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au détriment de leurs évêques

English translation: against the interests of their bishops

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:au détriment de leurs évêques
English translation:against the interests of their bishops
Entered by: Elena Robert

16:22 Mar 9, 2006
French to English translations [Non-PRO]
Art/Literary - History / French Revolution
French term or phrase: au détriment de leurs évêques
Dans le clergé, les curés réformateurs dominent, ***au détriment de leurs évêques***.
Elena Robert
France
Local time: 05:57
against the interests of their bishops
Explanation:
The local (parish) clergy were dominated by "reformers" who acted against the interests of their bishops.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 14 mins (2006-03-09 16:37:12 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Or (taking a bit of Nancy's answer) "the local (parish --curés) clergy was dominated by those who favored reform, against the interests of the episcopal establishment."

"Les curés" is best translated as "parish priests", I believe.

These would have been the priests closest to the people, so their recognition of the seriousness of the pre-1789 situation would have led them to be champions of some sort of "reform" (though not necessarily Revolutionaries, by any stretch of the imagination).

The Bishops, as Princes of the Church, were too busy eating cake at the King's table to be concerned with such mundane matters.
Selected response from:

Christopher Crockett
Local time: 23:57
Grading comment
Many thanks to all. As I have chosen to translate into American English, this answer seems to me more suitable.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +8to the detriment of their Bishops
Nicky Over
4 +3against the interests of their bishops
Christopher Crockett
3In the church, progressive clergy outnumbered the bishops
Bailatjones


  

Answers


7 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +8
to the detriment of their Bishops


Explanation:
Seems to be straighforward - the Bishops represented the establishment, so the dominant reforming clergy would presumably act against them.

Nicky Over
United Kingdom
Local time: 04:57
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Conor McAuley
2 mins
  -> Thanks
agree  Anna Quail
7 mins
  -> Thanks
agree  Peter Shortall
12 mins
  -> Thanks
agree  Carol Gullidge: what else could it be?
16 mins
  -> Thanks - quite!
agree  Leny Vargas
38 mins
  -> Thanks
agree  Aisha Maniar
1 hr
  -> Thanks
agree  IC --
1 hr
  -> Thanks
agree  Rachel Ward
19 hrs
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8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
against the interests of their bishops


Explanation:
The local (parish) clergy were dominated by "reformers" who acted against the interests of their bishops.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 14 mins (2006-03-09 16:37:12 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Or (taking a bit of Nancy's answer) "the local (parish --curés) clergy was dominated by those who favored reform, against the interests of the episcopal establishment."

"Les curés" is best translated as "parish priests", I believe.

These would have been the priests closest to the people, so their recognition of the seriousness of the pre-1789 situation would have led them to be champions of some sort of "reform" (though not necessarily Revolutionaries, by any stretch of the imagination).

The Bishops, as Princes of the Church, were too busy eating cake at the King's table to be concerned with such mundane matters.

Christopher Crockett
Local time: 23:57
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 100
Grading comment
Many thanks to all. As I have chosen to translate into American English, this answer seems to me more suitable.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Mark Nathan
1 hr
  -> Thanks, Mark.
agree  Nicky Over: Good translation - it's Nicky, (not Nancy) by the way!
2 hrs
  -> Thanks, *Nicky* (sorry about that). Maybe it's a difference between UK and US English, but "to the detriment of" doesn't sound quite right to my "ear". Even though I quite understand it in this context.
agree  Bailatjones
3 hrs
  -> Thanks, Michelle.
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
In the church, progressive clergy outnumbered the bishops


Explanation:
This is up for discussion...there could be a different meaning to this phrase altogether - meaning the sheer number of "reformers" dominated/outnumbered the bishops. The rest of the surrounding text would be necessary to know for sure.
Just a thought!

Bailatjones
Switzerland
Local time: 05:57
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4
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