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

Zhou, Xianlian wrote:

个人认为，汉语的 “地平面” 与 “一楼” 是不能等同的，很多楼房的一楼要高出地平面。
而英语的ground level 则有 “地平面” 及 "一楼" 双层意思。

所以我觉得，要是可能的话，最好询问作者。若不可能，我会译成 “高于周围地平面”。

作者用的是一个比较模糊的词，译文最好也不要太具体化。从技术角度看，设备放第几楼并不重要，关键是防止被洪水淹了，所以放几楼要看房子的周围位置，比如是在山坳或山顶。在山坳的话放二楼也不可靠，在山顶的话放一楼就没问题。
而且根据经验，很少听说哪台技术设备不能安装在一楼的！否则很多用户都不能买了，因为厂房、实验室大部分是在一楼。

Rita Pang wrote:



I appreciate your POV, Alan, and I am not here to "take" any one's side on things. Your finesse in your work, your language capabilities and your attention to detail certainly comes out in your persistence in your viewpoints, as can be seen in many of this forum's threads. I admit, hands down, that I still have A LOT to learn on this career path, so my suggestions or methods are not always good suggestions That being said, however, I'll like to suggest the following to you: don't use words lightly. Calling others poppycock or dismissing a fellow translator's very serious suggestion as "cute" is one of the most disrespectful things you can do to a fellow forum participant.

In trans-creation projects you'll likely have a lot more liberty to try things out, so yes, you are right, "crazy ideas" can most certainly be entertained, welcomed or even encouraged. Please note that I am not here to oppose any of your ideas/suggestions. I have a lot of respect for everyone here on this forum and I always support a fellow translator's right in asserting their own way of work - we can all conclude, without a doubt, how important it is sometimes to push back a client's suggestion! So likewise I sincerely ask you to extend this same courtesy to myself. I am merely bringing out a suggestion, and you are most certainly free to agree or disagree. However, don't diss someone's serious approach in work with a simple wave of your hand. I'd like to think that you really don't mean it; but if you do, well, please try not to do it again.

Have yourself a nice day!

[Edited at 2013-09-06 02:23 GMT]

Phil Hand wrote:

鉴于洪水的最高水位肯定在地平面以上，为了挪到水高位以上，必定要选择二楼，除非是ysun说的那种高架一层外。

Phil Hand wrote:



Alan的原文跟美国有关吧？看看美国联邦紧急事务管理局怎么说：
http://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/20130726-1906-25045-2736/sandy_ra2_critical_facilities_final_508.pdf

鉴于洪水的最高水位肯定在地平面以上，为了挪到水高位以上，必定要选择二楼，除非是ysun说的那种高架一层外。

J.H. Wang wrote:

作者既没有将一楼排除在外，也没有必然包括在内

作者的原意是说，要高于地平面，而不是放在地下室里。至于是否包括一楼，我觉得要结合楼所处的地势、当地的雨水情况来考虑。

也许有人认为上述原文写得不好，但我认为写得很好，体现了工程技术人员的精确语言。我尤其欣赏作者在 floors 一词上使用复数。这说明作者已经考虑到了各种可能性，例如建筑物所处位置和高度以及海啸、江河决堤等情况，从而提供了较多选项。

Alan Wang wrote:

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

这句上下文的意思是防范洪水。

看似简单，但是我翻译为“……转移到地面二楼以上”，遭到所有人的反对。

Alan Wang wrote:

首先，我不是来此传播福音的。 请不要误会。
有人说，二楼不好，非要提一楼才合原文，好的，这里是块糖果。

你现在去东北灾区，问受灾的老大娘，她会告诉你二楼比一楼安全。你问任何从事防洪专业的人，他也会这样告诉你。
从语言上分析，地面只有一层是 on the ground level，其它楼层才是 above ground level （除了特殊情境如 Phi Hand 所举的例子中，后者可以理解为包括地面一层）。这里的“其它楼层”除了二楼以上还能是什么呢？。

另外，我说过了，我翻译此类文件几年了。内容重复率极高。类似的所谓知识点几乎能倒背如流。这些知识点就包括：为防洪需要把重要设备移到二楼或以上楼层。所以这对我来说，只是重复过去翻译类似文件所得到的这些知识而已。不是下套子，不是要和谁排输赢。

我还可以给一个糖果，如果有人再说一楼。:grin:这里是块糖果，我还可以给一个糖果

Alan Wang wrote:

But it's not always cute to be doing things by the book.
Sometimes you'd have the crazy idea, well, let's see what happens if I do it this way.
How do I know I was not being tested and my reaction proved to be kicking the ball to the next in line.
Actually, one or two days later, I did notice that there was one more recruiting ad.
Perhaps this is just my imgaination, although i can't help to associate these together.

Alan Wang wrote:

。。。

I'd even encourage any one for believing in what they believe with a candystick.

ysun wrote:

不一定洪水会把所有楼房都给淹了。是否被淹，那得看具体楼房所在地的地面高度是否低于 the highest flood elevation。

不一定所有楼房的一楼地面都低于 the highest anticipated flood elevation。因此，不能说必须搬到二楼以上。

Phil Hand wrote:

原文有歧义，我原来觉得最自然的理解就是”二楼或以上“，看了你的帖子，看了更多的相关信息，现在觉得包含一楼的理解也一样自然。那就像你说的，要看楼盘的具体情况才能确定它的意思。只能用”地面以上“来对付，把这个难题交给读者/使用者自己解决。

Phil Hand wrote:


原文有歧义，我原来觉得最自然的理解就是”二楼或以上“，看了你的帖子，看了更多的相关信息，现在觉得包含一楼的理解也一样自然。那就像你说的，要看楼盘的具体情况才能确定它的意思。只能用”地面以上“来对付，把这个难题交给读者/使用者自己解决。

ysun wrote:


退一步分析，假设作者原意是排除一楼（即必须“转移到地面二楼以上”），那么原来就在一楼的设备也必须得转移吧？所以，他就应该这样写：
Relocate all critical equipment from low-lying basement areas and ground floor to floors above the ground floor.
但他根本就没提 ground floor。由此可见，作者并未排除一楼。

此外，还请注意 “low-lying” 这一形容词。就是说，如果不是 “low-lying” 的地下室，例如地下室可能进水的位置 above the highest anticipated flood elevation，那么连地下室里的 critical equipment 都用不着搬。可见，作者的措词是十分严谨的。

Danny Wu wrote:

个人赞同Phil Hand的观点：从原文的语境看，basement areas和floors above ground level应是互补关系，即它们应囊括了全部的情形（地下和地面），所以个人认为作者的愿意指的是“将所有重要设备从地下室转移至地面楼层（即地平面上的楼层，包括目标受众即中国人所说的一楼）”（从地下到地面）。个人拙见，请各位大虾多多指教。

J.H. Wang wrote:



我代表 James 和广大同仁热烈欢迎你加入论坛！

Danny Wu wrote:

谢谢J.H. Wang！在别的论坛上难以看到如此热烈的讨论，感觉非常兴奋和新鲜！Can't wait to participate in more discussion.