Safety or Salvation?

[chip-squidley.livejournal.com]

For a long time I was only able to read about the Revolution in English....so I never really thought anything of the translation of "Comite de Salut Public" as "Committee of Public Safety"

But as I taught myself to read French I became aware that the word "Salut" could also mean "Salvation". So I find myself wondering if "Committee of Public Salvation" would be a better translation...more in keeping with the intent of its mission.

Comments

[victoriavandal.livejournal.com]

Interesting thought! There was a "Committee of Safety" in the English Parliamentarian (Roundhead) Government of 1642, revived several times during the English Revolution, and I think there was one in the American Revolution, too. I don't know whether the French one was consciously emulating them or not, though (the English Revolution was called the 'Revolution' for decades afterwards in Europe - I don't know when it started to become known as the 'Civil War' instead - I suspect it was a way of depoliticising it by 19thc conservative historians, not that I'm paranoid at all...I've just lodged an official complaint with the BBC for describing the English Republic as 'the baddies' in a history programe last week!).

[chip-squidley.livejournal.com]

Perhaps if the first people to translate "Salut Public" as "Public Safety" were from England maybe they were thinking of your 1642 Committee of Safety.

I know if someone came out with a Committee of Public Safety now I would expect a group that nagged you to look both ways before crossing the street or to wear your seatbelt in the car.

Of course, in today's America a Committee of Public Salvation would most likely be a group of crackpot right-wing Christians.

What my country needs is a really huge Festival of Reason!

[victoriavandal.livejournal.com]

I think they may be taking it from Cicero's 'salus populi suprema lex esto' (let the good of the people be the supreme law) - Christopher Hill (Marxist historian of English Revolution period) suggests the 1642 one is from 'salus populi' and given the revolutionaries' love of Rome...

I really like the idea of government by a committeee of experts - but I wonder how long it would take them to be at each other's throats! Certainly, relations within British government cabinets have always been poisonous and I'm sure they'd cut each other's heads off if they could...

[wolfshadow713.livejournal.com]

Safety seems the more likely translation. To my understanding "salut" as in salvation means salvation in religious terms. Aside from the fact that this may have been found a bit too christian at the time, it implies something more metaphysical or spiritual and, while individual members of the Committee came to veiw their duty in a rather idealist (I mean as opposed to materialist) or religious way, the creators of the Committee designed it and the Committee of General Security for the more material purpose of protecting France from its enemies and serving as the executive arm of the Revolutionary government.

[cobweb-lace.livejournal.com]

I don't profess to speak French in any capacity, but this post is certainly an extremely interesting interpretation of the title of the Committee.
I wonder how Robespierre thought of it? Perhaps the "salut" had a double meaning to him?
Then again, this is obviously all speculation and we will never know. I do often wonder what was going through his mind, though.

Both are good, I think, but...

[hanriotfran.livejournal.com]

The bad thing is that in books written in Spanich we have the two: "Salvación Pública" and "Salud Pública". I'd rather like "Salud", but if you ask me why, all I could said is that it is purely subjective...As you've already said, in French is "Salut Publique" and maybe is for that , I like most the word "Salud" ...for it's nearer to the French one...

HanriotFran (Vanesa)

Re: Both are good, I think, but...

[wolfshadow713.livejournal.com]

What is the difference in meaning between "salvacion" and "salud"?

Re: Both are good, I think, but...

[hanriotfran.livejournal.com]

Humm. In French I think it's none. In Spanish there's some differences. "Salud" would mean "Salvation" but also the state of good health of a person or an institution.

HanriotFran (Vanesa)

[chip-squidley.livejournal.com]

Do you think it was even an issue in France? Since the one word had both meanings this debate might have seemed strange to them. My thought was that perhaps the problem...if there was one...came from whoever first translated it into English.

[chip-squidley.livejournal.com]

It also can mean "a greeting", but I don't think anyone would argue for calling it the Committee of Public Greeting.

But I agree...unless someone knows of some documentation to the contrary...it is all speculation. But fun.

Re: Both are good, I think, but...

[chip-squidley.livejournal.com]

Ah yes...Spanish also has the two separate words. Which is interesting since it's more closely related to French.