sa première fonction, toute théorique - What is the English translation? English translators help general English translators with the translation of sa première fonction, toute théorique

Conges terminology question

1 month ago

Barbara R. Cochran, MFA asked this question:

Language pair:	French > English
Subject:	General
Level of diffculty:	Easy / medium
Word or term in question:	sa première fonction, toute théorique
Context:	C’est à partir du début d’octobre 1940 que l’Einsatzstab Rosenberg joue un rôle capital dans le déroulement des opérations hitlériennes en pays occupés. Sa première fonction, toute théo- rique d’ailleurs, consistait à trouver et à saisir la documentation politique et le matériel culturel qui pouvaient être utilisés par le Parti contre ses ennemis déclarés : le Juif et le franc-maçon. Do you think it would be better to refer to it as a "conjectural", "speculative", or "putative task"? Thanks

Important If you feel that you can answer the above terminology question, you are invited to enter your answer.

Answers on this question

1 month ago

MatthewHallisy wrote:

completely expected for that matter

My comment:

This sentence seems to serve to describe more in detail what he did. In the first sentence, it describes his official role in the government. In this sentence, it describes what he was tasked to do while there.

Click here to comment on this answer (login required)

1 month ago

plaisirsdelavie wrote:

He was theoretically commissioned (mainly) to find out and seize...

Click here to comment on this answer (login required)

Comments by other colleagues on this answer:

1 month ago

plaisirsdelavie wrote:

Another possibility: "He was basically commissioned (in theory actually) to ..." Basically is a better translation of "primaire".

1 month ago

English -French - English wrote:

quite theoretical

My comment:

It was from the beginning of October 1940 that Einsatzstab Rosenberg played a major role in the conduct of Hitler's operations in occupied countries. Its first function, quite theoretical, was to find and seize political documentation and cultural material which could be used by the Party against its declared enemies: the Jew and the Freemason.

Click here to comment on this answer (login required)

1 month ago

CMD wrote:

its first mission - a speculative (and fictitious) task - was to find and seize

My comment:

IMO "speculative" : for, initially, they "greed" for evidences in order to justify all actions and measures - evidences that they thought could have been found quickly and easily

Click here to comment on this answer (login required)

1 month ago

martynback wrote:

His primary role (on paper at least) was to…

My comment:

If you say “on paper at least” it means that that was theoretically his main role but that in practice it wasn’t what he actually did

Click here to comment on this answer (login required)

Comments by other colleagues on this answer:

1 month ago

martynback wrote:

Its not his!

The 30 latest Conges questions