Mots Maudits #3: Intervenant

In this third instalment of my series on worrisome, wearying words I want to look at “intervenant”. Larousse provides the following definitions:

· Personne qui intervient au cours d'un débat, d'une discussion.

· Personne qui intervient au cours d'un processus quelconque.

· Tiers qui honore l'une des signatures apposées sur un effet de commerce.

Immediately, you can see the issue: “intervenant” is a word that can be used to describe someone involved in a debate or discussion — indeed any process at all — or a signatory to a contract. In English, we may have a dozen words that we use in different contexts in place of “intervenant”, and it is the translator’s job to try and understand the context in order to choose the English word that is best suited to the situation.

For example, an article heading in a contract may read “responsabilités des intervenants”. This could refer to workers or subcontractors in a construction contract, stand builders at a trade fair, or speakers at a conference or in a debate. It is vital to understand the exact role of the person cited to choose the appropriate word.

However, “intervenant” isn’t only used to refer to individuals. It could also refer to a legal person (i.e. a company or organisation). In the phrases “un intervenant mondial”, “des intervenants majeurs”, and “les intervenants locaux” the author is referring to a “company” or “player” in an industry or market.

Of course, “intervenant” can also be the present participle of the verb “intervenir”, as in the sentences “intervenant jusqu'au stade 4” and “en intervenant lors des réunions”. Once again, context is everything; there is no one-size-fits-all word that you can use. In some cases, you may be able to use “intervening” or “involved”, but generally this will not sound natural or specific enough. The translator must understand the exact role of the individual or organisation to be able to choose the right noun or verb.

I often say that the translator shouldn’t be afraid to ask the client for clarification (insofar as that is possible). This works both ways though; if you order a translation, remember that the translator may not have your background knowledge of the subject. If you care about the quality of the finished product, you should endeavour to provide as much context as possible to help the translator find the right word and ensure that the target text doesn’t read like a translation.