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minuties
constructions sur poteaux ou sur sablières

Glossary entry

French term or phrase:

une vigueur moindre à leur aplomb

English translation:

plants grow shorter/vegetation is sparser/stunted

Added to glossary by Elena Robert
May 4, 2006 19:21
18 yrs ago
1 viewer *
French term

une vigueur moindre à leur aplomb

French to English Art/Literary Archaeology aerial archaeology
Ainsi, en période de sécheresse, la présence d'excavations comblées comme les fossés et les fosses importantes qui conservent l’humidité a un impact visible sur la croissance des végétaux. Des murs arasés peuvent, dans les mêmes conditions, être signalés par un dessèchement plus précoce des végétaux ou ***une vigueur moindre à leur aplomb****.

I understand the meaning, but have a difficulty to find the right words so that it fits better to the context. I suppose I have to replace the nouns by verbs here. I will be thankful for any suggestion.
Proposed translations (English)
4 +3 plants grow shorter/vegetation is sparser/stunted
2 under performing (growthwise)
3 -1 do not thrive as well when growing next to them
3 -1 weaker growth at their base
3 -1 a lesser degree of sturdiness

Discussion

Francis Marche May 5, 2006:
To CMJ_Trans: What is obvious is that since the wall is burried, its base could be 7 feet underground. The "base of the wall" issue is totally irrelevant. You write: "where the wall WAS". Wrong: there IS a wall - underground.
Francis Marche May 4, 2006:
The whole point in a nutshell: 1/ NO part of any wall is above ground and none is visible; 2/ aplomb means "right above" 3/ arasé means "razed and/or flush with the ground"; 4/ this whole story is driving me up the wall rofl!!:-)))
Francis Marche May 4, 2006:
I mean a burried wall whose top is almost flush with ground level, covered with only a thin, drier layer of earth. Would be easier with a diagram!
Francis Marche May 4, 2006:
I thought everybody was right until I read it a third time to realize that "murs arasés" are... "absent walls": on razed walls the grass growth thinner and shorter, hence provides a clue to archeologist to spot a vestigial wall and ruined city!

Proposed translations

+3
56 mins
Selected

plants grow shorter/vegetation is sparser/stunted

There is less humidity on razed walls because less earth is present (as opposed to "fossés comblés"), hence in dry period, the vegetation is sparser and that provides clues to archeologists for their excavations.

"aplomb" here means ABOVE, not at the foot/base of the walls.

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Note added at 1 hr (2006-05-04 20:27:30 GMT)
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proposed translation : "with sparser vegetation above them"
Peer comment(s):
agree suezen : stunted growth
20 mins
agree Bourth (X) : stunted growth. Too much tobacco.
47 mins
right! lol)))
agree sporran
3 hrs
thanks
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Many thanks to all."
5 mins

under performing (growthwise)

due to adverse growth conditions.
Something went wrong...
-1
9 mins

do not thrive as well when growing next to them

an idea?

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Note added at 30 mins (2006-05-04 19:51:46 GMT)
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or perhaps: ... do not thrive so well when... ?
Peer comment(s):
disagree Francis Marche : see my explanations//My "neutral" comment then should be that you wrote "next to them": does "à l'aplomb" mean "next to something"?
50 mins
Did I write "at the foot"? And a "Level 3" confidence level hardly qualifies for a "disagree"... :-)
Something went wrong...
-1
33 mins

weaker growth at their base

simple way out

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Note added at 33 mins (2006-05-04 19:54:55 GMT)
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less robust

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Note added at 1 hr (2006-05-04 20:31:52 GMT)
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At the base of where the walls once were - I meant
Peer comment(s):
disagree Francis Marche : no "base of walls" here, apparently.//Perhaps yes, but because the walls are burried underground, the point is that part of the structure flush with the ground might as well be the upper part of it!There is no part of any wall above ground.
16 mins
where the wall was there must be vestiges of a base surely? I KNOW the wall is no longer there but where the base was is where the grass or whatever no longer grows so well....I would have thought it obvious
Something went wrong...
-1
1 hr

a lesser degree of sturdiness

a possible alternative. I have chosen to translate aplomb as sturdiness, and not 'at their base', as someone else suggested. However, the dictionary does give this possibility. Any native speakers around?

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Note added at 1 hr (2006-05-04 20:34:17 GMT)
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I now think it should be: The presence of razed walls is is given away by sparser, dried-up, vegetation growing over them.
Peer comment(s):
disagree Francis Marche : Some ambiguity here: "razed wall" seems to imply "no wall at all", whilst the whole point for excavating is the assumed presence of a vestigial wall underground. My comment should be "Neutral" (sorry,finger problem)
10 hrs
Something went wrong...
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