TRADUguide - Your Guide to Translators and Translation Agencies

141 months ago

Josephine Cassar   asked this question:

This question has already been answered and rated. Therefore, no new answers can be given.

141 months ago

   wrote:

having accepted he would/was going to die, he left for England.

My comment:

There's no suggestion that he was burying the past. It seems to be literal.
Another possibility could be: resigned to the prospect of death/to the fact that he was going to die, he left for England.
The imperfect "partait" might be "was leaving" but it depends on the previous part of the sentence.

141 months ago

   wrote:

having made up his mind to change his life (to start anew), he left for England

141 months ago

   wrote:

After he had made up his mind to die, he left/took off for England.

141 months ago

   wrote:

Decided to die just by leaving for England

141 months ago

martynback   wrote:

Determined to die, he was leaving for England

My comment:

I think it just means that he's lost his friend and feels suicidal. Need more context really

Comments by other colleagues on this answer:

141 months ago

   wrote:

As site does not allow place for more context lately: because when this person arrived in England, he/she went to find his/her friends to take up pastimes-gallivanting with them, so I do not know if it really means he/she felt suicidal

141 months ago

   wrote:

this is what it says, whether there is a hidden meaning depends on the context that we don't have.

141 months ago

martynback   wrote:

The phrase is unambiguous in French - I doubt if there is a hidden meaning...

141 months ago

martynback   wrote:

I agree. Don't think it could be anything else.

141 months ago

martynback   wrote:

without the full context, we don't even know if "partait" should be translated by the "historical past" (I'm not sure about the grammatical phrase): was to leave.

141 months ago

martynback   wrote:

As site does not allow place for more context lately: because when this person arrived in England, he/she went to find his/her friends to take up pastimes-gallivanting with them, so I do not know if it really means he/she felt suicidal

141 months ago

martynback   wrote:

this is what it says, whether there is a hidden meaning depends on the context that we don't have.

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