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I am more convinced that EPAs stand to knock us back

English translation: I (on the other hand) believe that EPAs will harm our development

14:20 Mar 16, 2005
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Bus/Financial - International Org/Dev/Coop / EU
English term or phrase: I am more convinced that EPAs stand to knock us back
from a speech by an African Minister.

I have several doubts about the exact meaning of this sentence.

I would greatly appreciate a rewording .

TIA
Michel A.
Local time: 00:26
Selected answer:I (on the other hand) believe that EPAs will harm our development
Explanation:


EPAs = Economic Partnership Agreements (between EU and "developing" countries in the ACP - African, Caribbean and Pacfic Group of Countries)
http://www.epawatch.net/general/menupage.php?menuID=33


http://www.acp.int/

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 24 mins (2005-03-16 14:44:59 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

---

A clarification and an addition:

Firstly, I linked to EPAs and ACP as much for the glossary as anything else - I\'m not assuming that Michel is \"junior\" (anything but!) or incapable of research.

Secondly, Rita\'s comment below makes a fair point: the speaker isn\'t claimning with certainty that EPAs will be harmful. Revised version:

I, on the other hand, believe/fear that EPAs are likely to harm our development.

Selected response from:

Ian M-H (X)
United States
Local time: 00:26
Grading comment
Thanks everybody
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
3 +3I don't believe that EPAs would be good for us
Angela Dickson (X)
4 +2I (on the other hand) believe that EPAs will harm our development
Ian M-H (X)
4 +1I am convinced that EPAs will set us back
Alp Berker
4It seems to me more likely that the EPAs will .....
CMJ_Trans (X)
3are intent on knocking us back
Mikhail Kropotov


Discussion entries: 5





  

Answers


6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
i am more convinced that epas stand to knock us back
I don't believe that EPAs would be good for us


Explanation:

Presumably this minister has just reported someone else's opinion that EPAs will benefit them - he is expressing his disagreement. 'They stand to' means 'they probably will' and 'to knock someone back' is to impede their progress, or prevent them going forward (here applied to a country or continent).

Hope this is helpful...

Angela Dickson (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 05:26
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Ian M-H (X): Good explanation (not visible when I answered) - the "more" implies, as you say, that the speaker is disagreeing with another point of view
10 mins
agree  Craig Meulen: a good explanation from both Angela and Ian
13 mins
agree  Charlie Bavington: yup, good explanation, with proviso that it's entirely possible the speaker, when saying "knock us back", actually means "will be a retrograde step", not merely impede further progress, but reverse progress already made.
2 hrs
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9 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
i am more convinced that epas stand to knock us back
I am convinced that EPAs will set us back


Explanation:
This might flow a little better.

Alp Berker
United States
Local time: 00:26
Works in field
Native speaker of: English

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Can Altinbay: I like Angela's too, but I there is a sense of damage that yours conveys that I find missing in hers, though she does explain it in her comments.
6 hrs
  -> Thanks!
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7 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
i am more convinced that epas stand to knock us back
are intent on knocking us back


Explanation:
have the firm intention of knocking us back
firmly intend to knock us back

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 10 mins (2005-03-16 14:30:25 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

to knock someone back -> to counter someone\'s efforts -> to work against someone, etc...

As always, it depends on what you are trying to say exactly.

Mikhail Kropotov
Germany
Local time: 06:26
Works in field
Native speaker of: Russian

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Ian M-H (X): I don't think that EPAs can have intentions, or that negative intentions are necessarily being attributed to their proponents in Michel's text
6 mins
  -> Oops, you are right. I wrongly assumed they were organizations or persons.
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11 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
I (on the other hand) believe that EPAs will harm our development


Explanation:


EPAs = Economic Partnership Agreements (between EU and "developing" countries in the ACP - African, Caribbean and Pacfic Group of Countries)
http://www.epawatch.net/general/menupage.php?menuID=33


http://www.acp.int/

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 24 mins (2005-03-16 14:44:59 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

---

A clarification and an addition:

Firstly, I linked to EPAs and ACP as much for the glossary as anything else - I\'m not assuming that Michel is \"junior\" (anything but!) or incapable of research.

Secondly, Rita\'s comment below makes a fair point: the speaker isn\'t claimning with certainty that EPAs will be harmful. Revised version:

I, on the other hand, believe/fear that EPAs are likely to harm our development.



Ian M-H (X)
United States
Local time: 00:26
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thanks everybody

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  JeffFish (X): exactly
1 min
agree  RHELLER: I think this comes closest although "stand" implies that he is making a supposition here and he is not entirely sure
8 mins
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47 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
It seems to me more likely that the EPAs will .....


Explanation:
not be synonymous with progress but the reverse (depending on the end of the sentence)

CMJ_Trans (X)
Local time: 06:26
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
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