weid3752

[wanton trellis]

Please be patient

Our volunteers look into many questions every day; sometimes it takes them a little while to answer.

Pro tip: you can rename the thread title with `.tr <thread name>`

Make it descriptive, including relevant context, but also to the point. This way you improve your chances of getting a more relevant and specific answer.

[zenith salmon]

'If anyone ever were to hear about the Potters, they were convinced that they wouldn't be over it/wouldn't recover from it'
As in, if someone were to hear about Harry, the Dursleys were sure that they would never recover from the reputation hit

This is Book 1 isn't it, « Harry Potter à l'École des Sorciers » ?

[gloomy thistle]

Yes. I tried a year ago and it was utterly over my head. Just started a new approach and it looks promising.
This was my first english book as well so I thought I keep that little tradition.

[zenith salmon]

Alright, good luck

Some pointers:
(1) venir à = to eventually do, to end up doing something
(2) entendre parler de quelque chose = to hear about something
(3) ils ne s'en remettraient pas => conditionnel présent (they wouldn't recover from it)
ils ne s'en seraient pas remis => conditionnel passé (they __would__n't have recovered from it)

[gloomy thistle]

Thanks! 🙌🏻

[zenith salmon]

For number 2 you have two choices: « entendre parler » for a noun, « entendre dire » for a clause. Notice the difference: preposition « de » for the former, and conjunction « que » for the latter.

(1) J'ai entendu parler de ton licenciement.
(I heard about your dismissal.)

(2) J'ai entendu dire que tu as été licencié.
(I heard that you were fired.)

[gloomy thistle]

I wondered about the conditional in that. It was a bit unclear to me in what tense the whole sentence stood, and the translation software got a fit as well.

I mean, I know in which form each verb is, but the whole of it.