# Maîtriser la situation



## vegangirl

J'ai traduit cette phrase en anglais. Vous pouvez corriger les fautes s'il vous plaît ?

phrase : Kate maîtrise la situation.
traduction : Kate is in control.


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## SaintGerm

It seems correct for me.


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## vegangirl

Peut-on dire "Kate overcomes the situation" pour dire "Kate maîtrise la situation" ?


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## Alipeeps

You could also say "is in control of the situation" or "has the situation under control".


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## Padraig

I like to consider how well a literal or near-literal translation works. You can say _Kate masters the situation_, and it would be understood but probably be thought a slightly unusual way of expressing it. Oddly, though, _Kate is master of the situation_ works very well, and is a set expression. [The first refers to a single point in time, while the other is continuous.]


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## Alipeeps

vegangirl said:


> Peut-on dire "Kate overcomes the situation"  pour dire "Kate maîtrise la situation" ?


 
No, sorry. Overcome does not have the right meaning here. "Is in control of the situation" or "has the situation under control" (or even "has everything under control") works better.


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## vegangirl

Peut-on dire "Kate subdues situation" pour dire "Kate maîtrise la situation" ?


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## Sarafolle

vegangirl said:


> Peut-on dire "Kate overcomes the situation" pour dire "Kate maîtrise la situation" ?


 

Overcomes c'est plutôt dans le sens "surmonter"..


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## vegangirl

Peut-on dire "Kate commands at situation" pour dire "Kate maîtrise la situation" ?


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## Shang Qin Li

vegangirl said:


> Peut-on dire "Kate subdues situation" pour dire "Kate maîtrise la situation" ?


 
No, definitely not.


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## vegangirl

Peut-on dire "Kate has the situation control" pour dire "Kate maîtrise la situation" ?


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## Shang Qin Li

vegangirl said:


> Peut-on dire "Kate commands at situation" pour dire "Kate maîtrise la situation" ?


 
Non. Désolé, mais cela ne veut rien dire. You can "control" a situation, you cannot "command" it.


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## vegangirl

Peut-on dire "Kate controls situation" pour dire "Kate maîtrise la situation" ?


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## George French

Padraig said:


> I like to consider how well a literal or near-literal translation works. You can say _Kate masters the situation_, and it would be understood but probably be thought a slightly unusual way of expressing it. Oddly, though, _Kate is master of the situation_ works very well, and is a set expression. [The first refers to a single point in time, while the other is continuous.]


 
I like this idea and maybe we could even use *mistress* of the situation.

The translation of Maîtriser is masters

http://dictionary.reverso.net/french-english/maîtrise


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## vegangirl

Peut-on dire "Kate has the situation of control" pour dire "Kate maîtrise la situation" ?


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## Shang Qin Li

vegangirl said:


> Peut-on dire "Kate controls situation" pour dire "Kate maîtrise la situation" ?


 
Kate controls *the* situation


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## vegangirl

Peut-on dire "Kate masters the situation" pour dire "Kate maîtrise la situation" ?


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## Shang Qin Li

Please allow me to sum it all up:
Vegangirl's original sentence is: 'Kate maîtrise la situation"
I suggest we stick to one of the following three possible (simple) translations:
Kate controls the situation
Kate is in control of the situation
Kate has the situation under control
Now:
Kate is the mistress of the situation (sorry, but no !)
Kate masters the situation (is acceptable)
And forget about the rest


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## Padraig

I read the judgement. On what basis do you discard _Kate is master of the situation_?


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## USMeg

That's just goofy English.  One can be master of one's destiny, but it's extreme for a "situation."  I think vegangirl is looking for idiomatic English.  Her first shot at the translation was pretty good.


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## chimpanz82

> Kate is master of the situation?



This translation is not grammatically correct.  It needs to read "Kate is the master of the situation.  By changing "master" into the nominal form the sense of the verb is lost.  "To master" something means to understand something very well; it does not mean "to be ruler over something" as "the master" would imply.


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## USMeg

I'm sorry -- I usually use Quick Reply, which doesn't have emoticons.  I intended that remark as a smiley-face kind of thing.  I am constantly amused by the vast differences in usage among English speakers in various regions of the world.  Please, please accept my apologies.  I did not wish to offend!


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## vegangirl

Peut-on dire "Kate is situation master" pour dire "Kate maîtrise la situation" ?


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## George French

Padraig said:


> I read the judgement. On what basis do you discard _Kate is master of the situation_?


 
I see you had no direct answer, so I am taking the liberty of saying why it can be used. One should note that master has a big dictionary entry and that it has many uses. 

One of the definitions, OED
*to be master of*:-

have at one's disposal
know how to control
The second definition is the one that applies in this case

From original post:
phrase : Kate maîtrise la situation.
traduction : Kate is in control.
or
Kate is master of the situation. This matches the French use of Maîtriser well.

It is possibly unusual these days to use master instead of control but it fits well with the original french text. Is there a native French speaker out there that can enlighten us?


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## George French

chimpanz82 said:


> This translation is not grammatically correct. It needs to read "Kate is the master of the situation. By changing "master" into the nominal form the sense of the verb is lost. "To master" something means to understand something very well; it does not mean "to be ruler over something" as "the master" would imply.


 
An interesting point that I would like to contest.

There is a transitive verb *to be master of *in English, surely this is being used in the sentence. We are simply not using the verb *to master*.

GF.


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## Sarafolle

> phrase : Kate maîtrise la situation.
> traduction : Kate is in control.
> or
> *Kate is master of the situation*. This matches the French use of Maîtriser well.
> 
> It is possibly unusual these days to use master instead of control but it fits well with the original french text. Is there a native French speaker out there that can enlighten us?


 

I'm a native french!! 
Your translation means: _Kate est maître de la situation_ in french.


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## George French

Sarafolle said:


> I'm a native french!!
> Your translation means: _Kate est maître de la situation_ in french.


 
Merci, Sarafolle. 

GF


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## Shang Qin Li

Padraig said:


> I read the judgement. On what basis do you discard _Kate is master of the situation_?


 
Dear Padraig, simply because of the very connotations of the word. You can be master of a ship, animal, house, College, Ceremonies, Arts, as a skilled workman, etc... Anything concrete, tangible. A situation is a set of events; you overcome events, you are not their 'master'. You can say : 'God is the Master of all events", yes. But that doesn't apply to a mere mortal. I kept "she masters the situation" because as a verb "master" means "overcome" (among other meanings).
But, in any case, why complicate everything ? "Control" (as a noun or a verb) is perfect


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## vegangirl

Merci de m'avoir aidée.


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## George French

Shang Qin Li said:


> Dear Padraig, simply because of the very connotations of the word. You can be master of a ship, animal, house, College, Ceremonies, Arts, as a skilled workman, etc... Anything concrete, tangible. A situation is a set of events; you overcome events, you are not their 'master'. You can say : 'God is the Master of all events", yes. But that doesn't apply to a mere mortal. I kept "she masters the situation" because as a verb "master" means "overcome" (among other meanings).
> But, in any case, why complicate everything ? "Control" (as a noun or a verb) is perfect


 
Just to keep it going...

"_*Very connotations of the word Master*_".  What do you mean? Are you condeming a word and its usage out of the English language because in some uses of the word it may have some negative meanings.

To be master of : definition (OED):-
1 to know how to control.
2 have at one's disposal

The usage is as a *transitive verb* (to be master of), not a noun; surely you have no _PC_ problems with that?

GF


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## Bah Humbug

> Kate controls the situation
> Kate is in control of the situation
> Kate has the situation under control


 
I would discard "Kate controls the situation." 
It doesn't seem idiomatic in this context. 

"Kate has the situation under control" is the one I prefer.

I found a quote for "she is master of the situation" in an online TIME magazine article.  That's probably an OK source.


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## Shang Qin Li

George French said:


> Just to keep it going...
> 
> "_*Very connotations of the word Master*_".  What do you mean? Are you condeming a word and its usage out of the English language because in some uses of the word it may have some negative meanings.
> 
> To be master of : definition (OED):-
> 1 to know how to control.
> 2 have at one's disposal
> 
> The usage is as a *transitive verb* (to be master of), not a noun; surely you have no _PC_ problems with that?
> GF


 
No, no PC problem at all (whatever you mean by that (????))
Now, I think you are "splitting hairs" a bit too much and I am even not sure what you're driving at.
REFERENCE: OXFORD DICTIONARY (OD)
1) "master" as a verb, is transitive. I already knew that, but thanks anyway.
Now, if one 'knows how to control something' then it follows that "one is in control of that something" and therefore "one CONTROLS that something".
2) "be master of" requires a noun after it. Hence "Master" is a NOUN. For instance : "I am the Master of this house". If I have servants, they are at my disposal. Agreed.
I'll let you check the OD for the other meanings and use of "master" (as a noun or verb)
3) Up to now I haven't seen any NEGATIVE MEANING connected to the word "master" (have you ? If so let me know)
4) Concerning the original sentence given by chimpans82: NO, and again NO. Kate may have the situation under control (before it gets totally hectic), but she does not RULE OVER IT AS A MASTER, and the situation is certainly NOT at HER disposal !
"Maîtriser la situation" simply means "taking control of whatever is suddenly happening (in the wrong way) and making things right again".
By the way, try to be less vindictive next time. This forum is meant to help one another, not wage war !


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## Shang Qin Li

Bah Humbug said:


> I would discard "Kate controls the situation."
> It doesn't seem idiomatic in this context.
> 
> "Kate has the situation under control" is the one I prefer.
> 
> I found a quote for "she is master of the situation" in an online TIME magazine article. That's probably an OK source.


 
There's no rule saying you always have to use idioms. "Kate controls the situation" is the simplest way of putting it. But, like you, my preference goes to "has the situation under control". Could you please let me have the context of the TIME magazine article you found online ? That could help clear out the modern use of "master". Thanks


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## Padraig

I do not accept the assertion that one can be master only of something concrete or tangible.

Google on "is master of the" and scan the results. You will find many instances of being master of something abstract or intangible, including _situation_. A Time citation:
http://www.time.com/time/time100/builder/profile/burnett.html


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## Bah Humbug

Here's the TIME citation I found.


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## Shang Qin Li

Thanks for letting me have the TIME articles you are referring to; I have read and re-read them. 
What still bothers me in "she is master of the situation" is simply that I feel it is too strong an expression to be applied to a mere (small scale) situation, if I may say so. As I said to someone else in a private message, I would have agreed with you totally if, referring for instance to the Allies after they had crushed the Nazis and driven them back to Germany, someone said: "The Allies are now masters of the situation". Or, on a slightly smaller scale, after the whole of the Kriegsmarine had been sunk: "The allied Navy is the Master of the seas".
Now, I am not -repeat not- suggesting the writer of that article is wrong. He has his style, I have mine and you have yours. It is only a matter of feeling. That's all.
But in the article on Burnett, the third and fourth paragraphs suggest that the "current situation" is a large-scale one; advertising has a world-wide impact. In this case, "master" fits in quite well.


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## Padraig

I see it now. Shang Qin Li, you are investing _master_ with a connotation of domination. I think you are mistaken in that. I remind you of schoolmasters, the "old masters", and chess masters (nouns all, I know, but from the same root, _magister_). You can master something by means other than coercion or domination, but through skill or achievement.


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## Shang Qin Li

Yes, dear Padraig, you don't have to be coercitive in order to master something. When you're schooling a horse, for instance, using coercion is the worst thing you can do; the horse will rebel sooner or later. So you "persuade" it, step by step, patiently, gently. But the end result you want to (and must) reach is to dominate the horse so that he obeys you totally. For, if it does not, then it is you who are dominated by the animal. Now let's say you're the new World Chess Champion. Each time I play chess with you, I lose. Why ? Because you master that game so well that I don't stand a chance. You dominate me with your skill. Now, can you think of an example that would illustrate one's mastering something and yet NOT dominating it ? I can't think of one.
The French say "dominer" as a synonym for "maîtriser". To them."dominer une situation" is a stronger way to say "maîtriser une situation". That was confirmed to me by a friend of mine who teaches French in Aix, at the university. (I gave him a ring about an hour ago). I also called a colleague of his (an American who has a PhD in English). He did tell me that in English, as in French, "master", "maîtriser" both have that connotation of domination. He also said that:
a) he personally would use "master a situation" if that situation was "an extreme one" [I quote]; and if it wasn't, he would prefer "be in control of" or the equivalent.
b) many modern writers -especially journalists- tend to disregard the true connotations of certain words, because they try to distinguish themselves from other writers.
Languages are in constant evolution, especially English under the influence of the US. Maybe, "master" is one of those words that are now considered acceptable whatever the context, in which case I am not up to date. But as far as I am concerned I'll stick to the old rule, for the time being at least.


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## retriever gal

following this thread - how would you translate this in the negative :

context : distribution channels for wine sales in China :

original sentence in French : "*Rien est maîtrisé*" : could I just say : *nothing is controlled or there is little control ?*


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