Leçon 7: Business Idioms: Problème -impasse et solution
Dans cette leçon vous allez apprendre de nouvelles expressions qui vous permettront de trouver plus facilement les termes pour traduire des situations d’impasse, pour évoquer des solutions à des problèmes et ce bien sûr en milieu affaires.
To cope up with : Vous utiliserez cette expression pour dire : faire face avec succès à une difficulté, gérer un problème. Voyez les exemples suivants.
- The new product was so successful that the production was barely able to cope with demand.
- Unless our budget is increased, the department simply cannot cope any longer.
- We have enough problem already, and now staff shortages to cope with.
To cut one’s losses: Lorsqu’une situation semble être au désastre, il faut « limiter les dégâts ». Cette expression est utilisée pour dire réduire les pertes, mettre fin à une situation dont l’issue ne peut être que fâcheuse.
- This product has almost outlived its lifespan – we should cut our losses and take it off the market at once.
- Reliable sources inform us that the bank’s second half result will disclose further losses and write-offs of bad debts. As your investment brokers, we have to advise you to consider cutting your losses and selling your shares now, against holding out for an upturn in the future.
Back against the wall: Avoir le dos au mur. Être dans en très mauvaise posture, avec peu ou pas du tout de choix pour entreprendre quelque action.
- The minister has survived many political changes, many threats to his position. In fact, when he had his back against the wall, he was at his most charming, and his most dangerous.
- OK, so we didn’t even get to the first base with that potential customer, but our back is not against the wall yet. We have to think over our game plan again.
( a) drawback : Le côté négatif de la chose, l’inconvénient… En anglais, the disavantage. Utilisez cette expression pour exprimer un risque, un inconvénient.
- Your suggestion has only serious drawback; that is, it’s likely to reduce the profit margins.
- That seems an excellent idea. I can’t see any drawbacks.
Make or break : Lorsqu’une situation a fini de s’empirer et que vous passez à la dernière tentative, la dernière chance, celle pour laquelle on se dit : « ça passe ou ça casse », utilisez cette expression. L’expression peut-être aussi utilisée comme adjectif : a make or break situation.
- Be very careful how you treat the chairman’s wife, she has a great influence over her husband. In effect, she can make or break a young executive like you.
- Negotiations broke down last week but both sides are coming together again today in a make or break effort to find common ground on which to base further discussions.
To make do (with) : Il n’y a pas mieux, il faut faire avec, se contenter de ce qu’on a quand on ne peut obtenir mieux que ce qu’on a.
- We can’t afford new cars for executives until next years, so they’ll have to make do with their present ones in the meantime.
- The government has made it clear to defence chiefs that no extra money will be available this year and that they will just have to make do.
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