Michael Delrieu
3slightly unsafe/precarious
Juan Arturo Blackmore Zerón
3a little unsure / somewhat dubious / doubtful
Lisa Rosengard


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


59 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +6
rather questionable


Explanation:
...

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Note added at 1 hr (2020-06-07 11:40:49 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Or "somewhat questionable".

Barbara Cochran, MFA
United States
Local time: 05:26
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 16

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Yvonne Gallagher: "somewhat questionable pedagogical concept" fits register best
18 mins
  -> Thanks, Yvonne. I agree with your comment.

agree  Pierre POUSSIN
2 hrs
  -> Merci, Pierre.

agree  Verginia Ophof
2 hrs
  -> Thank you, Verginia.

agree  liz askew: Yes, this fits the register.
3 hrs
  -> Thanks. Yes, that's what I thought, too.

agree  Anne Schulz
3 hrs
  -> Thanks, Anne.

agree  GILOU
2 days 3 hrs
  -> Merci, GILOU.
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
slightly unsafe/precarious


Explanation:
Other options...

Juan Arturo Blackmore Zerón
Mexico
Local time: 04:26
Native speaker of: Spanish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Tony M: Although those would work for a physical object like, say, a step-ladder, they are a little trickier to use with something more abstract, as here — and particularly with anything so un-contentious as a 'concept'
11 mins
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37 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +8
légèrement bancale
slightly dodgy / rather shaky


Explanation:
I think if I were originating this in EN, that's the way I'd express it. 'Wobbly' is a good translation of 'bancale' for anything physical, but possibly less so for something more abstract — and it carries the risk of making it sound not like 'weak' so much as 'vacillating'; like singing a 'wobbly' note, which wavers between being in tune and out, in a way that goes beyond deliberate vibrato!
'shaky' perhaps best conveys the notion that the concept is a bit weak, doesn't really hold up / stand up to thorough analysis.


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 40 mins (2020-06-07 11:09:20 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Cf. "You're on shaky ground there!" / "Easily demolished her shaky theory..."

'shaky' is usable in the register here; 'dodgy' perhaps rather less so...


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 41 mins (2020-06-07 11:10:20 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

And of course 'shaky' corresponds well to 'bancale' in its sense of 'lopsided' or 'rickety'.


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 44 mins (2020-06-07 11:12:58 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

"looks a bit like / feels a bit like..." — and depending on what follows, I'd be inclined to bring the qualifiers up to the front, unless the continuation precludes that...


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 hrs (2020-06-07 15:24:43 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

There seems to be an issue of register here: while the first part of this text does indeed seem to me to suggest a fairly formal register, to me the term 'bancale' seems to reflect a much less formal register, which is what i ahve sought to reproduce here.
Perhaps Asker could enlighten us as to the register of their document overall, and what immediately follows this extract in particular. It would of course help to understand the source of this document, and to whom it is addressed?

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 21 hrs (2020-06-08 08:22:46 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

OK, Asker, that is easier to understand now; and in the light of your comment about 'bancale', then I think 'shaky' is acceptable as equivalent register (but clearly not 'dodgy'!)

Tony M
France
Local time: 10:26
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 348
Grading comment
Thank you very much ! I ll keep shaky
Notes to answerer
Asker: It's a dialogue between a spiritual master (Indian person) and a french guy. The register is natural, which means when they speak about theological or philosophic matters they will rather use specific technical terms and the register will get more formal, and sometimes of course the atmosphere gets a bit more relax. But honestly, "bancale" applied to an idea is quite common in french, and it doesn't really denotes any familiar register. Anyway, I like your answer, thank you very much for your help.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  philgoddard: Not dodgy, though. That's too colloquial and British.
1 hr
  -> Thanks, Phil! / Yes, I agree.

agree  SafeTex
1 hr
  -> Thanks, S/T!

agree  John ANTHONY
2 hrs
  -> Thanks, John!

agree  Anne Schulz: always enjoy your rich language :-)
3 hrs
  -> Thanks, Anne! :-)

agree  Margaret Morrison: Yes I like shaky but not dodgy
4 hrs
  -> Thanks, Margaret! Agreed!

agree  Michele Fauble
7 hrs
  -> Merci, Michele !

agree  Victoria Britten
21 hrs
  -> Thanks, Victoria!

agree  Jennifer White
22 hrs
  -> Thanks, Jennifer!
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1 day 11 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
a little unsure / somewhat dubious / doubtful


Explanation:
The above alternatives are only suggestions.

Lisa Rosengard
United Kingdom
Local time: 09:26
Native speaker of: English
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2 days 5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
slightly wonky


Explanation:
wonky, like 'bancale' is informal, and like the french has the same meanings of ' Crooked; off-center; askew', 'unsteady' and 'not functioning correctly; faulty.'

Be careful, in American English wonky has a different meaning: Having or characterized by an enthusiastic or excessive interest in the specialized details of a particular subject or field, especially political policy.

Example sentence(s):
  • "while your conclusion is right, the argument is wonky."

    https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/wonky
Michael Delrieu
France
Local time: 10:26
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Tony M: As with my own suggestion of 'dodgy' above, 'wonky' is really not in an appropriate register for the document here.
29 mins
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