I found a scrap of paper in my desk on which I had jotted down a bit of French - something I'd come across in a novel and had meant to look up. So, I thought to myself, I'll be modern, rather than go through countless french dictionaries in an attempt at a translation, I'll go on line and look it up. I typed in 'french to english translations' and up popped numerous possibilities. I chose one and typed, "En fin de compte - ca revient au meme - De s'enivrer solitairement ou de conduire les peuples." The translation was immediate.
"In the end - ca is the same- to get drunk paddy wagon or di lead the peoples". Oh really? I tried again. I got "When all is said and done - ca di comes back to the meme - to become intoxicated solitairement or drive the people." I have to say that to become 'intoxicated solitairement ' had more of an Iris Murdoch ring to it than 'get drunk paddywagon' but if it's all the meme to you, I'll look it up in a book, because en fin de compte, I am not modern.
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