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pour observer le signe médical d'une éventuelle castration

English translation: to observe the physical sign of a possible castration

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:pour observer le signe médical d'une éventuelle castration
English translation:to observe the physical sign of a possible castration
Entered by: Barbara Cochran, MFA

15:30 Feb 12, 2011
French to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Psychology / Literary Exposé On Balzac
French term or phrase: pour observer le signe médical d'une éventuelle castration
Contexte:

"On a pu parler du "voyeurisme" chex le personnage; mais la passion de voir se mêle chez lui au désir obscur de n'être pas vu, de se cacher du monde. Désir de se suicider la nuit pour ne pas exposer son corps aux regards, désir d'épier Fœdora sans être vu pour **observer le signe médical d'une éventuelle castration,** claustration de la fin, haine du regard de l'autre, capable de lire sur lui les signes de la mort qui avance.

The gaze and the fear associated with being looked at.

Merci,

Barbara
Barbara Cochran, MFA
United States
Local time: 03:14
to observe the physical sign of a possible castration
Explanation:
Or "of any castration". Suspecting that Fœdora might be a castrated man, rather than a woman is presumably related in some way to the person's own fear of the gaze of others. His wish to spy on Fœdora would then relate to the fear that others may similarly be secretly spying on him, as projection of his own behaviour or obsessions onto others.

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Note added at 1 hr (2011-02-12 16:52:45 GMT)
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Not "medical" in English.

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Note added at 2 hrs (2011-02-12 17:43:02 GMT)
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Re Asker's note:
It certainly doesn't have anything to do with a concern for Fœdora's medical well-being and the castration that the character is interested in / curious about / obsessed about would be of the surgical rather than pharmaceutical variety.
Selected response from:

B D Finch
France
Local time: 09:14
Grading comment
Thanks a lot.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +2to observe the physical sign of a possible castration
B D Finch
4to observe the medical symptom of a possible castration
Katarina Peters
4Inorder to observe the hmedical sign of a possible castration .
Mohamed Hosni


Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


43 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
to observe the medical symptom of a possible castration


Explanation:
straightforward, imho...

Katarina Peters
Canada
Local time: 03:14
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in HungarianHungarian, Native in EnglishEnglish
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Inorder to observe the hmedical sign of a possible castration .


Explanation:
This's my suggestion to you.

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Note added at 1 hr (2011-02-12 16:32:19 GMT)
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Inorder to observe the medical sign of a possible castration .



Mohamed Hosni
Morocco
Local time: 08:14
Native speaker of: Native in ArabicArabic
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
to observe the physical sign of a possible castration


Explanation:
Or "of any castration". Suspecting that Fœdora might be a castrated man, rather than a woman is presumably related in some way to the person's own fear of the gaze of others. His wish to spy on Fœdora would then relate to the fear that others may similarly be secretly spying on him, as projection of his own behaviour or obsessions onto others.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2011-02-12 16:52:45 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Not "medical" in English.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2011-02-12 17:43:02 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Re Asker's note:
It certainly doesn't have anything to do with a concern for Fœdora's medical well-being and the castration that the character is interested in / curious about / obsessed about would be of the surgical rather than pharmaceutical variety.

B D Finch
France
Local time: 09:14
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 15
Grading comment
Thanks a lot.
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks. It was actually "médical" that I was stumbling over becasue I couldn't see how the literal translation of that word would be appropriate in this case.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  ormiston: perhaps 'any physical signs of castration' would avoid the awkwardness of 'a'
1 hr
  -> Thanks ormiston. Castration would inevitably have produced physical signs, so perhaps "physical signs of any/possible castration".
agree  Melissa McMahon: It sounds like the Freudian scenario of believing/fearing that female genitalia in general is the result of castration
12 hrs
  -> Thanks Melissa
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