The Letters

[Laegalad]

Tiens, à propos des letters, et toujours à propos de la lettre 43, mais sur un autre sujet -- à mes yeux plus choquant.
On en a discuté lors du réveillon (oui, parce qu'on a aussi parlé de choses sérieuses), je m'interroge finalement sur la traduction de "servient" ; je cite le passage original :

Women really have not much part in all this, though they may use the language of romantic love, since it is so entwined in all our idioms. The sexual impulse makes women (naturally when unspoiled more unselfish) very sympathetic and understanding, or specially desirous of being so (or seeming so), and very ready to enter into all the interests, as far as they can, from ties to religion, of the young man they are attracted to. No intent necessarily to deceive: sheer instinct: the servient, helpmeet instinct, generously warmed by desire and young blood. Under this impulse they can in fact often achieve very remarkable insight and understanding, even of things otherwise outside their natural range: for it is their gift to be receptive, stimulated, fertilized (in many other matters than the physical) by the male. Every teacher knows that. How quickly an intelligent woman can be taught, grasp his ideas, see his point – and how (with rare exceptions) they can go no further, when they leave his hand, or when they cease to take a personal interest in him. But this is their natural avenue to love.

Ce qui m'a fait hurler... mais passons.
En français, servient a été traduit par "subalterne". Le problème c'est que ça me semble tout à fait ça le sens... tous les dictionnaires que j'ai le confirme. Surtout que la suite va dans le même sens :( En même temps, Tolkien est amateur de sens vieillot... Est-ce qu'il est possible que le mot ait un sens moins négatif et moins vexant ? (ce qui n'effacerait pas l'affront fait par la fin de cette citation, mais tempèrerait un peu quand même...)