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maillons de la société

English translation: constituents of society

01:04 Apr 3, 2013
French to English translations [Non-PRO]
Bus/Financial - Advertising / Public Relations
French term or phrase: maillons de la société
Hi, I am looking to translate a phrase for the website of a translation agency. At this point they are discussing translating European affairs and the term above is taken from the following sentence:

"Nos services s'adressent évidemment aussi aux fédérations, organisations, syndicats et groupes de pression chargés de défendre les intérêts de divers maillons de la société face aux instances tant internationales ou européennes que nationales ou régionales."

If anyone has any suggestions for the translation of the term above, or indeed for the second half of the sentence, this would be much appreciated.
Animus
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:24
English translation:constituents of society
Explanation:
maillon is literally a link in a chain, but I think it's used here to indicate an essential element, or in the case of a society, a constituent.
Selected response from:

gkshenaut
Local time: 00:24
Grading comment
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +3components of society
Catharine Cellier-Smart
4constituents of society
gkshenaut
4interlocking elements of society
Miriam O'Connor
3sections of society
Jennifer White
3areas of society
kashew
3threads of society's fabric/net
B D Finch
3cohesive/adhesive/binding elements of society
Wolf Draeger


  

Answers


2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
constituents of society


Explanation:
maillon is literally a link in a chain, but I think it's used here to indicate an essential element, or in the case of a society, a constituent.

gkshenaut
Local time: 00:24
Meets criteria
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
components of society


Explanation:
another suggestion

Catharine Cellier-Smart
Reunion
Local time: 11:24
Meets criteria
Native speaker of: English

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Daryo
19 mins
  -> Thank you
agree  Victoria Britten
1 hr
  -> Thank you Victoria
agree  Jane Proctor (X)
5 hrs
  -> Thank you Jane
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8 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
interlocking elements of society


Explanation:
maillons has a vivid concrete imagery which is lost with the more abstract terms of constituents or components. I was also tempted by the more idiomatic stakeholders (see reference) but I feel with Catharine Cellier-Smart and gkshenaut, that the emphasis here is on the relationship of parts (elementsor constituents) to the whole (society).


    Reference: http://www.stakeholders-socialinclusion.eu/site/en/concepts/...
Miriam O'Connor
New Zealand
Local time: 19:24
Meets criteria
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
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8 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
sections of society


Explanation:
suggestion

Jennifer White
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:24
Meets criteria
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
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8 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
areas of society


Explanation:
La radiodiffusion n'est pas simplement une technologie; elle est fondamentale pour trois maillons de notre société qui devraient nous importer: la culture, la cohésion sociale et l'essor de la démocratie.
europarl.europa.eu
Broadcasting is not just technology; it is fundamental to three areas in our society that should be important to us: culture, social cohesion and the development of democracy.
europarl.europa.eu
- Linguee


kashew
France
Local time: 09:24
Meets criteria
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 27
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11 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
threads of society's fabric/net


Explanation:
The same sort of imagery.

B D Finch
France
Local time: 09:24
Meets criteria
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 20
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13 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
cohesive/adhesive/binding elements of society


Explanation:
Maybe one could replace the link/chain analogy with that of binding or connecting together; i.e. the elements that act as the "glue" keeping society together?

de défendre les intérêts de divers maillons de la société face aux instances tant internationales ou européennes que nationales ou régionales."

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 13 heures (2013-04-03 14:39:30 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Please ignore the French half sentence at the bottom, forgot to delete it before I posted.

Example sentence(s):
  • ...defending the interests of the various cohesive elements of society in the face of European or international as well as regional or national events/developments.
  • ...defending the interests of the various binding elements of society in the face of European or international as well as regional or national authorities.
Wolf Draeger
South Africa
Local time: 09:24
Meets criteria
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4
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