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Hesitancy to use regional US/UK terms
Thread poster: G. L.
Diana Obermeyer
Diana Obermeyer  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 00:03
Member (2013)
German to English
+ ...
Well ... Feb 12, 2018

Thomas T. Frost wrote:

Probably such readers insist there is only one correct way to pronounce "scone".


People who put on the cream first can call their concoction whatever they like. As long as the proper stuff is said right


 
Kay Denney
Kay Denney  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 01:03
French to English
UK English Feb 12, 2018

I had always thought a flashlight was some kind of extra powerful torch, and it looks like Sheila thinks the same.

I agree totally though that if the client asked for UK English, that's what you should give them. I know a lot of terms in both UK and US English, and in some of my speciality subjects I even have a "cross-Atlantic" glossary to make sure I don't let any slip if a client insists on me attempting US English (confusing pants and suspenders in fashion texts can lead to qu
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I had always thought a flashlight was some kind of extra powerful torch, and it looks like Sheila thinks the same.

I agree totally though that if the client asked for UK English, that's what you should give them. I know a lot of terms in both UK and US English, and in some of my speciality subjects I even have a "cross-Atlantic" glossary to make sure I don't let any slip if a client insists on me attempting US English (confusing pants and suspenders in fashion texts can lead to quite some misunderstandings!). However I never claim that my text can be published blind in the US. Usually a US citizen will be asked to check it over first before publication.
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neilmac
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 01:03
Spanish to English
+ ...
Works both ways Feb 12, 2018

Diana Obermeyer wrote:

Thomas T. Frost wrote:

Probably such readers insist there is only one correct way to pronounce "scone".


People who put on the cream first can call their concoction whatever they like. As long as the proper stuff is said right



When I'm back home in Scotland, I might have a potato scone (rhymes with "gone"), but I'll pronounce it "tattie scone" (rhymes with "bone")...


 
Jack Doughty
Jack Doughty  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 00:03
Russian to English
+ ...
In memoriam
Scone Feb 12, 2018

Aye, and while ye're at hame in bonnie Scotland, ye might visit its ancient capital, Scone - which is pronounced Scoon.

 
Sarah Lewis-Morgan
Sarah Lewis-Morgan  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 01:03
Member (2014)
German to English
+ ...
Why not use the British term? Feb 12, 2018

If the instructions were to translate into UK English, then I wouldn't even consider using the US term/spelling. If I were translating into US English I would use torch rather than flashlight, so why would you use flashlight in this case?

It reminds me of the American who was over here in Germany for a while. She was asked by a (female) English speaker if she had a rubber. She never knew before then that what she called an eraser is referred to as what she thought of as a condom and
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If the instructions were to translate into UK English, then I wouldn't even consider using the US term/spelling. If I were translating into US English I would use torch rather than flashlight, so why would you use flashlight in this case?

It reminds me of the American who was over here in Germany for a while. She was asked by a (female) English speaker if she had a rubber. She never knew before then that what she called an eraser is referred to as what she thought of as a condom and was very confused (worried, even...). There might still be British readers who are confused by Americanisms.
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writeaway
writeaway  Identity Verified
French to English
+ ...
And vice versa Feb 12, 2018

Chris S wrote:

Americans shouldn’t be translating into British English, period.


Brits shouldn't be translating into US English, full stop.


 
Rachel Fell
Rachel Fell  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 00:03
French to English
+ ...
Yes Feb 13, 2018

And it's not just about spelling, or how things are spelt...

[Edited at 2018-02-13 00:57 GMT]


 
Sarah Lewis-Morgan
Sarah Lewis-Morgan  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 01:03
Member (2014)
German to English
+ ...
Agreed Feb 13, 2018

writeaway wrote:

Chris S wrote:

Americans shouldn’t be translating into British English, period.


Brits shouldn't be translating into US English, full stop.


There are enough Americans and Brits translating to mean that it should not be necessary anyway.


 
Heinrich Pesch
Heinrich Pesch  Identity Verified
Finland
Local time: 02:03
Member (2003)
Finnish to German
+ ...
What is the original word? Feb 13, 2018

How was it written in Finnish? If it is not a hand-held device for lighting your way in the dark I would not call it a flashlight nor a torch. Perhaps UV-(flash)lamp? Do you know what it is used for?
Why don't you find out if such device is produced in the UK and how do they call it?

[Bearbeitet am 2018-02-13 11:56 GMT]


 
Giovanni Guarnieri MITI, MIL
Giovanni Guarnieri MITI, MIL  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 00:03
Member (2004)
English to Italian
yes... Feb 13, 2018

Chris S wrote:

G. L. wrote:

The flashlight in question here is a UV flashlight, used to facilitate chemical reactions in the substances that it is trained on.


Now we have some context, it strikes me that neither torch nor flashlight seems very likely. Is it not a "lamp" of some kind?



It's a lamp, not a torch or a flashlight...


 
G. L.
G. L.
United States
Local time: 17:03
English to Spanish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Re: What is the original word? Feb 14, 2018

Heinrich Pesch wrote:

How was it written in Finnish?


"Taskulamppu".

The device in question is used for a process called UV curing. When I Google "UV curing flashlight"/-"torch", a number of the results seem to be genuine references to a flashlight-type device used for this purpose.

By contrast, a Google image search for "UV curing lamp" brings up many items, but so far, I haven't found any that look recognizably like a flashlight (battery powered, hand-held), and that are unambiguously referred to as a "UV curing lamp".

Not that this was the original topic, but I'm still unconvinced that "flashlight"/"torch" (depending on the region) is not an appropriate translation here.


 
Heinrich Pesch
Heinrich Pesch  Identity Verified
Finland
Local time: 02:03
Member (2003)
Finnish to German
+ ...
suggestion Feb 14, 2018

G. L. wrote:

Heinrich Pesch wrote:

How was it written in Finnish?


"Taskulamppu".

The device in question is used for a process called UV curing. When I Google "UV curing flashlight"/-"torch", a number of the results seem to be genuine references to a flashlight-type device used for this purpose.

By contrast, a Google image search for "UV curing lamp" brings up many items, but so far, I haven't found any that look recognizably like a flashlight (battery powered, hand-held), and that are unambiguously referred to as a "UV curing lamp".

Not that this was the original topic, but I'm still unconvinced that "flashlight"/"torch" (depending on the region) is not an appropriate translation here.


How about pocket uv lamp? Google shows quite a lot that look like UV-taskulamppu to me.


 
G. L.
G. L.
United States
Local time: 17:03
English to Spanish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
pocket lamp / flashlight Feb 14, 2018

[quote]Heinrich Pesch wrote:

G. L. wrote:

How about pocket uv lamp? Google shows quite a lot that look like UV-taskulamppu to me.


OK, but my claim wasn't that "lamp" couldn't work in this context, it was just that "torch"/"flashlight" could (and that "torch"/"flashlight" would be more specific).

Also, I imagine you know this, but "taskulamppu" isn't restricted to items that can fit in the pocket (despite containing the word "tasku-"). So I don't think it would have been appropriate for me to include "pocket" in the translation, as I had no way of knowing about the size specifications of the item described in this text.

[Edited at 2018-02-14 19:17 GMT]

[Edited at 2018-02-14 19:17 GMT]


 
Angela Dickson (X)
Angela Dickson (X)  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 00:03
French to English
+ ...
approach to language variants Feb 15, 2018

Texte Style wrote:

I had always thought a flashlight was some kind of extra powerful torch, and it looks like Sheila thinks the same.

I agree totally though that if the client asked for UK English, that's what you should give them. I know a lot of terms in both UK and US English, and in some of my speciality subjects I even have a "cross-Atlantic" glossary to make sure I don't let any slip if a client insists on me attempting US English (confusing pants and suspenders in fashion texts can lead to quite some misunderstandings!). However I never claim that my text can be published blind in the US. Usually a US citizen will be asked to check it over first before publication.


My approach is similar. I'm British and am occasionally asked to translate "into US English". When I'm asked that, I issue a hefty disclaimer to the effect that while I'll happily switch the spellcheck to US English, and avoid turns of phrase that I know are UK-specific, there may well be aspects of my writing that are distinctively British and of which I am unaware.

After that, the conversation goes one of two ways - either the client realises they need a native speaker of US English for the job (fine), or they ask me to do it anyway, as they have a US speaker who can check it (also fine).

I recommend it as an approach. It means you don't promise what you can't deliver, and you don't go round in circles with questions such as these.


 
Christopher Schröder
Christopher Schröder
United Kingdom
Member (2011)
Swedish to English
+ ...
A better approach Feb 15, 2018

If American translators stopped taking British English jobs and British translators stopped taking American English jobs (and if legal translators stopped taking technical jobs and technical translators stopped taking legal jobs), customers would get quicker, cheaper and better translations, and the translators would all make more money and be able to put out work they can be truly proud of.

Whenever I've been coerced into translating in the wrong field or language, I've hated every
... See more
If American translators stopped taking British English jobs and British translators stopped taking American English jobs (and if legal translators stopped taking technical jobs and technical translators stopped taking legal jobs), customers would get quicker, cheaper and better translations, and the translators would all make more money and be able to put out work they can be truly proud of.

Whenever I've been coerced into translating in the wrong field or language, I've hated every minute of it. You're not doing yourself or anyone else any favours.
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