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" ... au sommet européen Le gouvernement français a fait de la figuration."

 

This has appeared in an email in Le  Monde today, June 30 - expressed by M. Jean-Luc Mélenchon. It gives the impression of being tongie-in-cheek ironic. Is that a fair impression?

 

Could someone please translate the 'intention' behind the words?  I'd be most grateful.

 

Thnks.

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He's saying that France only had a token role. I feel it's depreciating, but not necessarily ironic.

Thnks Christine - so would you translate it something like this: '...played only a token (figurative) role?'

 

That  'a fait de la figuration' - an idiomatic expression? It's got me stumped.

Pete - it actually stems from a cinematic expression. As you're probably aware, the verb figurer means "to appear" as in e.g. figurer dans un film, "to appear in a film". And so an actor's figuration is their appearance/role/portrayal in a film (you'll see faire une figuration sometimes used).

And so by an extension, faire de la figuration generally means for an actor to "do work as an extra", "play bit parts".

Figuratively it is then used like this to mean that somebody is "just there to make up the numbers" or "just there for show", without playing a substantial role.

 

Ah!  Superb. Thnks!!

 

Could it be translated as 'Just made an appearance', then?

Yes, sounds reasonable! (maybe more formally in a newspaper headline: "did little more than make an apperance").

Yup, 'just'  is a bit chatty.

 

I've certainly learned and internalised 'faire de la figuration' with this discussion.

 

Great site Neil. Thnks again.

Google translate gives me

EU summit, the French government made up the numbers

Thnks Stephen - so would you translate it something like this: '...played only a token (figurative) role?'

That  'a fait de la figuration' - an idiomatic expression? It's got me stumped.


There is such a translation:

faire de la figuration
n'avoir aucun rôle dans un groupe

So, I think the phrase above would mean that the French government had not made any important contribution during the summit ("had been of no importance" would be too strong in this case, I believe).

 

That is a great help.  Thnks Tatiana!

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