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  3. General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters

de sorte qu'elle recule...

English translation: so that it always remains just out of reach...

16:28 Feb 13, 2014
French to English translations [PRO]
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters / Introduction to company
French term or phrase: de sorte qu'elle recule...
I know in a quite straight forward way that this refers to "it retreats/steps back," etc., but my problem is really the whole phrase inside the asterisks below. I'm struggling with what is trying to be expressed. Is "elle" = utopia? or perfection?

Without disclosing any names, I can say this is part of the introduction for a firm with an emphasis on sustainable development, helping companies to become "green", and "socially responsible" - in short, working to create a more utopian world.

Après tout, les entreprises pionnières qui ont inspiré nos débuts ont toutes voulu utiliser le pouvoir de l’entreprise pour transformer la société et le monde… L’utopie est donc bien ce qui les fait avancer, c’est ce qui leur donne l’énergie et l’envie d’avancer, même si naturellement la perfection n’est pas de ce monde, ***de sorte qu’elle recule toujours devant celui qui s’y attèle.*** Il n’y a pas de « bonnes » et de « mauvaises » entreprises, même si à l’évidence certaines sont plus avancées que d’autres : c’est un processus d’amélioration continue…
Timothy Rake
United States
Local time: 02:53
English translation:so that it always remains just out of reach...
Explanation:
In a Tantalus stylee. :-]

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Note added at 2 hrs (2014-02-13 19:05:16 GMT)
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For "devant celui qui s’y attèle.", I would paraphrase it as "to those searching for it / who seek it."
Selected response from:

Frank Foley
Local time: 11:53
Grading comment
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +4so that it always remains just out of reach...
Frank Foley
3 +3constantly deluding (any)one who tries to attain/reach it
AllegroTrans
4perfection, but ...
B D Finch
3 +1in that every attempt to attain perfection pushes it back further away
Anne-Marie Laliberté (X)
3retreating as it...
MamaG


Discussion entries: 3





  

Answers


14 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
retreating as it...


Explanation:
The utopic vision is what pulls them onward, it’s what gives them the energy and will to keep striding forward, even if perfection is not naturally of this world, retreating as it [perpetually] does from those who would attempt to master it. Just an idea for that sentence off the cuff, not polished but shows how you could express it...I am sure others will have better ideas. It's a bit literal but captures the esprit I think.

MamaG
United States
Local time: 05:53
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

36 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
perfection, but ...


Explanation:
The "elle" in your phrase is "perfection", but "perfection" is being used as a synonyme for "l'utopie".

B D Finch
France
Local time: 11:53
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 136

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  writeaway: sure? /am also sure about what I think .......
1 min
  -> Yes.
neutral  Daryo: "la perfection n’est pas de ce monde" n'est pas une référence automatique à une Utopie ou une autre, même dans ce texte
11 hrs
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40 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
constantly deluding (any)one who tries to attain/reach it


Explanation:
translating this strictly literally gives a clumsy result

AllegroTrans
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:53
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 115
Notes to answerer
Asker: AllegroTrans, nicely put


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Pierre POUSSIN: Definitely!
9 mins
  -> thanks
agree  Jessica Noyes: perhaps "eluding"
5 hrs
  -> yes! "eluding" is what I meant! Thanks!
agree  Daryo
16 hrs
  -> thanks
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
so that it always remains just out of reach...


Explanation:
In a Tantalus stylee. :-]

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2014-02-13 19:05:16 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

For "devant celui qui s’y attèle.", I would paraphrase it as "to those searching for it / who seek it."

Frank Foley
Local time: 11:53
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4
Notes to answerer
Asker: Frank, nicely put - I basically tweaked this for my text. Timothy


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Verginia Ophof
15 mins
agree  philgoddard: Perfect!
27 mins
agree  katsy
58 mins
agree  Janice Giffin
13 hrs
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12 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
in that every attempt to attain perfection pushes it back further away


Explanation:
....

Anne-Marie Laliberté (X)
Local time: 05:53
Native speaker of: French
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  MamaG: fantastic
14 hrs
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