# son plus grand atout



## hampton.mc

Cependant, son plus grand atout était sa façon de percer à jour les différentes personnalités.

Her *biggest asset* however was the way she could see right through people.

Is it correct to use "asset" or should it be "trump" or something else?


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## mgarizona

" ... her greatest asset was her way of seeing right through ... "

Not sure I understand the use of personnalités, but you don't seem to be paying it much mind anyway. To say "seeing right through people" implies that all those people are phonies whose true character she is somehow about to 'read.' Is that what the French implies?


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## hampton.mc

mgarizona said:


> " ... her greatest asset was her way of seeing right through ... "
> 
> Not sure I understand the use of personnalités, but you don't seem to be paying it much mind anyway.  of course I do!
> To say "seeing right through people" implies that all those people are phonies whose true character she is somehow about to 'read.' Is that what the French implies?



"personnalité": Ce qui constitue la personne, qui la rend psychiquement, intellectuellement et moralement distincte de toutes les autres. 
In this context, it means that she is gifted in unveiling/discovering/finding the strengths and weaknesses of the people she encounters.


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## mgarizona

OK, that's just what I was wondering. In that case "to see right through people" won't work. That phrase implies that there's a mask over the true personality.

Perhaps: "Her greatest gift/asset was her way of seeing people for who they really are."


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## hampton.mc

mgarizona said:


> OK, that's just what I was wondering. In that case "to see right through people" won't work. That phrase implies that there's a mask over the true personality.
> 
> Perhaps: "Her greatest gift/asset was her way of seeing people for who they really are."



Excellent, thank you very much


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## johnblacksox

In this context, I like mgarizona's suggestion of "gift".  Sounds more conversational than asset, at least to me.


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## hampton.mc

Yes but it isn't a conversation It's a description. Maybe I am wrong and I don't get the entire sens of "conversational"


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## johnblacksox

hampton.mc said:


> Yes but it isn't a conversation It's a description. Maybe I am wrong and I don't get the entire sens of "conversational"


 
Hm, ok...Maybe I'm being overly subjective.  

In my personal opinion, "asset" is used less commonly when referring to intangible qualities.  "Asset" is used more often in relation to concrete things.  Maybe I'm splitting hairs.  You could definitely use "asset" here, and everyone would know exactly what you mean.  

I was just trying to give a slight nuance, that I personally would say "gift" or even "skill" when describing the ability to read people. 

Didn't mean to confuse things.    Asset seems a more literal translation, and it is certainly not incorrect to use it here.


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## hampton.mc

johnblacksox said:


> Hm, ok...Maybe I'm being overly subjective.
> 
> In my personal opinion, "asset" is used less commonly when referring to intangible qualities.  "Asset" is used more often in relation to concrete things.  Maybe I'm splitting hairs.  You could definitely use "asset" here, and everyone would know exactly what you mean.
> 
> I was just trying to give a slight nuance, that I personally would say "gift" or even "skill" when describing the ability to read people.
> 
> Didn't mean to confuse things.    Asset seems a more literal translation, and it is certainly not incorrect to use it here.



You are absolutely right and I understand better "asset". To me this is why this forum is so precious because it is all about "nuances" and "subtilities". As a non-native one of the biggest difficulty is to "weigh" the words and native's advices (or advises I never know ) are priceless.
I can't use "gift" because her "gifts" have been described at lenght just before. Because she is a psychologist and her way to see into people is one of her professional characteristics "skill" fits perfectly.
Thank you very much and please don't hesitate to split hairs (couper les cheveux en quatre, en français".


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## mgarizona

First off, however you choose to spell it, 'advice' is uncountable, i.e. it has no plural form.

Secondly, if this is one of those instances where repetition rules forced the author to use a different word when he/she didn't really mean a different word, I'd go ahead and use "gift' again in English. Or just "the greatest of these ... "


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## Pedro y La Torre

"_strength_" might be another option.


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## hampton.mc

I don't understand why I can't use "skill" ??


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## johnblacksox

hampton.mc said:


> I don't understand why I can't use "skill" ??


 
I think "skill" is fine to use...


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## edwingill

"Her trump card"


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## hampton.mc

Would "trump card" work in AE?


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## mgarizona

Yes, 'trump card' works in AE ... good solution!


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## edwingill

hampton.mc said:


> Would "trump card" work in AE?


I think so


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## hampton.mc

"Her trump card was her way of seeing people for who they really are." 

To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often. (W. Churchill) 
Thank you all very much.


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## jscottseptembre

hampton.mc said:


> Would "trump card" work in AE?



I'm américain and i wouldnt understand "trump card", but then again i dont play cards!

asset's not bad,

how about, "advantage", or "distinction", maybe "quality" or "ability"


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## hampton.mc

jscottseptembre said:


> I'm américain and i wouldnt understand "trump card", but then again i dont play cards!
> 
> asset's not bad,
> 
> how about, "advantage", or "distinction", maybe "quality" or "ability"



Hello jscott,

Thanks for your input. It will have to be "skill" then.


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## Cath.S.

How about _her forte_?


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## hampton.mc

meaning son point fort ?


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## Cath.S.

C'est cela, 
*1. * Something in which a person excels.
Source thefreedictionary


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## hampton.mc

1/ would you say "her greatest forte", or "forte" in itself is enough?
2/ jscott, as our representant here of young generation American what do you think?


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## Pedro y La Torre

"Her forte" is what you'd say. It's not a bad option either.


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## mgarizona

"Her forte" is an excellent suggestion, but I wouldn't use it with 'way.'

"Her forte was an ability to see people ... "


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## jscottseptembre

hampton.mc said:


> 1/ would you say "her greatest forte", or "forte" in itself is enough?
> 2/ jscott, as our representant here of young generation American what do you think?



Honestly, I don't believe i've ever, in my entire life, heard ''forte" (in english at least haha), but i've heard "fort" as in an army post hah!


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## Cath.S.

jscottseptembre said:


> Honestly, I don't believe i've ever, in my entire life, heard ''forte" (in english at least haha), but i've heard "fort" as in an army post hah!


Salut J. Ne le prends pas mal, surtout, mais ta vie entière ne couvre pas une très longue période historique. 
Ben quoi, je défends ma traduction !


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## mgarizona

JScott ...

Embarrassing as it is to admit, American tend to pronounce it "For'-tay"

"I can play piano too but it's not exactly my for'-tay."


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## hampton.mc

M your PM is full

Bon Jscott est-ce que tu comprends "for-tay"?


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## jscottseptembre

mgarizona said:


> JScott ...
> 
> Embarrassing as it is to admit, American tend to pronounce it "For'-tay"
> 
> "I can play piano too but it's not exactly my for'-tay."




ahhhh ok, yes i've heard this many times haha. Never really thought about its spelling before haha, 

yep "it's not really/exactly my forte" it what you hear


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## hampton.mc

Thank you all and a special thanks for Cath


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## jscottseptembre

mgarizona said:


> JScott ...
> 
> Embarrassing as it is to admit, American tend to pronounce it "For'-tay"
> 
> "I can play piano too but it's not exactly my for'-tay."



but why is that embarrassing to admit? Do other anglophones pronounce it differently?


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## Cath.S.

hampton.mc said:


> Thank you all and a special thanks for Cath


My pleasure, MC. 

Cath x


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## mgarizona

jscottseptembre said:


> but why is that embarrassing to admit? Do other anglophones pronounce it differently?



God, I've always hoped so. We don't say localay for locale, or moralay for morale, why should we say fortay for forte?


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## jscottseptembre

mgarizona said:


> God, I've always hoped so. We don't say localay for locale, or moralay for morale, why should we say fortay for forte?



Haha, yea I see what you mean.


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## BAlfson

mgarizona said:


> God, I've always hoped so. We don't say localay for locale, or moralay for morale, why should we say fortay for forte?


If we made American so consistent, we wouldn't be able to recognise the pretenders! 

Cheers - Bob


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## Pedro y La Torre

I pronounce it "for-tay'' too, as I believe the vast majority of English speakers do, American or not.


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## Bluemt

I would say 'Her greatest strength is...' I'm currently translating English to French and I'm using 'atout' for 'strength'


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## jlan

mgarizona said:


> We don't say localay for locale, or moralay for morale, why should we say fortay for forte?



Because "locale" is based on the French _local_ (with the -e added in mimetism of _morale_, where the -e is not pronounced) whereas "forte" is based on the Italian _forte_, where the -e is pronounced (even though it apparently originally comes from the French _fort_, and had the -e added later to resemble the Italian _forte_).

See http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=forte and http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/locale / http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=locale


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