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136 months ago

Kate (a guest user) asked this question:

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136 months ago

Marie-Claire   wrote:

unthinkable or impossible conflicts

My comment:

I'd stay close to the French. "Impensable" means that we can't begin to imagine how bad something can be.

136 months ago

David Edwards Translation and Training   wrote:

unforeseen or impossible conflicts

My comment:

I think 'impossible to come to terms with' is absolutely one possibility but it depends how subjective it's supposed to be - 'impossible to deal with' would be a more objective alternative, so maybe just 'impossible' is OK.

Comments by other colleagues on this answer:

136 months ago

martynback   wrote:

But an impossible conflict is one that can't take place, not one that can't be dealt with. And "impensable" means unthinkable or unconceivable, not unforeseen.

136 months ago

Marie-Claire   wrote:

Oh, you just said it right there so I won't need to.

136 months ago

David Edwards Translation and Training   wrote:

Yes, I was bending the French a bit to make for an idiomatic English version it's true (I'd first thought of unforeseeable and then thought that in that case it would have been unforeseen - you can't see what's unthinkable or unimaginable, so I felt it came to the same thing), and I for one use 'impossible' as meaning too complicated to deal with, when talking of real events. It was just a way of avoiding having to decide between the alternative subjective and objective understandings of 'inassumables'!

136 months ago

David Edwards Translation and Training   wrote:

maybe 'unimaginable' for impensables??

136 months ago

David Edwards Translation and Training   wrote:

which cannot be confronted

Comments by other colleagues on this answer:

136 months ago

David Edwards Translation and Training   wrote:

I agree 'or cannot be met with).

136 months ago

martynback   wrote:

But surely you can confront something without "assumer"-ing it... Confronting something is the first step. Then you come to terms with it/manage to feel comfortable with it (or not).

136 months ago

martynback   wrote:

"Assumer", in this context, I believe, would be "to take up", like in "situations conflictuelles" (conflicts).

136 months ago

martynback   wrote:

I think a "situation conflictuelle inassumable" is a conflict that's impossible to feel comfortable with on a personal level. For example, a conflict with your boss that you can't just shrug off as "part of the job" and that makes you feel unhappy or saps your self-confidence.

136 months ago

martynback   wrote:

impossible to come to terms with

My comment:

contradictions or conflict-ridden situations that are unthinkable or impossible to come to terms with

Comments by other colleagues on this answer:

136 months ago

martynback   wrote:

I think that would work

136 months ago

martynback   wrote:

I think that would work

136 months ago

Charles Ferguson   wrote:

unbearable

My comment:

if s'assumer can mean to be at ease with oneself...

My references:

Collins Robert French Dictionary

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