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Pour impitoyable que soit la banquise, ils la traversent.

Pour impitoyable que soit la banquise, ils la traversent.
However unforgiving the pack ice may be, they cross it.
From Lesson 431:Advanced concession (pour + adjective + que)·French

Questions & Answers about Pour impitoyable que soit la banquise, ils la traversent.

How does pour translate to "however" in this sentence?
In this sentence, pour isn't acting alone. The combination of pour + adjective (impitoyable) + que is a fixed advanced structure used to express concession. It translates to "however [adjective]" or "no matter how [adjective]".
Why are the verb and subject swapped in soit la banquise?
When the subject is a noun (like la banquise), it is standard and elegant to invert it with the verb in this construction. While pour impitoyable que la banquise soit isn't strictly wrong, the inverted form is highly preferred. However, if the subject were a pronoun, you would keep normal word order: pour impitoyable qu'elle soit.
Does this structure always require the subjunctive (soit)?
Yes, the pour [adjectif] que structure always triggers the subjunctive. Even though the ice being unforgiving is a true fact here, concessive expressions (like bien que or quoique) use the subjunctive because they set up an unexpected contrast rather than just stating a standalone fact.
Is impitoyable related to the French word for "pity"?
Exactly! It is built from the noun pitié (pity). With the negative prefix im- and the suffix -able, it translates literally to "un-pity-able" which gives us merciless, ruthless, or in the case of extreme weather, unforgiving.
Since this is an advanced structure, how would you express this in everyday French?
This specific structure is quite literary. In everyday spoken French, you would be much more likely to hear a simpler concession, such as Même si la banquise est impitoyable (Even if the pack ice is unforgiving) or Bien que la banquise soit impitoyable (Although the pack ice is unforgiving).

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