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  2. French to English
  3. Art, Arts & Crafts, Painting

les objets disent les constants recours à la réalité

English translation: evoke, speak, tell, say

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:dire
English translation:evoke, speak, tell, say
Entered by: David Vaughn

13:50 Mar 1, 2008
French to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Art, Arts & Crafts, Painting
French term or phrase: les objets disent les constants recours à la réalité
From a biography on artist Jacques Hartmann:

Paysages familiers du Gard, atelier où les objets disent les constants recours à la réalité, toits de la ville, sont les motifs récurrents de son univers plastique.

I think in the end it's the use of the verb "disent" that's needling me.
objects that constantly refer back to reality?
objects that make constant recourse to reality?
French Foodie
Local time: 02:50
evoke
Explanation:
You'll find this meaning for "dire" in Robert & Collins.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 25 mins (2008-03-01 14:15:39 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

the studio whose objects demonstrate his constant recourse to reality

or some such

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 28 mins (2008-03-01 14:19:29 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

or:

the studio whose objects evoke his persistent recourse to reality

I don't like "constant" in English, the tone's off.
Selected response from:

David Vaughn
Local time: 02:50
Grading comment
Many thanks
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +5evoke
David Vaughn
3 +1the objects constantly speak of reference to reality
Hélène Treloar
4the objects are constant reminders of reality
Katarina Peters
3whose contents speak insistentlly of a return to reality
Jack Dunwell
3...objects tell of the ceaseless return to reality
Najib Aloui


  

Answers


19 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
the objects constantly speak of reference to reality


Explanation:
I think that speak can be used here.

Hélène Treloar
Local time: 20:50
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench, Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Ghyslaine LE NAGARD
8 mins
  -> Thank you!
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14 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +5
evoke


Explanation:
You'll find this meaning for "dire" in Robert & Collins.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 25 mins (2008-03-01 14:15:39 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

the studio whose objects demonstrate his constant recourse to reality

or some such

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 28 mins (2008-03-01 14:19:29 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

or:

the studio whose objects evoke his persistent recourse to reality

I don't like "constant" in English, the tone's off.

David Vaughn
Local time: 02:50
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 289
Grading comment
Many thanks

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  rnyediva: I really like evoke - it's concise but really gets the meaning.... and I think persistent is better too.
42 mins
  -> Thanks - I see dire used similarly quite a bit in artistic texts. Sometime say, tell, speaks or some such work well - can't be paranoid about false friends. But another approach is often more "English".
agree  Jack Dunwell: "whose contents speak of his perpetual return to reality"
1 hr
agree  Irene McClure: nice - a good translation rather than a literal one!
2 hrs
agree  B D Finch
3 hrs
agree  emiledgar: precisely.
19 hrs
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
the objects are constant reminders of reality


Explanation:
another option

Katarina Peters
Canada
Local time: 20:50
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in HungarianHungarian, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 16
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
whose contents speak insistentlly of a return to reality


Explanation:
Constantly: again and again, an insistent refrain; a drawing back to reality

again to reality, insistently, the call.

Jack Dunwell
France
Local time: 02:50
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

6 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
...objects tell of the ceaseless return to reality


Explanation:
...

Najib Aloui
Local time: 01:50
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench
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