inconséquence constructive

English translation: the lack of consistency in construction

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:inconséquence constructive
English translation:the lack of consistency in construction
Entered by: Yvonne Gallagher

16:25 Sep 25, 2017
French to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Archaeology / ancient art
French term or phrase: inconséquence constructive
Hi again!
DOC: 1907 Museum catalog of ancient Egyptian mirrors. Catalog entry.
CONTEXT: 44101. Boîte à miroir. - Bois et ivoire. - Under the heading of TECHNIQUE. [....] Le placage du couvercle a réclamé l'emploi de grands morceaux: un pour le tympan, un autre pour le tableau central; mais ici, ***avec cette inconséquence constructive que*** l'on relève à tout instant dans l'art et l'industrie de l'Ancienne Égypte, on a tiré partie d'un excédent de matière pour amorcer l'un des secteurs de cercle, celui de droite, complété par deux morceaux rajoutés bout à bout; l'autre secteur est fait de deux pièces; enfin le panneau du bas, d'une pièce.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vsTHNyj6BK8/VaYHwjyjTuI/AAAAAAAAsj...
ATTEMPT: The veneering of the lid had called for the use of large pieces: one for the tympanum, another for the scene in the center; but here, ***with this inconsistency of technique/fabrication that*** is seen all the time in ancient Egyptian art and industry, surplus material was used to start off one of the sectors of the circle, the right one, with two fragments added end-to-end to complete it [Looks side by side to me!]; the other sector is made of two pieces; finally, the bottom panel of one.
ISSUE: I think I'm on the right track due to some help from WordReference.com and the picture, but am not quite sure how to best capture the intent of this phrase.
Thank you in advance for any suggestions!
angela3thomas
United States
the lack of consistency in construction
Explanation:
I think it best to keep it simple. You could say "inconsistency of..." but I prefer "the lack of consistency in.. ".
I considered using "fabrication" but think that has more of a sense of making something whereas here it is really about assembly or putting it together from what I can see. I also think it's not about a lack of creativity at all.

I agree with Nikki about breaking up the long sentence. I'd rephrase something like:
The veneering of the lid had called for the use of large pieces: one for the tympanum and another for the central scene; but here, with the lack of consistency in construction commonly seen in ancient Egyptian art and industry, surplus material was used to initiate one of the sectors of the circle, the right-hand one. Here, two fragments were added end-to-end to complete it whereas the other sector is made of two pieces. Finally, the bottom panel is/comprises one piece.

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Note added at 4 days (2017-09-30 15:39:44 GMT) Post-grading
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Glad to have helped
Selected response from:

Yvonne Gallagher
Ireland
Local time: 10:01
Grading comment
I thank you all for the constructive and thoughtful feedback and advice. I appreciate it very much.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4creative/contructive lack of consistency
Daryo
4the lack of consistency in construction
Yvonne Gallagher


Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
creative/contructive lack of consistency


Explanation:
I think that here "constructive" has to understood in the same meaning as in:

"une approche constructive"

IOW the "lack of consistency" is not the result of laziness, shoddy work & similar, but the result of a "constructive (creative)" reaction to unexpected changes (like unexpectedly having some surplus material on your hands)


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Note added at 7 hrs (2017-09-26 00:06:09 GMT)
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mais ici, avec cette inconséquence constructive que l'on relève à tout instant dans l'art et l'industrie de l'Ancienne Égypte,
=
but here, showing the constructive (lack of consistency) /inconsistency that is seen all the time in ancient Egyptian art and industry, surplus material was used to start off one of the sectors of the circle

inconséquence constructive => constructive adj. NOT construction n.

CONSTRUCTIF, IVE, adj.
Qui est propre à construire*, à réaliser quelque chose; qui est capable d'élaborer quelque chose. Le socialisme « critique » doit être, plus que tout autre, agissant et constructif (Jaurès, Ét. socialistes,1901, p. LIII):

1. Pas de métaphysique de l'être pur sans la révélation biblique, mais, aussi, sans la philosophie grecque, pas de métaphysique issue de cette révélation. S'il en est ainsi, dire que l'esprit de la philosophie médiévale, dans ce qu'elle eut de constructif et de créateur, n'est que l'esprit même de la philosophie chrétienne, c'est simultanément affirmer que le moyen âge fut une époque de progrès philosophique et que ce progrès reposait sur la continuité d'une tradition. Gilson, L'Esprit de la philos. médiév.,t. 1, 1931, p. 214.


− Spéc. Définitions constructives ou synthétiques, p. oppos. à définitions descriptives ou analytiques :

2. Un des meilleurs moyens pour raisonner sur des éléments abstraits consiste à employer, non pas des définitions constructives mais des définitions descriptives. Les Gds courants de la pensée mathématique, 1948, p. 125.
SYNT. Dialogue constructif (Traité de sociol., 1967, p. 80); effet constructif (Teilhard de Chardin, Le Phénomène humain, 1955, p. 130); effort constructif (L'Univers écon. et soc., 1960, p. 5209); intelligence constructive p. oppos. à esprit critique (E. Faure, L'Esprit des formes, 1927, p. 27); travail constructif (L'Univers écon. et soc., 1960, p. 2403); vues constructives (R. Villemer, L'Organ. industr., 1947, p. 18).
Prononc. : [kɔ ̃stʀyktif], fém. [-i:v]. Étymol. et Hist. xves. [ms.] (Gloss. lat.-fr., Richel. Cat 7679 ds Gdf.), seulement au xves., gloses; puis 1863 (Littré). Empr. au b. lat. constructivus « propre à construire ». Fréq. abs. littér. : 61.
DÉR. 1.

Constructivisme, subst. masc.,B.-A. Mouvement artistique se préoccupant de l'esthétique de l'assemblement des plans et des lignes. Constructivisme sec et dogmatique (Arts et litt. dans la société contemp.,1936, p. 6407).− [kɔ ̃stʀyktivism̥]. − 1resattest. vers 1925 d'apr. Rob. Suppl.; 1933 (A. Levinson, Les Visages de la danse, p. 112); du rad. de constructif, suff. -isme*; sur ce mouvement artistique d'abord apparu en Russie v. aussi M. Gieure, La peinture moderne, Paris, P.U.F., 1958, no28. − Fréq. abs. littér. : 1.
2.
Constructivité, subst. fém.Faculté qui, selon les phrénologues, pousse l'homme et, p. ext., les animaux, à construire, à bâtir. Il [Isidore] ne savait pas que le vieux comte, ayant l'instinct et le goût de ce que les phrénologues appellent aujourd'hui « constructivité », s'entendait beaucoup mieux que lui à juger les travaux de l'atelier (G. Sand, Le Compagnon du Tour de France,1840, p. 172).Au fig. Constructivité systématique de Weierstrass (Les Gds courants de la pensée mathématique,1948, p. 449).− Seule transcr. ds Littré : kon-stru-kti-vi-té. − 1reattest. 1840 (G. Sand, loc. cit.); de constructif, suff. -ité*.
BBG. − Dub. Dér. 1962, p. 36 (s.v. constructivisme). − Quem. 2es. t. 3 1972 (s.v. constructiviste).

http://www.cnrtl.fr/definition/constructif

Daryo
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:01
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in SerbianSerbian, Native in FrenchFrench

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Nikki Scott-Despaigne: Your idea of "creative" is interesting, altho' I think it is more about a practical technical solution to a problem, so maybe construction is better after all. Less enamoured of your word order though. It seems less natural.
42 mins
  -> it may be an unusual noun+adjective combination, but that's what the ST says: this "lack of consistency" is "constructive" - I see no need to use "construction" [noun]// OTOH "creative" is probably a bit too creative as translation for "constructif/ve".
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3 days 18 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
the lack of consistency in construction


Explanation:
I think it best to keep it simple. You could say "inconsistency of..." but I prefer "the lack of consistency in.. ".
I considered using "fabrication" but think that has more of a sense of making something whereas here it is really about assembly or putting it together from what I can see. I also think it's not about a lack of creativity at all.

I agree with Nikki about breaking up the long sentence. I'd rephrase something like:
The veneering of the lid had called for the use of large pieces: one for the tympanum and another for the central scene; but here, with the lack of consistency in construction commonly seen in ancient Egyptian art and industry, surplus material was used to initiate one of the sectors of the circle, the right-hand one. Here, two fragments were added end-to-end to complete it whereas the other sector is made of two pieces. Finally, the bottom panel is/comprises one piece.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 days (2017-09-30 15:39:44 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

Glad to have helped

Yvonne Gallagher
Ireland
Local time: 10:01
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 12
Grading comment
I thank you all for the constructive and thoughtful feedback and advice. I appreciate it very much.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



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