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Aug 8, 2006 12:41
17 yrs ago
9 viewers *
French term

rente

French to English Bus/Financial Finance (general)
This is the title of a chapter in a text about migration and remittances:

"Transferts de fonds : capital productif ou rente ?"

And this is an extract from that chapter:

"Par leur ampleur, ces flux financiers peuvent avoir un impact considérable sur la balance des paiements et contribuer à réduire le déficit d’épargne intérieure. En Égypte par exemple, au cours de la décennie 1990, les transferts représentaient en moyenne 32 % des recettes d’exportation de biens et de services et près de 24 % des importations. Bien qu’ils contribuent à financer les importations et l’investissement, les transferts créent une dépendance et donc une vulnérabilité : ils peuvent inciter à consommer des biens d’importation au détriment de la production locale, et ne pas avoir d’effet multiplicateur sur l’économie ; ils peuvent également être source d’inflation et donc d’appréciation du taux de change réel, notamment dans les pays où l’appareil productif est peu flexible. "

I'm not really sure what's meant by 'rente'. Any ideas? Thanks
Change log

Aug 8, 2006 12:49: writeaway changed "Field" from "Social Sciences" to "Bus/Financial"

Discussion

B D Finch Aug 8, 2006:
I think that Sandra has got it absolutely right in her suggested translation "productive or unproductive capital" (not income). The text examines the economic pros & cons of these transfers and an economics term seems appropriate.
Charlie Bavington Aug 8, 2006:
Dunno if this discussion may be of help: http://www.proz.com/kudoz/1020450. There are several kudoz entries that include "rente"; all have the underlying meaning of income/revenue not resulting from "productive" activity as such...
Sandra Petch Aug 8, 2006:
I think Suezen has analysed this well and made a good suggestion for your second example of the term being used. For your first question, would it be too long a shot to translate as "Money transfers: productive or unproductive income/capital?"
Rob Grayson Aug 8, 2006:
"Rente" normally refers to an annuity or similar form of guaranteed income, or to a private/unearned income. Given Marion's answers, I wonder whether "investment income" might be in the right area?
Anna Kiff (asker) Aug 8, 2006:
Here's another extract that may help and is just as tricky to translate:

"En outre, les auteurs n’excluent pas que la fonction d’assurance que remplissent les transferts soit à l’origine de comportements rentiers de la part des familles qui les reçoivent."

Proposed translations

8 mins

savings / subsidies

Il s'agit d'un capital qui en tout cas n'est pas perçu comme actif! Difficile à dire malgré le long extrait.
Peer comment(s):

neutral Julie Barber : I thought that rente was a payment, or income.....
36 mins
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1 hr

savings

Le comportement rentier consiste à ne pas dépenser ou investir le produit d'un capital. je crois que "rente" est ici à prendre dans son sens premier de "revenu périodique d'un bien, d'un capital". Robert. "Subsidies" est donc faux.
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+1
1 hr

allowances

My understanding is that money may either be used productively to create more wealth, or used passively to pay off debts or buy goods that might not otherwise be bougt and do not help the local economy to develop. Allowances create dependence and passive behaviour rather than acting as a spur to wealth creation.
The idea of rentier in your second extract fits in with this interpretation and could be translated as the 'behaviour of people of independent means' or 'non-productive people'
Peer comment(s):

agree Gina W
2 days 11 hrs
thanks G :-))
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1 hr

dividends

"rente" refers to guaranteed income from a (usually private) investment. Dividend (s. or pl.)should fit. As to "comportement rentier", "passive investment profile" fits well with the "insurance function", if additional context can be gleaned from the rest of the document.

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Note added at 7 hrs (2006-08-08 19:57:43 GMT)
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Many of Egypt's foreign workers are very well-off (many doctors, engineers, lawyers, working in the Arab Gulf or Saudi Arabia), and not only send money to extended families, but also make their own investments from abroad.
Peer comment(s):

neutral Sandra Petch : Even in this context of immigrants transferring money to family in their home country?
53 mins
I like your analysis above, and that's a good question. But since the context refers to the inv. profile of those who receive the income, I think it should work. Egypt, also has white-collar workers in Saudi + Gulf, who bring in serious money.
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