Glossary entry

French term or phrase:

faciès

English translation:

features

Added to glossary by Jenefer Bonczyk
Jun 14, 2014 20:08
9 yrs ago
7 viewers *
French term

faciès

French to English Social Sciences Anthropology
This academic text discusses the choice of sperm donors in terms of race.


(Subtitle): 'La fabrique de l’enfant « au faciès non arabe »'
Making a child ‘with non-Arab features / Making a 'non-Arab looking' child ’

'On peut se demander si, dans un pays comme la France, où la question du « faciès » est souvent rapportée au « faciès arabe » qui fait l’objet d’une certaine stigmatisation, .... '
We could ask whether, in a country such as France, where the question of ‘features ’ often refers to ‘Arab features’ which are subject to a certain stigmatization, ....

It seems simply translating 'faciès' as features is too neutral in that it carries discriminatory connotations in French, as is made clear in the second sentence. But is there any way of adding this perjorative tone to the word in the subtitle?. Thankyou.
Proposed translations (English)
2 +3 features

Discussion

patrickfor Jun 14, 2014:
I think "face" would be closer to the meaning in french here.
In slang the French call le "délit de facies" 'délit de sale gueule".
You don't look good, you get controlled as if you had done something bad.
Of course if often relates to north-african people as the text suggests but don't get it wrong facies here is only related to the face, the look.
I am not a native but I would suggest "look" or "trait" these are the word I would use.

Proposed translations

+3
49 mins
Selected

features

http://www.wordreference.com/fren/faciès

faciès nm péjoratif (visage typique d'une race) features npl

It seems clear from the surrounding context (the use of "non-Arab") that we are not in neutral territory.
Peer comment(s):

agree philgoddard : Yes, it's simply not a problem in this sentence.
8 mins
Thanks.
agree robon
14 hrs
Thanks.
agree Nikki Scott-Despaigne : AGree that this is not a problem here are the subject is stigmatisation. Also, "facièes" is not always used with negative connotations anyway.
15 hrs
Thanks.
neutral Daryo : is "features" only about the look of the person's face? faciès = nm péjoratif ??? certainly NOT it's mostly used in the most "value-neutral" way
20 hrs
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks that is really helpful. "
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