Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Arabic term or phrase:
سلطةٌ عصماء
English translation:
Infallible Authority
Added to glossary by
A Zafar
Aug 9, 2021 14:02
2 yrs ago
15 viewers *
Arabic term
سلطةٌ عصماء
Arabic to English
Art/Literary
Government / Politics
Syria
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
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
Proposed translations
(English)
4 +1 | Infallible Authority | Assem AlKhallouf |
4 +1 | Superior Authority | Yassine El Bouknify |
5 | never failing [self-proclaimed] autonomy | Diya Takrouri |
4 +1 | independent/totally independent | Saeed Najmi |
Proposed translations
+1
5 mins
Selected
Infallible Authority
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.
"عصماء لا تعترف بشرعیة السابقة أو اللاحقة" = لا تعترف بشرعية غيرها فهي وحدة معصومة من الخطأ.
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "شكرا"
+1
17 mins
Superior Authority
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).
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 19 mins (2021-08-09 14:21:45 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
عصماء [معاني الاسماء]
https://www.almaany.com/ar/dict/ar-en/عصماء/
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 19 mins (2021-08-09 14:21:45 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
عصماء [معاني الاسماء]
https://www.almaany.com/ar/dict/ar-en/عصماء/
37 mins
never failing [self-proclaimed] autonomy
Non-failing [self-proclaimed] autonomy
+1
48 mins
independent/totally independent
totally independent of the others as confirmed by the subsequent explanative لا تعترف بسابقتها
عصماء بمعنى قائمة بذاتها
عصماء بمعنى قائمة بذاتها
Something went wrong...