Cultural difference leads to poppycock? （几个单词的翻译）

Alan Wang wrote:

Common sense

Relocate all critical equipment from low-lying basement areas to floors above ground level (floor).

It’s not really necessary to add the last word.
What is necessary here is the translator’s common sense.

I once detected an error in a sentence:

The error is so obvious to me that I didn’t even mention it.
I translated it using common sense.
It was then proofread and sent back to me for a check to see if I agree to the changes.

Sure enough, I saw the proofreader changed my translation of this sentence, it was now perfectly in line with its meaning. There is only one problem. It was wrong instruction!

What is the wrong about the sentence?

I will reveal it later if needed.

[Edited at 2013-08-30 15:33 GMT]

Alan Wang wrote:

Regarding proofreading, the proofreader has far less time to spend on a file than the translator, so less reason to believe s/he can see things straight where the translator failed if the translator failed.

Over the time, I have somehow developed a motto: don’t make a change if you are not certain it is obviously better than the original. This may be relaxed a little if the original translation is too good and at the same time you need to leave your mark. So the obviously better can be sometimes changed for apparently or seemingly better.

And Never make a significant change, if you have not gone over it again and again and are absolutely sure that the original translation is wrong. This is more important, especially if the translator is a 高手。


[Edited at 2013-09-02 09:23 GMT]

J.H. Wang wrote:



感觉这句话还是有必要再探讨一下，不当之处请大家指正。

Ensure there is no storage in areas which are shielded by ceiling sprinklers.

试译：确保在天花板上的灭火器防护的区域内不要/无储存物品。

或者：确保不要将物品储存在天花板上的灭火器防护的区域内。

这句话是说，对于一些需要避水的物品，不要存放在上头安装有灭火器的地方，以免万一失火，灭火器自动喷水，造成损坏。

shield A from B 意思正好相反，是保护A免受B损害、影响的意思。




[Edited at 2013-09-02 11:12 GMT]

[Edited at 2013-09-02 11:33 GMT]

nigerose wrote:


嗯，需要从上下文去考虑。
Relocate all critical equipment from low-lying basement areas to floors above ground level (floor).可以认为是Ensure there is no storage in areas which are shielded by ceiling sprinklers.的上下文。

前一句的意思表示要防水，可以认为后一句也是表达防水的意思。因此，如果把by改为from，那就意思搞反了。
不过，google发现有“shielded from sprinklers"的说法，没有“shielded by sprinklers”的说法。因此可能shielded用错了。
为了体现该句子表示防水的意思，应把shielded by"改为"protected by"。Google一查，还真有很相似的句子，哈哈：
Flammable and Combustible Material Storage Safety - MC Innovations
www.mcinnovations.com/.../flammable-and-combustible-mater...‎

翻译此页
Make sure water reactive chemicals are not stored in areas protected by sprinklers; Provide emergency eyewash/showers in chemical storage areas.

因此，Ensure there is no storage in areas which are shielded by ceiling sprinklers.应改为Ensure there is no storage in areas which are protected by ceiling sprinklers.
意思是：确保不要把东西（比如关键设备critical equipment）放在ceiling sprinklers所保护的区域（即能淋到的区域）。

当然，如果根据上下文，这一句话要表示“不要把东西放在ceiling sprinklers淋不到的区域”的意思，那应该用“shielded from“。

以上意见仅供讨论与参考。

[修改时间: 2013-09-02 13:38 GMT]

wherestip wrote:

J.H.,

You are correct. The reasons could be multiple, but most likely it is to prevent the storage from obstructing the spray pattern when a sprinkler does go off. There is a clearance around the ceiling sprinklers that has to be maintained in typical fire codes.

http://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/coffee-break/cb_fp_2012_1.pdf

J.H. Wang wrote:




Steve, 你说的这种情况也值得注意。

前面 nigerose 说的则是另一种情况（也是我考虑到的）：

“Make sure water reactive chemicals are not stored in areas protected by sprinklers; Provide emergency eyewash/showers in chemical storage areas.”


具体是什么原因，我们没有看到原文，也拿不很准。

J.H. Wang wrote:




Steve, 你说的这种情况也值得注意。

前面 nigerose 说的则是另一种情况（也是我考虑到的）：

“Make sure water reactive chemicals are not stored in areas protected by sprinklers; Provide emergency eyewash/showers in chemical storage areas.”


具体是什么原因，我们没有看到原文，也拿不很准。

J.H. Wang wrote:

感觉这句话还是有必要再探讨一下，不当之处请大家指正。

Alan Wang wrote:

这两句根本不是同一个文件。第一句是刚做的。第二句则来自近两年前文件。我做了几年同样的东西。稍微有点夸张地说，几乎都会背了。

Alan Wang wrote:

这两句根本不是同一个文件。第一句是刚做的。第二句则来自近两年前文件。我做了几年同样的东西。稍微有点夸张地说，几乎都会背（诵）了。

[Edited at 2013-09-02 15:58 GMT]

Alan Wang wrote:

Common sense

Relocate all critical equipment from low-lying basement areas to floors above ground level (floor).

It’s not really necessary to add the last word.
What is necessary here is the translator’s common sense.