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la tonalité opératoire

English translation: the strictly functional nature

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:la tonalité opératoire
English translation:the strictly functional nature
Entered by: Carol Gullidge

11:58 Aug 1, 2007
French to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Social Science, Sociology, Ethics, etc. / dysfunctional families/domestic violence
French term or phrase: la tonalité opératoire
My hunch is that "opératoire" is talking in this context (twice) about a climate of control/power struggle - simply because it seems to fit, and not because I have any real idea...

Any clues from the experts would be very welcome!
TIA


... ce sont des familles où l’on ne se parle pas, presque toutes expriment le regret de n’avoir pu échanger avec leurs parents, le fait de s’être senties pendant leur enfance et leur adolescence seules et désemparées.

Cette problématique de la survie explique en partie ***** la tonalité opératoire *****, aux antipodes de la passion et a fortiori de l’amour, que revêtent certaines relations dont il est question ici. ...

Quand la relation n’est pas présentée comme opératoire, et donc comporte une tonalité amoureuse,...
Carol Gullidge
United Kingdom
Local time: 02:38
some ideas.....
Explanation:
purely functional nature, business-like/unemotional nature

Cette problématique de la survie explique en partie ***** la tonalité opératoire *****, aux antipodes de la passion et a fortiori de l’amour, que revêtent certaines relations dont il est question ici. ...

Ths whole issue of survival goes part of the way towards explaining the workmanlike/functional/flat style of some of the relationships described here, a world away from the notion of passionate and, by extension, loving relationships

This is a very rough quick translation but it is in this direction that you should be looking.

There may be a specific term - this is just in case nobody suggests one

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Note added at 10 mins (2007-08-01 12:09:20 GMT)
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in other words, I think you were barking up the wrong tree....

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Note added at 37 mins (2007-08-01 12:36:06 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

mechanical
pedestrian

still thinking - though actually trying to write an article in French, so don't expect miracles
Selected response from:

CMJ_Trans (X)
Local time: 03:38
Grading comment
thanks, CMJ! Pending a response from the author (on holiday?), this is what I'll use. Whatever the outcome, your "barking up the wrong tree" comment was most helpful!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +7some ideas.....
CMJ_Trans (X)
3 +2operational/clinical tone/note
suezen
3emotionally dead /void
veratek


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


9 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +7
some ideas.....


Explanation:
purely functional nature, business-like/unemotional nature

Cette problématique de la survie explique en partie ***** la tonalité opératoire *****, aux antipodes de la passion et a fortiori de l’amour, que revêtent certaines relations dont il est question ici. ...

Ths whole issue of survival goes part of the way towards explaining the workmanlike/functional/flat style of some of the relationships described here, a world away from the notion of passionate and, by extension, loving relationships

This is a very rough quick translation but it is in this direction that you should be looking.

There may be a specific term - this is just in case nobody suggests one

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 10 mins (2007-08-01 12:09:20 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

in other words, I think you were barking up the wrong tree....

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 37 mins (2007-08-01 12:36:06 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

mechanical
pedestrian

still thinking - though actually trying to write an article in French, so don't expect miracles

CMJ_Trans (X)
Local time: 03:38
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 68
Grading comment
thanks, CMJ! Pending a response from the author (on holiday?), this is what I'll use. Whatever the outcome, your "barking up the wrong tree" comment was most helpful!
Notes to answerer
Asker: thanks, CMJ! I hadn't thought of that interpretation, as the situation highly-charged with violence, but I see that it is a perfectly valid way of looking at it... And I thought this was going to be straightforward!


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  suezen: yes, along these lines ... don't know why your answer wasn't there when I looked before
12 mins
  -> at least we have the same basic idea
agree  Julie Barber: although you'd have to be careful with the word 'functional' given that we're talking about dysfunctional families.... ;-)
1 hr
agree  cristina estanislau: purely functional nature
1 hr
agree  veratek: "purely functional nature" -> I also thought was best - I'm not really enthused with veering towards anything business/clinical/professional
2 hrs
agree  Mark Nathan
2 hrs
agree  sporran
5 hrs
agree  Emma Paulay: with mechanical - esp. for the second occurence
5 hrs
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
emotionally dead /void


Explanation:
I suggest the above for a variation, a second occurrence of the term, for example, after using "purely functional nature" a first time.

note: just to my ears (not a professional note), the use of clinical applied to a relationship between a parent and a child in this context sounds too professionalized but not precisely expressing the very lack of emotion. For example, "the farmer had a clinical relationship with his son" wouldn't convey clearly what I read in French -- maybe it's just me.


veratek
Brazil
Local time: 22:38
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
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21 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
operational/clinical tone/note


Explanation:
I think they're talking about the way the person is talking about the relationship in a matter of fact way, without emotion, at the opposite end of the spectrum to the relationship based on love or even with a modicum of love involved.
The relationship has been severely damaged by the behaviour and lack of love that has grown out of it.


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2007-08-01 14:34:11 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

other options could include dispassionate or (coldly) detached. The definition of clinical BTW is efficient and coldly detached which certainly fits in with the idea of operative

suezen
Local time: 03:38
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 145

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  veratek: definitely not clinical - but agree with your explanation (w/o emotion etc)
1 hr
  -> wonder if dispassionate would be moving too far from original ... see further note on clinical
agree  Sheila Wilson: For me, clinical is the best word for it
1 hr
  -> thanks Sheila
agree  Emma Paulay: Clinical is closest to "opératoire" IMO
5 hrs
  -> thanks Emma
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