malade de l'exercice du pouvoir

English translation: She is drunk/mad with power, even if it is just the illusion of power

10:28 Sep 30, 2013

French to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Government / Politics / discussion of European en

French term or phrase: malade de l'exercice du pouvoir

"Elle a l’illusion du pouvoir, mais est malade de l’exercice du pouvoir."

Again, apologies for the lack of context - confidentiality agreement is tying my hands. However, by way of general context, I can say that this is talking about the political left in France. I'm struggling to express this idea as well and concisely as it is expressed in the French.

Charlotte Allen KudoZ activity Questions: 308 (3 open) (15 closed without grading) Answers: 434 United Kingdom
Local time: 20:49

English translation:She is drunk/mad with power, even if it is just the illusion of power

Explanation:
...or something like that.

Selected response from:

Crystal Samples
United States
Local time: 14:49

Grading comment

Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

4 +2

She is drunk/mad with power, even if it is just the illusion of power

Crystal Samples

addicted to power

Sandra & Kenneth Grossman

3 +1

is sick from the exercise of it

Yvonne Gallagher

It seems to be in power, but suffers from its exercise

Helen Hammond

weakened since it came into office

Jane F

its downfall

polyglot45

4 -1

it has the illusion of being in power, but (in fact) suffers from being in power

Daryo

(She has the illusion of power), but being in power has gone to her head.

Nikki Scott-Despaigne

4 -1

...but has in fact been corrupted by it

SafeTex

Discussion entries: 4

Answers

7 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

She is drunk/mad with power, even if it is just the illusion of power

Explanation:
...or something like that.

Crystal Samples
United States
Local time: 14:49
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4

Grading comment

Selected automatically based on peer agreement.

14 mins confidence:

addicted to power

Explanation:
She can't do without it, even though her power is illusory.

Sandra & Kenneth Grossman
Israel
Local time: 22:49
Native speaker of:

English,

Romanian

2 hrs confidence:

malade de l\'exercice du pouvoir its downfall

Explanation:
it has the illusion of being in a position of power but whatever power it exerts is already its downfall

I suspect we're talking about an organisation rather than a person

polyglot45
Native speaker of:

English,

French
PRO pts in category: 44

5 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

is sick from the exercise of it

Explanation:
this is similar to what Wendy has said in Disc. If "elle" refers to the political Left of the PS in France well, it has the illusion of power (in Hollande's government) but is sick from the exercise of it (or "exercising it", though I prefer the former). meaning basically that after screaming about Sarkozy etc for so long, now they have power with Hollande, they are not doing as well as they thought and are losing favour with the public. So, having power and exercising it are not always the same...

You really need to let us know which of the Leftist parties you are talking of here.

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Note added at 7 hrs (2013-09-30 18:12:37 GMT)
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actually, Petitavoine's "has taken a toll on them" is good too.
The Left has the illusion of power but this very power has taken its toll on them.../the exercise of this power has taken its toll/has damaged them

Yvonne Gallagher
Ireland
Local time: 20:49
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 12

17 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): -1

elle a l’illusion du pouvoir, mais est malade de l’exercice du pouvoir." it has the illusion of being in power, but (in fact) suffers from being in power

Explanation:
"Elle a l’illusion du pouvoir, mais est malade de l’exercice du pouvoir."

"elle" being the political Left

"it has the illusion of being in power, but (in fact) suffers from being in power"

the construction "est malade de [...]" is used to introduce the name of the illness (as in: est malade de la fièvre) so here "l’exercice du pouvoir." is the illness afflicting the Left;

or a nastier version:

"it has the delusion of being in power, but (in fact) suffers from being in power"

Daryo
United Kingdom
Local time: 20:49
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

Serbian,

French
PRO pts in category: 33

1 day 2 hrs confidence:

malade de l\'exercice du pouvoir It seems to be in power, but suffers from its exercise

Explanation:
illusion = effect/impression
il en est malade = he suffers from it

Helen Hammond
France
Local time: 21:49
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English

1 day 3 hrs confidence:

weakened since it came into office

Explanation:
On reflection, I think it means something like this;

The ruling party sees itself as powerful but its position has weakened since it came into office

Jane F
France
Local time: 21:49
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4

1 day 7 hrs confidence:

(She has the illusion of power), but being in power has gone to her head.

Explanation:
Again, the confidentiality means my suggestion is something of a fumble in the dark. It really would be cool to have the sentence that goes before. For example, is "elle" referring to a person? It would seem logical but it might not be so. Further "malade" is this something which in context is negative? Has it weakened the individual? Or has it made her overconfident? Given the majority of suggestions erring on the literal illness inference, thus weakness, I am suggesting another take, for academic purposes, to give another potential reading.

It would be ice if you could find some way of paraphrasing whatever is in the sentence before the ones you post. ;-)

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Note added at 1 day7 hrs (2013-10-01 17:41:58 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

"Gone to her head" in the sense of it having made her dizzy, irrational, not necessarily megalomaniac.

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Note added at 1 day7 hrs (2013-10-01 17:44:54 GMT)
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Or "it has gone to her head".

Nikki Scott-Despaigne
Local time: 21:49
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 31

1 day 13 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): -1

...but has in fact been corrupted by it

Explanation:
Important for me to use the word 'corrupt' as we say in English

'Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely'

We also speak of 'corrupt governments'

see example sentence too

Example sentence(s):

They had power but have been so corrupted by it that the power they had has become illusory

Reference: http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/absolute-power-corrupts-a...

SafeTex
France
Local time: 21:49
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 16

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malade de l'exercice du pouvoir

English translation: She is drunk/mad with power, even if it is just the illusion of power

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malade de l'exercice du pouvoir

English translation: She is drunk/mad with power, even if it is just the illusion of power

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