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What is the meaning of the verb "bear" in this context?
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What is the meaning of the verb “bear” in this context?
The 2019 Stack Overflow Developer Survey Results Are InWhat's the meaning of “I seem to have memory of a time when things were different” in the context?What is the meaning of this sentence and why did the Giant rip open his belly?What is the meaning of “bear”?Meaning 'people who will bear watching' in this context?meaning of the phrasal verb “bear out” in contextMeaning of the verb “engage” in contextMeaning of the verb “relate” in contextWhat does 'bear' mean in this sentence?What does “crevasse” mean or refer to in this sentence?What is the meaning of “crash out” in this context?
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I read a sentence in a chapter named "The Last Lesson" which was:
Then he turned to the blackboard, took a piece of chalk, and, bearing on with all his might, he wrote as large as he could: "Vive la France!"
"Bear on" means "to be pertinent" but that doesn't seem to fit here.
Note: Some translations (like this one) use bear down:
Then he turned to the blackboard, took a piece of chalk, and, bearing down with all his might, he wrote as large as he could: "Vive la France!"
but others, such as this version, use bear on:

My question is about the bear on version.
meaning-in-context phrase-usage
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I read a sentence in a chapter named "The Last Lesson" which was:
Then he turned to the blackboard, took a piece of chalk, and, bearing on with all his might, he wrote as large as he could: "Vive la France!"
"Bear on" means "to be pertinent" but that doesn't seem to fit here.
Note: Some translations (like this one) use bear down:
Then he turned to the blackboard, took a piece of chalk, and, bearing down with all his might, he wrote as large as he could: "Vive la France!"
but others, such as this version, use bear on:

My question is about the bear on version.
meaning-in-context phrase-usage
New contributor
Kelvin is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
add a comment |
I read a sentence in a chapter named "The Last Lesson" which was:
Then he turned to the blackboard, took a piece of chalk, and, bearing on with all his might, he wrote as large as he could: "Vive la France!"
"Bear on" means "to be pertinent" but that doesn't seem to fit here.
Note: Some translations (like this one) use bear down:
Then he turned to the blackboard, took a piece of chalk, and, bearing down with all his might, he wrote as large as he could: "Vive la France!"
but others, such as this version, use bear on:

My question is about the bear on version.
meaning-in-context phrase-usage
New contributor
Kelvin is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
I read a sentence in a chapter named "The Last Lesson" which was:
Then he turned to the blackboard, took a piece of chalk, and, bearing on with all his might, he wrote as large as he could: "Vive la France!"
"Bear on" means "to be pertinent" but that doesn't seem to fit here.
Note: Some translations (like this one) use bear down:
Then he turned to the blackboard, took a piece of chalk, and, bearing down with all his might, he wrote as large as he could: "Vive la France!"
but others, such as this version, use bear on:

My question is about the bear on version.
meaning-in-context phrase-usage
meaning-in-context phrase-usage
New contributor
Kelvin is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
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edited 2 hours ago
J.R.♦
100k8129249
100k8129249
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asked 3 hours ago
KelvinKelvin
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This is an extract from an English translation of a French story by Alphonse Daudet (1840-1897), "La Dernière classe". It appears in a lot of "international" English learning material. To "bear on" has a rarely used, old fashioned meaning of "apply pressure", usually hard. It mainly survives in a figurative sense: "He bore on her to finish her doctorate".

The original French is this:
lors il se tourna vers le tableau, prit un morceau de craie et, en appuyant de toutes ses forces, il écrivit aussi gros qu’il put : «
VIVE LA FRANCE ! »
Personally, I would have translated "en appuyant de toutes ses forces" as "pressing with all his might".
add a comment |
"Bear on" as used here is no longer in common use, but you can find related uses still. See also "to come to bear on" meaning to align, usually with military vessels or weapons, and the closely related and still used "bear down", which means roughly "to apply force".
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This is an extract from an English translation of a French story by Alphonse Daudet (1840-1897), "La Dernière classe". It appears in a lot of "international" English learning material. To "bear on" has a rarely used, old fashioned meaning of "apply pressure", usually hard. It mainly survives in a figurative sense: "He bore on her to finish her doctorate".

The original French is this:
lors il se tourna vers le tableau, prit un morceau de craie et, en appuyant de toutes ses forces, il écrivit aussi gros qu’il put : «
VIVE LA FRANCE ! »
Personally, I would have translated "en appuyant de toutes ses forces" as "pressing with all his might".
add a comment |
This is an extract from an English translation of a French story by Alphonse Daudet (1840-1897), "La Dernière classe". It appears in a lot of "international" English learning material. To "bear on" has a rarely used, old fashioned meaning of "apply pressure", usually hard. It mainly survives in a figurative sense: "He bore on her to finish her doctorate".

The original French is this:
lors il se tourna vers le tableau, prit un morceau de craie et, en appuyant de toutes ses forces, il écrivit aussi gros qu’il put : «
VIVE LA FRANCE ! »
Personally, I would have translated "en appuyant de toutes ses forces" as "pressing with all his might".
add a comment |
This is an extract from an English translation of a French story by Alphonse Daudet (1840-1897), "La Dernière classe". It appears in a lot of "international" English learning material. To "bear on" has a rarely used, old fashioned meaning of "apply pressure", usually hard. It mainly survives in a figurative sense: "He bore on her to finish her doctorate".

The original French is this:
lors il se tourna vers le tableau, prit un morceau de craie et, en appuyant de toutes ses forces, il écrivit aussi gros qu’il put : «
VIVE LA FRANCE ! »
Personally, I would have translated "en appuyant de toutes ses forces" as "pressing with all his might".
This is an extract from an English translation of a French story by Alphonse Daudet (1840-1897), "La Dernière classe". It appears in a lot of "international" English learning material. To "bear on" has a rarely used, old fashioned meaning of "apply pressure", usually hard. It mainly survives in a figurative sense: "He bore on her to finish her doctorate".

The original French is this:
lors il se tourna vers le tableau, prit un morceau de craie et, en appuyant de toutes ses forces, il écrivit aussi gros qu’il put : «
VIVE LA FRANCE ! »
Personally, I would have translated "en appuyant de toutes ses forces" as "pressing with all his might".
edited 2 hours ago
answered 3 hours ago
Michael HarveyMichael Harvey
18.9k12341
18.9k12341
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"Bear on" as used here is no longer in common use, but you can find related uses still. See also "to come to bear on" meaning to align, usually with military vessels or weapons, and the closely related and still used "bear down", which means roughly "to apply force".
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"Bear on" as used here is no longer in common use, but you can find related uses still. See also "to come to bear on" meaning to align, usually with military vessels or weapons, and the closely related and still used "bear down", which means roughly "to apply force".
New contributor
Forge is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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"Bear on" as used here is no longer in common use, but you can find related uses still. See also "to come to bear on" meaning to align, usually with military vessels or weapons, and the closely related and still used "bear down", which means roughly "to apply force".
New contributor
Forge is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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"Bear on" as used here is no longer in common use, but you can find related uses still. See also "to come to bear on" meaning to align, usually with military vessels or weapons, and the closely related and still used "bear down", which means roughly "to apply force".
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answered 28 mins ago
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