un simple maillon

[Clare H]

Another odd sentence...

This time it's from a list of communist regime rules/prohibitions.

'chaque citoyen est un simple maillon de la collectivite, vecteur d'homogeneisation sociale'

Although I get the meaning, I'm having trouble coming up with a good Eng version, especially for the bits in bold... 'maillon' means a link in a chain, but that image doesn't really work here... and for 'vecteur' so far i have options of means/vector/vehicle...

Any help would be welcome!

[Erwan]

I'll propose a basic element for the translation of un simple maillon.

I saw somewhere vecteur translated by a driving force

[Clare H]

Thanks for the help. I have come up with 'each citizen is merely a cog in the workings

of the community, forming part of the machinery of social homogenization'. I needed something fairly literary, and think it's ok to change the imagery. Do you think this is an acceptable translation of the meaning? 

Merci...

[Erwan]

In fact the English level  of your sentence is far away from my skills but as far as I can see the translation is acceptable. The mean idea is here.

[Clare H]

Merci bien, c'est gentil!

[Neil Coffey]

I think you can keep the "link" analogy if you say something like: "each citizen is but one link in the communal/collective chain" or "one link in the chain of collectivity".

 

I wouldn't usually translate "collectivité" by "collectivity", but here where you're trying to give an image of each citizen being a "boring link in the chain" it could work-- indeed, the word "community" in English has really lost this sense nowadays and has quite positive connotations.

 

I think Erwan's suggestion of "a driving force behind..." could work here for "vecteur".

[Clare H]

Yes, I see what you mean about community, and have changed it to collectivity - sounds more communist too, which is the right context. But 'driving force' seems to me that the citizens have power and are actively working towards 'social homogenisation' (ugh), whereas when I read the French, it seems to mean that they are passive. Or I am reading this wrong do you think? It's a fould sentence anyhow!

[Neil Coffey]

OK, I see what you mean: maybe "vehicle" is better, then?

[Clare H]

Yes, you're probably right there. Thanks.