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Off topic: Interesting instruction from one of my clients
Inițiatorul discuției: Anna Sarah Krämer
Anna Sarah Krämer
Anna Sarah Krämer
Germania
Local time: 15:16
Membru (2011)
din engleză în germană
+ ...
Jul 16, 2015

Please use a translation that will need adaptation to sound natural in the target throughout the whole text.


I guess this means I can deliver a translation that sounds unnatural throughout the whole text. I might have to ask the help of Google translate to accomplish that...
 
Thomas T. Frost
Thomas T. Frost  Identity Verified
Portugalia
Local time: 14:16
din daneză în engleză
+ ...
Consider not avoiding to not looking into whether not to ask the client for clarification Jul 16, 2015

I just finished a translation for a technical device for swimming pools. The original manual said:

"Avoid any incest from entering the control box, it may damage the electrical component inside."

I don't know what they do with the box at the factory, and I'm not sure I want to know.

It also said:

"Chlorine ... can inhabit the growth of bacteria."

So now we know more about bacteria's habitat.

"Recommended pool salt leve... See more
I just finished a translation for a technical device for swimming pools. The original manual said:

"Avoid any incest from entering the control box, it may damage the electrical component inside."

I don't know what they do with the box at the factory, and I'm not sure I want to know.

It also said:

"Chlorine ... can inhabit the growth of bacteria."

So now we know more about bacteria's habitat.

"Recommended pool salt lever: 4000PPM or above".

Does one have to pulverise the lever in order to count the parts?

"pH valve too high".

If the lever was intended to lower the pH valve, then the task could become sour once the lever is pulverised. ▲ Collapse
 
Mikhail Kropotov
Mikhail Kropotov  Identity Verified
Germania
Local time: 15:16
din engleză în rusă
+ ...
'No' missing? Jul 16, 2015

Could be a simple typo, couldn't it?

Please use a translation that will need no adaptation to sound natural in the target throughout the whole text.

[Edited at 2015-07-16 13:06 GMT]
 
Michael Wetzel
Michael Wetzel  Identity Verified
Germania
Local time: 15:16
din germană în engleză
"simple" typo Jul 16, 2015

That still doesn't explain the nonsensical "use a translation", but it's funny how adding one small, plausible correction can make (accurate or inaccurate) sense out of what looked like complete gibberish to me.

Hats off to all those poor souls who have to translate from Enlgsih into other languages. I wouldn't be able to get out of bed in the morning.
 
Anna Sarah Krämer
Anna Sarah Krämer
Germania
Local time: 15:16
Membru (2011)
din engleză în germană
+ ...
INIŢIATORUL SUBIECTULUI
Whole text Jul 16, 2015

I also don't understand the "throughout the whole text" part. Why would I use the unnaturally sounding translation only for half of the text? Running out of awkward formulations?
 
Mikhail Kropotov
Mikhail Kropotov  Identity Verified
Germania
Local time: 15:16
din engleză în rusă
+ ...
Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity Jul 16, 2015

Replace 'stupidity' with 'careless wording' in this case.
 
Robert Rietvelt
Robert Rietvelt  Identity Verified
Local time: 15:16
Membru (2006)
din spaniolă în olandeză
+ ...
Funny! Jul 16, 2015

Anna Sarah Krämer Fazendeiro wrote:

Please use a translation that will need adaptation to sound natural in the target throughout the whole text.


I guess this means I can deliver a translation that sounds unnatural throughout the whole text. I might have to ask the help of Google translate to accomplish that...




 


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Interesting instruction from one of my clients






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