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سلطةٌ عصماء

English translation: Infallible Authority

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Arabic term or phrase: سلطةٌ عصماء
English translation:Infallible Authority
Entered by: A Zafar

14:02 Aug 9, 2021
Arabic to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Government / Politics / Syria
Arabic term or phrase: سلطةٌ عصماء
Hi everyone,

I'm translating a story in which the narrator travels from Sweida to Damascus and describes what happens at all the checkpoints along the way.

Context:
كان المسافر یقطعها قبل الحرب بسیارته أو بالبولمان في غضون ساعة. بعد زرع الحواجز تطاولت الساعة إلى ساعات: حواجز للجیش ولجیش الدفاع الوطني وحواجز للّجان الشعبیة. كلّ حاجزٍ منها سلطةٌ عصماء لا تعترف بشرعیة السابقة أو اللاحقة.

I'm having trouble finding the right equivalent adjective in English as there isn't much information in the dictionaries. I think it means something like "untouchable/extremely powerful", but I want to check. I'm also unsure whether the author is being sarcastic or not - i.e. perhaps the author wants to say that if there are so many authoritative groups in the area, then how can they ALL think they are untouchable?

Thanks for your help!
Anam
A Zafar
United Kingdom
Local time: 18:42
Infallible Authority
Explanation:
المعنى الحرفي لعصماء (أفعل/فعلاء) [أعصم/عصماء] = معصومة من الخطأ، ولكن المعنى المجازي سلطة مهيبة، وهناك نبرة واضحة من التهكّم كما ذكرتِ.
"عصماء لا تعترف بشرعیة السابقة أو اللاحقة" = لا تعترف بشرعية غيرها فهي وحدة معصومة من الخطأ.
Selected response from:

Assem AlKhallouf
Local time: 20:42
Grading comment
شكرا
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +1Infallible Authority
Assem AlKhallouf
4 +1Superior Authority
Yassine El Bouknify
5never failing [self-proclaimed] autonomy
Diya Takrouri
4 +1independent/totally independent
Saeed Najmi


  

Answers


5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Infallible Authority


Explanation:
المعنى الحرفي لعصماء (أفعل/فعلاء) [أعصم/عصماء] = معصومة من الخطأ، ولكن المعنى المجازي سلطة مهيبة، وهناك نبرة واضحة من التهكّم كما ذكرتِ.
"عصماء لا تعترف بشرعیة السابقة أو اللاحقة" = لا تعترف بشرعية غيرها فهي وحدة معصومة من الخطأ.

Assem AlKhallouf
Local time: 20:42
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in ArabicArabic, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 12
Grading comment
شكرا

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Abd Alrahman Almidani
7 hrs
  -> Thanks, Abd Alrahman.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

17 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Superior Authority


Explanation:
Or lofty authority. Since the text is related to checkpoints, then I think it's mainly related to a superior authority that doesn't recognise other, say, inferior authorities (in terms of hierarchy).

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Note added at 19 mins (2021-08-09 14:21:45 GMT)
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عصماء [معاني الاسماء]
https://www.almaany.com/ar/dict/ar-en/عصماء/

Yassine El Bouknify
Morocco
Local time: 18:42
Native speaker of: Native in ArabicArabic
PRO pts in category: 12

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Assem AlKhallouf: Yes, a good one!
3 mins
  -> Thank you Assem :)
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37 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
never failing [self-proclaimed] autonomy


Explanation:
Non-failing [self-proclaimed] autonomy

Diya Takrouri
Türkiye
Local time: 20:42
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in ArabicArabic
PRO pts in category: 12
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

48 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
independent/totally independent


Explanation:
totally independent of the others as confirmed by the subsequent explanative لا تعترف بسابقتها
عصماء بمعنى قائمة بذاتها

Saeed Najmi
Morocco
Local time: 18:42
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in ArabicArabic, Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Abd Alrahman Almidani
6 hrs
  -> Thanks Abd Alrahman
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



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