> Love the Robespierre quote. Let me translate it for those who don't
> speak French.
>
> Atheism is immoral and aristocratic: the idea of a supreme being and
> of the immortality of the soul is a continual call for justice: it is
> therefore "social and republican" (not sure how to translate this,
> Michael?)
That's how I'd render it. The force of 'sociale' in the original is stronger than in either modern French or English, and same for 'republicaine', actually, but there's just no getting around that. You could translate 'sociale' as 'collective', or some such, which would be irresponsible but might make the point. I'm not quite sure how to convey the force of 'republicaine' -- it would have to be an anti- ; anti-monarchic, anti-elite?
I'd say 'rappel' is more like 'appeal', in the sense of reference to a higher court. But how to convey, and yet keep it crisp?
Translation is a heartbreaking business.
-- mjs at smithbowen.net http://stopmebeforeivoteagain.org
Unexpected Bedfellows dept. :
L'athéisme est immoral et aristocratique; l'idée de l'être suprême, et de l'immortalité de l'âme, est un rappel continuel à la justice; elle est donc sociale et républicaine.
-- Robespierre, contra Dawkins et epigg.