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qu’est devenu un musée de France sur le chemin du Reich
s’en inspirant
Nov 10, 2021 19:58
2 yrs ago
51 viewers *
French term

par défaut

French to English Social Sciences Government / Politics
The context is a French journal article about Islamism, which the author states to be in decline.

"Le « printemps arabe » semble brièvement donner, en 2011, une nouvelle chance aux islamistes – victoires électorales en Tunisie et en Égypte –, mais c’est par défaut et à partir d’un malentendu : les sociétés ont changé et ne sont plus sensibles au grand récit islamiste."

What does "by default" in this case mean? I'm confused because the "par défaut" and "malentendu" bits should logically refer to the same thing, surely. However, "malentendu" seems to refer to the misconception that the Arab spring was a new opportunity for Islamists, but "par défaut" seems to fit more with the electoral victories - the idea that Islamists only won by default because there were no other viable candidates? Or am I misunderstanding either the "malentendu" or "par défaut"?
Proposed translations (English)
4 +1 By default
4 By default
4 as a token alternative
3 om spite of everything

Discussion

Ruth Hill (asker) Nov 15, 2021:
Thank you everyone for your help!
Ruth Hill (asker) Nov 15, 2021:
@Schtroumpf Merci beaucoup pour vos explications, elles ont été très utiles!
Daryo Nov 11, 2021:
so far "for want of a better alternative and due to a misunderstanding"

is the nearest.
Nikki Scott-Despaigne Nov 11, 2021:
by default I agree with "by default", this expression working equally well in English as it does in French here. Of course, "for want of anything else", "for lack of..." also work, but I see no need to use anything other than the direct equivalent, particularly when one of the standard ways of completing the expression" for want/lack of" is with "anything better". That does give a specific slant on it (=faut de mieux, as Ben has already pointed out). After all, that might be intimated but it is not the choice made by the author here.
Schtroumpf Nov 11, 2021:
@ Ben Je ne traduis pas vers l'anglais - si vous voulez entrer votre réponse, allez-y !
Malentendu n'était pas la question, mais bon - le vote démocratique s'est exprimé en faveur de gens qui essayent d'imposer une conception fondamentaliste et étroite de la religion à la société. Peut-être une manière élégante de dire que les électeurs ont fait fausse route.
SafeTex Nov 11, 2021:
@ Ruth "for want of a better alternative and due to a misunderstanding"

I think the misunderstanding was that the electors no longer wanted any more "grand récit islamiste" but that this is what they still got at the end of the day. So the misunderstanding was between the electors and the Islamists.
Ruth Hill (asker) Nov 11, 2021:
@Schtroumpf @Ben Gaia Thank you! Yes, that makes sense. But then, what does "à partir d'un malentendu" refer to? Does it mean that those who think the Arab spring was a victory for Islamists are mistaken? Or that those who voted for Islamist parties were mistaken to do so?
SafeTex Nov 11, 2021:
for want of any other alternative One of the people who proposed this first in French and then in English should post it. It's a very good suggestion IMHO
Ben Gaia Nov 10, 2021:
faute de mieux Yes, the implication is "for want of any other alternative".
Schtroumpf Nov 10, 2021:
Reformulation Par défaut, ici, c'est un peu comme "faute de mieux". Est-ce que c'est plus clair comme ça ?

Proposed translations

+1
29 mins
Selected

By default


"The "Arab Spring" briefly seemed to give Islamists a new chance in 2011 - electoral victories in Tunisia and Egypt - but it was by default and from a misunderstanding: societies had changed and were no longer susceptible to the grand Islamist narrative."

By default, here means there was no alternative ideology available to the electorates at the time of the elections and the events of the Arab spring made it appear as if Islamism was gaining some momentum at that time,
Peer comment(s):
agree Ben Gaia
1 hr
neutral AllegroTrans : Exactly the same as a previous answer. The etiquette on this site is to post an agree, NOT to copy an answer already posted.
1 hr
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thank you!"
8 mins

By default

The "Arab Spring" briefly seemed to give Islamists new hope in 2011 - by way of electoral victories in Tunisia and Egypt - but it was by default and from a misunderstanding: societies had changed and were no longer susceptible to the great Islamist narrative.

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Note added at 9 mins (2021-11-10 20:07:58 GMT)
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or ' gullible' for ' susceptible';
Note from asker:
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2 hrs

om spite of everything

I don't see this as "in default"

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Note added at 2 hrs (2021-11-10 22:24:15 GMT)
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TYPO

IN spite of everything
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6 hrs

as a token alternative

'as the default option' is already in the glossaries, so postable as a ref.

I note that, in German for instance, this adverbial phrase is 'by default' translatable as 'routinely'.

Otherwise, refer to the Discussion Entries.


Example sentence:

par défaut Sens 1 Expression qualifiant une façon d'agir déterminée par l'habitude, l'instinct. Exemple : Ma page d'accueil internet est réglée par défaut. Sens 2 Elle signifie également l'absence d'alternative ou un manque d'information.

Reference:

http://www.wikiwords.org/dictionary/term/877294/1696136

http://www.linternaute.fr/dictionnaire/fr/definition/par-defaut/

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