martelait

08:04 Aug 21, 2020 

Many thanks for all the suggestions! My first thought was to translate it as 'insisted' but felt it did not really convey the image that the author might have wanted to create. I am still thinking about this and will let you know what I decide. Thanks again!

09:30 Aug 19, 2020 

Many thanks for all the suggestions! My first thought was to translate it as 'insisted' but felt it did not really convey the image that the author might have wanted to create. I am still thinking about this and will let you know what I decide. Thanks again!

12:16 Aug 18, 2020 

Don't worry, I wouldn't have translated it as 'the Belgian'... I was just using it as a placeholder and trusting Sheila to choose the most appropriate term in context :- )

12:12 Aug 18, 2020 

Then building on ph-b's suggestion, how about "... the Belgian impressed upon them." Would that work?

10:57 Aug 18, 2020 

but perhaps "was at pains to impress upon"?

And I hate "the Belgian" - it is a typical trick of French style so as not to repeat the person's name. Probably just "he" or something like the "author" or the "writer" would suffice

10:30 Aug 18, 2020 

Then building on ph-b's suggestion, how about "... the Belgian impressed upon them." Would that work?

10:13 Aug 18, 2020 

There is of course a link with marteau, as has already been pointed out. Just out of curiosity, I checked CNRTL/Grand Robert, etc. and found that sylviculteurs ("foresters"?, anyway, not far from botany) use a special kind of marteau in order to make une marque que l'on imprime, par percussion, sur l'arbre destiné à l'abattage ou à la réserve. (https://www.cnrtl.fr/definition/marteau). See also: Spécialt. Eaux et Forêts. Marteler les arbres à abattre, les marquer au marteau. ➙ Martelage. (Le Grand Robert de la langue française). While I agree of course with "hammer home/hammer out" (etc.), can you not use "imprint"/"leave a mark on minds" or words to that effect in English, or would that be too awkward or far-fetched?

09:16 Aug 18, 2020 

Polyglot is absolutely right. Emphasised, underlined, insisted, hammered home the point are all possibilities

08:43 Aug 18, 2020 

I think polyglot has probably hit the nail on the head!!

08:36 Aug 18, 2020 

comes from "marteau" (hammer) and therefore suggests that the guy was trying to hammer the message home. There is an underlying idea of repetition (keeping on hitting it home).
Maybe 'insisted' would fit the bill