un tant soit peu pérenne

English translation: [lit.,] though not very sustained [(probably should be "slight but sustained")]

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

French term or phrase:	un tant soit peu pérenne
English translation:	[lit.,] though not very sustained [(probably should be "slight but sustained")]
Entered by:	TechLawDC

21:33 Dec 7, 2014

French to English translations [PRO]
Bus/Financial - Finance (general) / investment outlook newsletter

French term or phrase: un tant soit peu pérenne

Hello
I am translating an investment outlook newsletter and this is a section about the prospects of the Euro zone:

La croissance du PIB serait au mieux très légèrement positive en T3. L’analyse fait plutôt conclure à une accélération cette fois-ci un tant soit peu pérenne à compter du quatrième trimestre: d’un environnement international plus porteur à la baisse de l’euro et d’un moindre degré de restriction budgétaire à un retour à la confiance dans la capacité des banques à financer l’économie.

Thanks

Mark

Mark Radcliffe KudoZ activity Questions: 116 (none open) (11 closed without grading) Answers: 23 United Kingdom
Local time: 19:33

(though not very sustained)

Explanation:
GDP growth would tend to be at best slightly positive in Q3. However, analysis indicates a more appreciable increase this time (though not very sustained), beginning in the fourth quarter -- for reasons including an international environment more conducive to a decline of the euro, as well as a lesser degree of fiscal restraint and a return of confidence in the ability of banks to finance the economy.

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Note added at 1 day5 hrs (2014-12-09 03:25:52 GMT)
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Note: I have changed my mind, based on the discussion. I think the author's intent is to say "analysis suggests a slight but sustained increase, beginning in the fourth quarter".
HOWEVER, I still think that what the author said literally is what I translated.
He/she should have written "un tant soit peu, mais pérenne".
In this instance, I would write: "analysis suggests a slight but sustained increase, beginning in the fourth quarter [Translator's note: Literally, "a more appreciable though not very sustained increase, beginning in the fourth quarter"]." ((Pardon the misuse of quotation marks.))

Selected response from:

TechLawDC
United States
Local time: 14:33

Grading comment

Thanks
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

3 +2

lasting acceleration, at least for a certain period

Philippa Smith

An acceleration to be somewhat durable this time

Francois Boye

3 +2

(rephrasing)

Sarah Brickwood

4 +1

sustainable, if ever so slightly,

Francis Marche

ever so slightly sustainable

Michael Roberts

2 +2

(though not very sustained)

TechLawDC

A bit sparsely sustainable/ Thinly sustainbale

Chakib Roula

lasting, but (very) slight

katsy

likely to drop off

Jennifer Levey

that looks (this time) as though it may last a while

polyglot45

Discussion entries: 6

Answers

8 mins confidence:

A bit sparsely sustainable/ Thinly sustainbale

Explanation:
Suggestion

Chakib Roula
Algeria
Local time: 19:33
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

Arabic,

French
PRO pts in category: 26

30 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

lasting acceleration, at least for a certain period

Explanation:
As in, for example, "Analysis points to lasting acceleration, at least for a certain period, as of..."

Is how I read it (it will be more lasting that before, tho' probably only for a bit), but finance and investment aren't my fields...good luck!

Philippa Smith
Local time: 20:33
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 16

1 hr confidence:

lasting, but (very) slight

Explanation:
or the other way round, (very) slight but lasting
At first sight, this expression seems self-contradictory - un tant soit peu = presque rien; pérenne = lasting....
I would be interested to see what native FR speakers think of it
So that is my stab at it.
"The analysis makes it possible to conclude that the fourth quarter will bring a slight but lasting acceleration...."

katsy
Local time: 20:33
Native speaker of:

English

1 hr confidence:

likely to drop off

Explanation:
It's clear from the ST that they are predicting Q4 performance on the basis of Q3 (and earlier).

une accélération cette fois-ci ( = T3) un tant soit peu pérenne à compter du quatrième trimestre
-->
growth in Q3 which is likely to drop off (or 'fall back', or 'diminish', or ...) from Q4

Jennifer Levey
Chile
Local time: 14:33
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 32

1 hr confidence:

An acceleration to be somewhat durable this time

Explanation:
I prefer "durable" to translate "perenne"

Francois Boye
United States
Local time: 14:33
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

French
PRO pts in category: 305

1 hr confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

(rephrasing)

Explanation:
My suggestion:

"Analysis suggests that this time round it will begin to pick up more lastingly from the fourth quarter" ("it" being GDP growth)

This is perhaps a bit wordy, but "un tant soit peu pérenne" seems almost a contradiction in terms (either it's lasting or it isn't). Hence "begin" for the tentative nature of "un tant soit peu", the noun converted into a verb ("pick up") for easier reading, and "lastingly" for "pérenne".

There is probably a better way of putting it, but I think this is the way to get round the problem.

Sarah Brickwood
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:33
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English

10 hrs confidence:

that looks (this time) as though it may last a while

Explanation:
it predicts that the economy will gain momentum and that the momentum has a chance of lasting, albeit not necessarily ad vitam eternam

momentum that looks as though it might have some legs

polyglot45
Native speaker of:

English,

French
PRO pts in category: 28

23 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

sustainable, if ever so slightly,

Explanation:
As tiré par les cheveux in French as it is far-fetched in French.

Francis Marche
France
Local time: 20:33
Works in field
Native speaker of:

French,

English
PRO pts in category: 48

7 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

(though not very sustained)

TechLawDC
United States
Local time: 14:33
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 38

Grading comment

Thanks

6 days confidence:

ever so slightly sustainable

Explanation:
un tant soit peu = ever so slightly

Example sentence(s):

sheet roofing is cheaper, (in this country) aesthetically pleasing, relatively maintenance free, and ever so slightly sustainable
Greek debt has been restructured to make it ever so slightly sustainable in the short run, which only highlights everything that these bailouts

https://www.google.com/search?sourceid=chrome-psyapi2&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8&q=%22ever%20so%20slightly%20sustainable%22

Michael Roberts
Morocco
Local time: 19:33
Native speaker of:

English,

French

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un tant soit peu pérenne

English translation: [lit.,] though not very sustained [(probably should be "slight but sustained")]

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