EN: Il a le sternum enfoncé et dix côtes cassées, le coeur éclaté

[nicko]

I have to translate a text about Pasolini's violent death: " Il a le sternum enfoncé et dix côtes cassées, le coeur éclaté". Which verbal tense should I use? I think it should be either the preterit or the present perfect, but what is the best tense? Would you rather say "his breastbone was crushed, ten of his ribs were broken and his heart was ruptured" or "his breastbone had been crushed, ten of his ribs had been broken and his heart had ruptured"? Thanks for your answers.

 

[Xanthius]

imho, je préfère "his breasbone was ..." It's more discriptive, whereas "his breastbone had been ..." sounds more like a report.

 

[Damz]

Can't you say "he has his breastbone and ten of his ribs broken, and the heart ruptured" ?

 

[Chezzie]

Damz - no, that's incorrect.

I think "had been" is the better tense to use here. It makes it sound more like an action, more aggressive and not so passive!

"His breastbone had been crushed, ten of his ribs broken, and his heart had ruptured," maybe.

 

[Damz]

None of your suggestions sounds like the french version because in french it's only noting what the state of the body is, while your translations seem to be implying something or someone actually DID that to the body. That's why I proposed this sentence in my previous post, but apparently it's incorrect

The english use of the present tense is weird for us frenchies ^^

It seems like the simple present is used only for things that are permanent or recurrent ?

Like "she has blue eyes and takes a shower every 3 months"

 

[Chezzie]

Oh, okay. ^_^ Yeah... that's very weird about English. >___>; If you mean that someone is doing something now, you have to use at least two verbs. "She is playing." "He is washing." Tadaaa. [The language is stupid.]

Anyway. XD Sorry.