-
1 majority
1 noun(a) (of a group) majorité f, plupart f;∎ the majority of people la plupart des gens;∎ in the majority of cases dans la plupart des cas;∎ the majority was or were in favour la majorité ou la plupart d'entre eux était pour;∎ the vast majority of the tourists were Japanese les touristes, dans leur très grande majorité, étaient des Japonais(b) (in voting, opinions) majorité f;∎ to be in a majority être majoritaire;∎ a two-thirds majority une majorité des deux tiers;∎ the proposition had an overwhelming majority la proposition a recueilli une écrasante majorité;∎ she was elected by a majority of 6 elle a été élue avec une majorité de 6 voix ou par 6 voix de majorité∎ to attain or reach one's majority atteindre sa majorité, devenir majeurmajoritaire►► majority decision décision f prise à la majorité;majority government gouvernement m majoritaire;majority holding, majority interest participation f majoritaire;American Politics majority leader leader m de la majorité (à la Chambre des représentants et au Sénat américains);majority party parti m majoritaire;majority rule gouvernement m à la majorité absolue, système m majoritaire;majority verdict verdict m majoritaire;majority world tiers-monde m -
2 majority
majority [məˈdʒɒrɪtɪ]1. nouna. majorité f2. adjective[government, rule] majoritaire3. compounds* * *[mə'dʒɒrətɪ], US [-'dʒɔːr-] 1.1) ( greater part) (+ v sg ou pl GB) majorité f (of de)to be in a ou the majority — être en majorité
2) Politics majorité f3) Law majorité f2. -
3 Usage note : be
I am tired= je suis fatiguéCaroline is French= Caroline est françaisethe children are in the garden= les enfants sont dans le jardinIt functions in very much the same way as to be does in English and it is safe to assume it will work as a translation in the great majority of cases.Note, however, that when you are specifying a person’s profession or trade, a/an is not translated:she’s a doctor= elle est médecinClaudie is still a student= Claudie est toujours étudianteThis is true of any noun used in apposition when the subject is a person:he’s a widower= il est veufButLyons is a beautiful city= Lyon est une belle villeFor more information or expressions involving professions and trades consult the usage note Shops, Trades and Professions.For the conjugation of the verb être see the French verb tables.Grammatical functionsThe passiveêtre is used to form the passive in French just as to be is used in English. Note, however, that the past participle agrees in gender and number with the subject:the rabbit was killed by a fox= le lapin a été tué par un renardthe window had been broken= la fenêtre avait été casséetheir books will be sold= leurs livres seront vendusour doors have been repainted red= nos portes ont été repeintes en rougeIn spoken language, French native speakers find the passive cumbersome and will avoid it where possible by using the impersonal on where a person or people are clearly involved : on a repeint nos portes en rouge.Progressive tensesIn French the idea of something happening over a period of time cannot be expressed using the verb être in the way that to be is used as an auxiliary verb in English.The presentFrench uses simply the present tense where English uses the progressive form with to be:I am working= je travailleBen is reading a book= Ben lit un livreIn order to accentuate duration être en train de is used: je suis en train de travailler ; Ben est en train de lire un livre.The futureFrench also uses the present tense where English uses the progressive form with to be:we are going to London tomorrow= nous allons à Londres demainI’m (just) coming!= j’arrive!I’m (just) going!= j’y vais!The pastTo express the distinction between she read a newspaper and she was reading a newspaper French uses the perfect and the imperfect tenses: elle a lu un journal/elle lisait un journal:he wrote to his mother= il a écrit à sa mèrehe was writing to his mother= il écrivait à sa mèreHowever, in order to accentuate the notion of describing an activity which went on over a period of time, the phrase être en train de (= to be in the process of) is often used:‘what was he doing when you arrived?’‘he was cooking the dinner’= ‘qu’est-ce qu’il faisait quand tu es arrivé?’ ‘il était en train de préparer le dîner’she was just finishing her essay when …= elle était juste en train de finir sa dissertation quand …The compound pastCompound past tenses in the progressive form in English are generally translated by the imperfect in French:I’ve been looking for you= je te cherchaisFor progressive forms + for and since (I’ve been waiting for an hour, I had been waiting for an hour, I’ve been waiting since Monday etc.) see the entries for and since.ObligationWhen to be is used as an auxiliary verb with another verb in the infinitive ( to be to do) expressing obligation, a fixed arrangement or destiny, devoir is used:she’s to do it at once= elle doit le faire tout de suitewhat am I to do?= qu’est-ce que je dois faire?he was to arrive last Monday= il devait arriver lundi derniershe was never to see him again= elle ne devait plus le revoir.In tag questionsFrench has no direct equivalent of tag questions like isn’t he? or wasn’t it? There is a general tag question n’est-ce pas? (literally isn’t it so?) which will work in many cases:their house is lovely, isn’t it?= leur maison est très belle, n’est-ce pas?he’s a doctor, isn’t he?= il est médecin, n’est-ce pas?it was a very good meal, wasn’t it?= c’était un très bon repas, n’est-ce pas?However, n’est-ce pas can very rarely be used for positive tag questions and some other way will be found to express the extra meaning contained in the tag: par hasard ( by any chance) can be very useful as a translation:‘I can’t find my glasses’ ‘they’re not in the kitchen, are they?’= ‘je ne trouve pas mes lunettes’ ‘elles ne sont pas dans la cuisine, par hasard?’you haven’t seen Gaby, have you?= tu n’as pas vu Gaby, par hasard?In cases where an opinion is being sought, si? meaning more or less or is it? or was it? etc. can be useful:it’s not broken, is it?= ce n’est pas cassé, si?he wasn’t serious, was he?= il n’était pas sérieux, si?In many other cases the tag question is simply not translated at all and the speaker’s intonation will convey the implied question.In short answersAgain, there is no direct equivalent for short answers like yes I am, no he’s not etc. Where the answer yes is given to contradict a negative question or statement, the most useful translation is si:‘you’re not going out tonight’ ‘yes I am’= ‘tu ne sors pas ce soir’ ‘si’In reply to a standard enquiry the tag will not be translated:‘are you a doctor?’ ‘yes I am’= ‘êtes-vous médecin?’ ‘oui’‘was it raining?’ ‘yes it was’= ‘est-ce qu’il pleuvait?’ ‘oui’ProbabilityFor expressions of probability and supposition ( if I were you etc.) see the entry be.Other functionsExpressing sensations and feelingsIn expressing physical and mental sensations, the verb used in French is avoir:to be cold= avoir froidto be hot= avoir chaudI’m cold= j’ai froidto be thirsty= avoir soifto be hungry= avoir faimto be ashamed= avoir hontemy hands are cold= j’ai froid aux mainsIf, however, you are in doubt as to which verb to use in such expressions, you should consult the entry for the appropriate adjective.Discussing health and how people areIn expressions of health and polite enquiries about how people are, aller is used:how are you?= comment allez-vous?( more informally) comment vas-tu?( very informally as a greeting) ça va?are you well?= vous allez bien?how is your daughter?= comment va votre fille?my father is better today= mon père va mieux aujourd’huiDiscussing weather and temperatureIn expressions of weather and temperature faire is generally used:it’s cold= il fait froidit’s windy= il fait du ventIf in doubt, consult the appropriate adjective entry.Visiting somewhereWhen to be is used in the present perfect tense to mean go, visit etc., French will generally use the verbs venir, aller etc. rather than être:I’ve never been to Sweden= je ne suis jamais allé en Suèdehave you been to the Louvre?= est-ce que tu es déjà allé au Louvre?or est-ce que tu as déjà visité le Louvre?Paul has been to see us three times= Paul est venu nous voir trois foisNote too:has the postman been?= est-ce que le facteur est passé?The translation for an expression or idiom containing the verb to be will be found in the dictionary at the entry for another word in the expression: for to be in danger see danger, for it would be best to … see best etc.This dictionary contains usage notes on topics such as the clock, time units, age, weight measurement, days of the week, and shops, trades and professions, many of which include translations of particular uses of to be. -
4 Usage note : do
she’s doing her homework= elle fait ses devoirswhat are you doing?= qu’est-ce que tu fais?what has he done with the newspaper?= qu’est-ce qu’il a fait du journal?faire functions in very much the same way as to do does in English and it is safe to assume it will work in the great majority of cases. For the conjugation of the verb faire, see the French verb tables.Grammatical functionsIn questionsIn French there is no use of an auxiliary verb in questions equivalent to the use of do in English.When the subject is a pronoun, the question is formed in French either by inverting the subject and verb and putting a hyphen between the two ( veux-tu?) or by prefacing the subject + verb by est-ce que (literally is it that):do you like Mozart?= aimes-tu Mozart? or est-ce que tu aimes Mozart?did you put the glasses in the cupboard?= as-tu mis les verres dans le placard? or est-ce que tu as mis les verres dans le placard?When the subject is a noun there are again two possibilities:did your sister ring?= est-ce que ta sœur a téléphoné? or ta sœur a-t-elle téléphoné?did Max find his keys?= est-ce que Max a trouvé ses clés? or Max a-t-il trouvé ses clés?In negativesEqually, auxiliaries are not used in negatives in French:I don’t like Mozart= je n’aime pas Mozartyou didn’t feed the cat= tu n’as pas donné à manger au chatdon’t do that!= ne fais pas ça!In emphatic usesThere is no verbal equivalent for the use of do in such expressions as I DO like your dress. A French speaker will find another way, according to the context, of expressing the force of the English do. Here are a few useful examples:I DO like your dress= j’aime beaucoup ta robeI DO hope she remembers= j’espère qu’elle n’oubliera pasI DO think you should see a doctor= je crois vraiment que tu devrais voir un médecinWhen referring back to another verbIn this case the verb to do is not translated at all:I don’t like him any more than you do= je ne l’aime pas plus que toiI live in Oxford and so does Lily= j’habite à Oxford et Lily aussishe gets paid more than I do= elle est payée plus que moiI haven’t written as much as I ought to have done= je n’ai pas écrit autant que j’aurais dû‘I love strawberries’ ‘so do I’= ‘j’adore les fraises’ ‘moi aussi’In polite requestsIn polite requests the phrase je vous en prie can often be used to render the meaning of do:do sit down= asseyez-vous, je vous en priedo have a piece of cake= prenez un morceau de gâteau, je vous en prie‘may I take a peach?’ ‘yes, do’= ‘puis-je prendre une pêche?’ ‘je vous en prie’In imperativesIn French there is no use of an auxiliary verb in imperatives:don’t shut the door= ne ferme pas la portedon’t tell her anything= ne lui dis riendo be quiet!= tais-toi!In tag questionsFrench has no direct equivalent of tag questions like doesn’t he? or didn’t it? There is a general tag question n’est-ce pas? (literally isn’t it so?) which will work in many cases:you like fish, don’t you?= tu aimes le poisson, n’est-ce pas?he lives in London, doesn’t he?= il habite à Londres, n’est-ce pas?However, n’est-ce pas can very rarely be used for positive tag questions and some other way will be found to express the meaning contained in the tag: par hasard can often be useful as a translation:Lola didn’t phone, did she?= Lola n’a pas téléphoné par hasard?Paul doesn’t work here, does he?= Paul ne travaille pas ici par hasard?In many cases the tag is not translated at all and the speaker’s intonation will convey what is implied:you didn’t tidy your room, did you? (i.e. you ought to have done)= tu n’as pas rangé ta chambre?In short answersAgain, there is no direct French equivalent for short answers like yes I do, no he doesn’t etc. Where the answer yes is given to contradict a negative question or statement, the most useful translation is si:‘Marion didn’t say that’ ‘yes she did’= ‘Marion n’a pas dit ça’ ‘si’‘they don’t sell vegetables at the baker’s’ ‘yes they do’= ‘ils ne vendent pas les légumes à la boulangerie’ ‘si’In response to a standard enquiry the tag will not be translated:‘do you like strawberries?’ ‘yes I do’= ‘aimez-vous les fraises?’ ‘oui ’For more examples and particular usages, see the entry do. -
5 case
Ⅰ.case1 [keɪs]cas ⇒ 1 (a), 1 (b), 1 (f)-(h) affaire ⇒ 1 (c), 1 (d) arguments ⇒ 1 (e) en tout cas ⇒ 2 au cas où ⇒ 3 en cas de ⇒ 41 noun(a) (instance, situation) cas m, exemple m;∎ it's a clear case of mismanagement c'est un exemple manifeste de mauvaise gestion;∎ it was a case of having to decide on the spur of the moment il fallait décider sur-le-champ;∎ we often hear of cases where companies go bankrupt nous entendons souvent parler de cas où des entreprises font faillite;∎ if it's a case of not having enough money si c'est une question d'argent;∎ to put the case clearly exposer clairement le cas ou la situation;∎ in the case of single mothers dans le cas des mères célibataires;∎ in that case dans ou en ce cas;∎ in these cases it's best to wait dans de telles circonstances, il vaut mieux attendre;∎ in this particular case en l'occurrence;∎ in which case auquel cas;∎ in your case en ce qui vous concerne, dans votre cas;∎ in Paul's case dans le cas de Paul;∎ in many/most cases dans beaucoup de/la plupart des cas;∎ in no case en aucun cas;∎ in some cases dans certains cas;∎ in the vast majority of cases dans la plupart des cas;∎ in nine cases out of ten neuf fois sur dix;∎ the current crisis is a case in point la crise actuelle est un exemple typique;∎ it's a case of now or never il s'agit de saisir l'occasion ou de faire vite;(b) (actual state of affairs) cas m;∎ can we assume that this is in fact the case? pouvons-nous considérer que c'est bien le cas?;∎ that is not the case in Great Britain ce ou tel n'est pas le cas en Grande-Bretagne;∎ as is often/usually the case comme c'est souvent/ordinairement le cas;∎ as the case or whatever the case may be selon le cas;∎ if such is indeed the case si tel est ou si c'est vraiment le cas(c) (investigation) affaire f;∎ it was one of Inspector Dupont's most difficult cases ce fut une des affaires les plus difficiles de l'inspecteur Dupont;∎ a murder/fraud case une affaire de meurtre/fraude;∎ the case continues affaire à suivre;∎ the case is closed c'est une affaire classée;∎ familiar to be on sb's case être sur le dos de qn;∎ familiar get off my case! fiche-moi la paix!;∎ a civil rights case une affaire de droits civils;∎ her case comes up next week son procès a lieu la semaine prochaine;∎ to try a case juger une affaire;∎ he won his case for slander (barrister) il a gagné le procès en diffamation; (plaintiff) il a gagné son procès ou il a eu gain de cause dans son procès en diffamation(e) (argument) arguments mpl;∎ there is no case against him aucune preuve n'a pu être retenue contre lui;∎ the case against/for the defendant les arguments contre/en faveur de l'accusé;∎ there is a good case against/for establishing quotas il y a beaucoup à dire contre/en faveur de l'établissement de quotas;∎ the union has a good case le syndicat a de bons arguments ou de bonnes raisons;∎ state your case présentez vos arguments;∎ there is a case to be answered here il ne faut pas négliger cette question;∎ to make (out) a case for sth présenter des arguments pour ou en faveur de qch∎ there have been several cases of meningitis recently il y a eu plusieurs cas de méningite récemment;∎ the hospital could only take the most serious cases l'hôpital ne pouvait s'occuper que des cas les plus graves;∎ all burns cases are treated here tous les grands brûlés sont traités ici∎ he's a real case! c'est un cas ou un phénomène!;∎ he's a sad case c'est vraiment un pauvre type∎ in any case I shan't be coming je ne viendrai pas en tout cas ou de toute façon;∎ in any case, that's not the point bref ou en tout cas, là n'est pas la question(b) (at least) du moins, en tout cas;∎ that's what I was told, or in any case was led to believe c'est ce qu'on m'a dit ou en tout cas ou ou du moins, ce qu'on m'a fait croire1 adverbau cas où;∎ I'll take my umbrella (just) in case je vais prendre mon parapluie au cas oùau cas où;∎ in case you think I'm bluffing au cas où tu croirais que je bluffe;∎ I kept a place for you, in case you were late je t'ai gardé une place, au cas où tu serais en retarden cas de;∎ in case of emergency/fire en cas d'urgence/d'incendie►► case conference étude f de cas (par un groupe de spécialistes);case grammar grammaire f des cas;case history antécédents mpl;case law jurisprudence f, droit m jurisprudentiel;case load (nombre m de) dossiers mpl à traiter;case notes dossier m;case study étude f de casⅡ.case21 noun(a) (container) caisse f, boîte f; (for bottles) caisse f; (for fruit, vegetables) cageot m; (chest) coffre m; (for jewellery) coffret m; (for necklace, watch) écrin m; (for camera, guitar, spectacles, cigarettes) étui m; (for pencils, geometry etc instruments) trousse f(b) (for display) vitrine f(d) Typography casse f(a) (put in box) mettre en boîte ou caisse∎ cased in ice couvert de glace∎ the robbers had thoroughly cased the joint les voleurs avaient bien examiné les lieux (avant de faire leur coup)►► case knife couteau m à gaine -
6 most
most [məʊst]le plus de ⇒ 1 (a) la plupart de ⇒ 1 (b) le plus ⇒ 2 (a), 3 (a), 3 (b) la plus grande partie ⇒ 2 (b) la plupart ⇒ 2 (b) bien ⇒ 3 (c) au plus ⇒ 4∎ (the) most le plus de;∎ the candidate who gets (the) most votes le candidat qui obtient le plus de voix ou le plus grand nombre de voix;∎ which of your inventions gave you (the) most satisfaction? laquelle de vos inventions vous a procuré la plus grande satisfaction?;∎ for the most part (in largest number of cases) pour la plupart; (most often) le plus souvent ou la plupart du temps(b) (the majority of) la plupart de, la majorité de;∎ most Europeans la plupart ou la majorité des Européens;∎ I like most kinds of fruit j'aime presque tous les fruits;∎ I go out most evenings je sors presque tous les soirs;∎ I don't like most modern art en général, je n'aime pas l'art moderne;∎ most French wine is excellent presque tous les vins français sont excellents∎ (the) most le plus;∎ he is more reliable than most on peut compter sur lui plus que sur bien des gens;∎ we all earn a lot but Diana earns (the) most nous gagnons tous beaucoup d'argent mais c'est Diana qui en gagne le plus;∎ which of the three applicants has (the) most to offer? lequel des trois candidats a le plus à offrir?;∎ that is the most one can say in his defence c'est tout ce qu'on peut dire en sa faveur;∎ American familiar old-fashioned her latest album is the most! son dernier album est vraiment génial!;∎ to make the most of sth (advantage, chance, good weather) profiter de qch; (bad situation, ill-luck) tirer le meilleur parti de qch; (resources, skills) employer ou utiliser qch au mieux;∎ let's try and make the most of our last day essayons de profiter au maximum de notre dernière journée;∎ she made the most of her time in Mexico elle a profité au maximum du temps qu'elle a passé au Mexique;∎ the opposition made the most of the scandal l'opposition a tiré tout ce qu'elle pouvait du scandale;∎ he knows how to make the most of himself il sait se mettre en valeur(b) (the larger part) la plus grande ou la majeure partie; (the larger number) la plupart ou majorité;∎ most of my salary la majeure partie de mon salaire;∎ most of the snow has melted presque toute la neige a fondu;∎ most of the time la plupart du temps;∎ most of my friends are on holiday presque tous ou la plupart de mes amis sont en vacances;∎ most of us/them la plupart d'entre nous/eux3 adverb∎ the most populated region in the world la région la plus peuplée du monde;∎ it's the most beautiful house I've ever seen c'est la plus belle maison que j'aie jamais vue;∎ she was the one who explained things most clearly c'est elle qui expliquait les choses le plus clairement∎ (the) most le plus;∎ the people who complain (the) most les gens qui se plaignent le plus;∎ what worries you (the) most?, what most worries you? qu'est-ce qui vous inquiète le plus?;∎ it's the one I like most of all de tous, c'est celui que je préfère(c) (as intensifier) bien, fort;∎ a most interesting theory une théorie fort intéressante;∎ we had the most awful weather nous avons eu un temps détestable;∎ it's most kind of you to say so c'est extrêmement ou bien gentil à vous de dire ça;∎ she sang most delightfully elle a chanté de façon exquise;∎ most certainly you may! mais bien entendu!∎ most everybody had heard of it presque ou pratiquement tout le monde était au courantau plus, au maximum;∎ there's at most a 30 percent chance of success les chances de succès sont de 30 pour cent tout au plus;∎ at the very most tout au plus, au grand maximumAmerican most wanted list = liste des criminels les plus recherchés;∎ he's on the most wanted list il fait partie des criminels les plus recherchés -
7 carry
['kæri]1) (to take from one place etc to another: She carried the child over the river; Flies carry disease.) (trans)porter2) (to go from one place to another: Sound carries better over water.) porter3) (to support: These stone columns carry the weight of the whole building.) supporter4) (to have or hold: This job carries great responsibility.) comporter5) (to approve (a bill etc) by a majority of votes: The parliamentary bill was carried by forty-two votes.) voter, faire passer6) (to hold (oneself) in a certain way: He carries himself like a soldier.) avoir le port/maintien de•((slang) a fuss; excited behaviour.)
- carry-cot - be/get carried away - carry forward - carry off - carry on - carry out - carry weight((of bags or cases) that passengers can carry with them on board a plane.)
См. также в других словарях:
majority — ► NOUN (pl. majorities) 1) the greater number. 2) Brit. the number by which the votes cast for one party or candidate exceed those for the next. 3) the age when a person is legally considered a full adult, usually 18 or 21. USAGE Strictly… … English terms dictionary
majority — noun 1 most ADJECTIVE ▪ big, great, huge, large, overwhelming, significant, sizeable, solid, strong, substantial … Collocations dictionary
majority — n. number greater than half (AE); greater number (BE) 1) to get, receive a majority 2) to have, hold a majority (the Democrats have a slim majority in the House) 3) a bare, narrow, slim, small; clear; large; overwhelming, vast majority 4) an… … Combinatory dictionary
majority — noun 1) the majority of cases Syn: larger part/number, greater part/number, best/better part, most, more than half; plurality, bulk, mass, weight, (main) body, preponderance, predominance, generality, lion s share Ant … Thesaurus of popular words
majority — noun (plural majorities) 1》 the greater number. 2》 Brit. the number by which the votes cast for one party or candidate exceed those for the next. ↘US the number by which votes for one candidate are more than those for all other candidates… … English new terms dictionary
majority — noun 1) the majority of cases Syn: most, bulk, mass, larger part/number, best/better part, more than half, lion s share, (main) body, preponderance, predominance 2) a majority in the election Syn … Synonyms and antonyms dictionary
The Blue Eagle At Work — The Blue Eagle At Work: Reclaiming Democratic Rights in the American Workplace is a legal treatise written by Charles J. Morris which analyzes collective bargaining under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), the federal statute governing most … Wikipedia
The United States of America — The United States of America † Catholic Encyclopedia ► The United States of America BOUNDARIES AND AREA On the east the boundary is formed by the St. Croix River and an arbitrary line to the St. John, and on the north by the… … Catholic encyclopedia
MAJORITY RULE — MAJORITY RULE, deciding a matter according to the majority opinion. In the field of the halakhah this rule is applied in three principal instances: (a) determination of the binding law according to (the view of) the majority of halakhic scholars; … Encyclopedia of Judaism
The Irish (in Countries Other Than Ireland) — The Irish (in countries other than Ireland) † Catholic Encyclopedia ► The Irish (in countries other than Ireland) I. IN THE UNITED STATES Who were the first Irish to land on the American continent and the time of their arrival are … Catholic encyclopedia
The Church — The Church † Catholic Encyclopedia ► The Church The term church (Anglo Saxon, cirice, circe; Modern German, Kirche; Sw., Kyrka) is the name employed in the Teutonic languages to render the Greek ekklesia (ecclesia), the term by which… … Catholic encyclopedia