Traître sans parole

English translation: treacherous liar

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

French term or phrase:	Traître sans parole
English translation:	treacherous liar
Entered by:	Catharine Cellier-Smart

23:30 Jan 12, 2011

French to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature / Opera

French term or phrase: Traître sans parole

This is an opera surtitle, which I've previously attempted to translate as "speechless traitor" or "traitor without words" but this was too literal a translation, and I'm rather at a loss at present as I can't seem to find the right term in English.

The client has indicated as follows : "Le sens de "sans parole" est qu'il n'est pas digne de confiance, qu'il n'a pas respecté un accord ou une promesse (en l'occurrence, il est parti avec la femme de l'autre !)" ('Il' refers to the traitor of course).

As it is an opera surtitle the answer should be only 2, 3, or 4 words long, and can be (but doesn't have to be) relatively dramatic. The opera is set in 17th century, but has been written recently and doesn't use 17th century language.

TIA !

Catharine Cellier-Smart KudoZ activity Questions: 63 (none open) (10 closed without grading) Answers: 1049 Reunion
Local time: 20:39

Shameless liar // A man without honour

Explanation:
I tend to agree with Bourth that "traitor" is rather strong in English. Surely this is just a nominal form of "trahir sa parole" (fail to keep one's word), "être un homme sans parole" (a man whose word is not his bond)?

A man you can't trust - a trustless individual

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Note added at 11 hrs (2011-01-13 11:10:31 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

A CHEAT AND A LIAR
A TREACHEROUS LIAR/CHEAT

Selected response from:

polyglot45

Grading comment

4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

4 +4

Lying traitor

fionn

4 +2

two-faced rat

Evans (X)

3 +2

Shameless liar // A man without honour

polyglot45

3 +1

Untrustworthy traitor

Tony M

shifty/fickle/guileful turncoat/blackleg; double-crosser

Bourth (X)

3 +1

Unspeakable Liar/Betrayal/Two-Timer

Marian Vieyra

barefaced traitor / liar

Joseph Jeffries (X)

A perfidious scoundrel or The perfidious man

Linda Sansome (X)

3 -1

Voiceless traitor

jenbikkal (X)

3 -1

Silent traitor

jenbikkal (X)

Discussion entries: 3

Answers

14 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): -1

Voiceless traitor

Explanation:
... a suggestion.

Il n'a pas tenu sa promesse, dnoc il n'a pas de voix.

jenbikkal (X)
Local time: 12:39
Meets criteria
Native speaker of:

English

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thanks for your input

16 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): -1

Silent traitor

Explanation:

... because he went behind his friend's back.

jenbikkal (X)
Local time: 12:39
Meets criteria
Native speaker of:

English

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thanks for your input

22 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

Untrustworthy traitor

Explanation:
Well, the meaning would be right, at least — but I can't help thinking that this is both weak and rather self-evident: who would expect to trust a traitor?

Traitor who doesn't keep his word

(too long!)

Perhaps just to convey the flavour, without the detail:

Vile traitor!

(dramatic enough for you?)

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Note added at 25 mins (2011-01-12 23:55:45 GMT)
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Of course it also depends just how it is being used in the opera: is this being said in an accusatory tone to the guilty party, or is it simply some kind of explanatory text about a character?

Tony M
France
Local time: 18:39
Meets criteria
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 128

Notes to answerer

Asker: it's definitely being said in an accusatory tone.

50 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +4

Lying traitor

Explanation:
Simple but I think it works given the client's description. 'Lying' also seems the one word out of many synonyms available most closely connected with speech.

fionn
Germany
Local time: 18:39
Meets criteria
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 8

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thanks for your input

8 hrs confidence:

shifty/fickle/guileful turncoat/blackleg; double-crosser

Explanation:
Some choice.

I've avoided the easy option of "traitor" because to me at least it implies primarily "treason", at State level, rather than simple unfaithfulness to one's friends, family, etc.

The whole thing might be summed up in a word: double-crosser. But that's starting to smack of John Le Mesurier.

We really need to know more, indeed everything about the plot! Has the protagonist betrayed King and Country, handed his unlawful friends over to justice, given away scientific secrets, been unfaithful to his wife ...

Bourth (X)
Local time: 18:39
Meets criteria
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 110

Notes to answerer

Asker: protagonist has betrayed his master, who was also his love rival, leaving his master bereft of love and livelihood !

9 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

two-faced rat

Explanation:
Just another option to throw into the mix. This is more idiomatic and possibly too modern for your needs, but "rat" is a time-honoured word to describe a traitor, especially in relation to sexual betrayal. I remember a friend's apposite phrase in regard to such a situation - "two-timing toerag" - but that is a bit off-register here.

Evans (X)
Local time: 17:39
Meets criteria
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 48

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thanks for your input

10 hrs confidence:

A perfidious scoundrel or The perfidious man

Explanation:
Perfidious is a word that was used in the 17th century - think: perfidious Albion.
I like the word scoundrel - that evokes the past as well!

Linda Sansome (X)
France
Local time: 18:39
Meets criteria
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thanks for your input

8 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

Traître sans parole

Shameless liar // A man without honour

polyglot45
Meets criteria
Native speaker of:

English,

French
PRO pts in category: 52

Notes to answerer

Asker: "treacherous liar" is an interesting way of turning "lying traitor" on its head. Thank you.

Asker: The choice was difficult and the quality was high, but in the end I went with "treacherous liar". Thanks.

12 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

Unspeakable Liar/Betrayal/Two-Timer

Explanation:
Or even Unspeakable Treachery - but this may be too heavy-handed if this is a modern re-interpretation of the opera and the author is not using 17th-Century language. I don't think the noun has to refer to the person, it could easily refer to the act, hence betrayal, treachery etc

Marian Vieyra
United Kingdom
Local time: 17:39
Meets criteria
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 16

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thanks for your input

13 hrs confidence:

barefaced traitor / liar

Explanation:
I think 'barefaced' fits quite well with the description given by your client

Example sentence(s):

"Livid, King John branded him a 'notorious and barefaced traitor' and descended upon the town in October 1215"

Reference: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/barefaced

Joseph Jeffries (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 17:39
Meets criteria
Native speaker of: English

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thanks for your input

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Traître sans parole

English translation: treacherous liar

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