Search results for 'tag:Conditionals tag:Translation' matching tags 'Conditionals' and 'Translation'

Re: Specific questions about translation of a CV

Feebs11 — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 20:28:40 GMT

Colombo wrote:
I'm trying to translate my CV into English, but I'm finding a lot of difficulties. Apart from the overall chronic style of the result, there are certain things that I find I don't know how to say. I'm copying a list here, in case someone can lend me a hand (for which I'd be immensely grateful). I am sorry to ask so many questions (I've tried to find the answers in dictionaries before asking), and I hope I'm writing in the correct forum (I think all my questions are more voabulary- than grammar-oriented).

- Should the names of institutions be translated? I don't do so, in general, but I wonder whether it could/should be done when the translation is literal and unequivocal (for example, like in "Polytechnic University of Madrid"), or when it might be useful to know what the institution is (like in "Programme for the Assessment of Teachers of the Spanish Office for the Assessment of Quality and Credentials"... Whatever that is - I hardly understand it, even in Spanish!) Not necessary to do so - if you feel there is a difficulty, put the translation in brackets.

- Which preposition must I use to indicate where I got a degree? "A degree from the University X"? Yes

- Talking of degrees, I'm not sure which one I've got. I know there are BSc, MSc and PhD, but I don't know very well how to determine whether what I've got is a BSc or a MSc. Does one choose between one and the other, or does one need to have a BSc in order to study a MSc? Here in Spain, one can choose between studying a short or a long degree (3 or 4 years in the first case, 6 in the second). After getting any of these degrees, one can start working towards a PhD directly (I mean, those people who have studied the short degree don't need to compensate by studying another couple of years before beginning their PhD studies). I've got one of the long degrees (6 years), so would that be a BSc or a MSc? I'd like to make it clear that it's been a long degree, but I don't know whether I should have made some kind of post-graduate studies in order to call it a MSc. And also, are the BSc and the MSc the same things in British and American English?   BSc = Bachelor of Science; MSc = Master of Science - the latter indicates you have taken a further degree. Put the Spanish name of your degree and explain its nature if asked.

- In these 6-year degrees, after one has passed all the subjects, a final research work must be done in order to get the degree. What's its name (if there's an equivalence) in the UK and the US? Post-graduate study/research.

- PhD degrees over here consist of two separate parts: two years of courses and two-to-infinite years of research work. Once you've finished the first of these parts, you get a certificate stating you've studied all those courses (in case someone knows the Spanish universitary structure, I'm taking about the "Diploma de Estudios Avanzados"). Is there anything equivalent in the British and American systems? I don't think I could call it a MSc, since this certificate's actually a part of the PhD degree. In the UK a university is free to admit anyone to a Ph.D. programme; however, in practice, admission is usually conditional on the prospective student having successfully completed an undergraduate degree with at least upper second class honours, or a postgraduate master's degree

- Is there any technical established term for a "course on work-related risks"? I've translated it directly from Spanish, but I don't know whether there is a better way to say it (although I think it's easily understood as it is). Not as such - there are many courses that include this topic, particularly those relating to Health and Safety or Physiotherapy.

- What is the technical term for a person who is in charge of a R&D project? "Head researcher"? Possibly "Supervisor".

- Is it right to say "Assistant PhD teacher" to indicate a job as assistant teacher for which a PhD degree is required (not a job as assistant teacher for PhD students). Not a term that is used in the UK. It would probalby be termed "Assistant Teacher. This post requires a PhD or equivalent."

- Another question about prepositions: does one play an instrument in an orchestra?   Yes

- Is it right to say something like "2003: beginning of studies of x"? "began studies relating to...."/"started studies of...."

- Could anyone tell me where I can find the "official" names of the subjects in a music degree? Or, more specifically, I need to know the name of a subject in which the different musical forms and structures are studied. Some sites for UK universities:   http://www.admissions.ox.ac.uk/courses/musi.shtml:
http://www.ukwebstart.com/musicdrama-colleges.html
Thank you very much in advance for your help! I would have copied here the whole CV, but I thought that would be too much...

Re: Cool Breeze thanks the Englishforums team

Kooyeen — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 23:24:45 GMT

Hey Cool Breeze

Cool Breeze wrote:
I was lucky to be born in a country where education is highly appreciated and I also had an excellent English teacher when I was just 12 years old.

You are soooo lucky. I've always said that North Europeans knew English better. Unfortunately, here if you want to learn how to express yourself in acceptable English, you often have to study everything by yourself.

Cool Breeze wrote:
One thing that is conducive to improving language skills is the fact that practically all movies in cinemas and on TV have the original soundtrack. Marlon Brando always mumbles in English in Finland. If you don't understand him, you can read the subtitles!

That's amazing, I heard that's true of most North European countries. Just think that here NONE of the movies are in a language that is not Italian, EVERY movie is dubbed, absolutely every movie, no exceptions at all. No wonder you guys are more inclined to learn English and learn it well.

Cool Breeze wrote:
...as English is the leading language of higher education -- few of the books my exams were based on were in other languages.

Well, I'm really interested in this. Could you please explain a little more what you mean by "the leading language of higher education"? I don't know how to put it, but in my college (more specifically, in my department) the situation is more or less this: you are supposed to study books written in English, but you already have to know it, no one is going to teach you anything. However, you have to take a very simple English test, so that when you graduate it seems you know English one way or another. That test is so simple that second conditional structures like "If I had had the money I'd have bought..." are not included. Yet you are supposed to study books on electronics, probability, etc. So those who already know English well study, and all the others? Either they don't use those textbooks much, or they buy the Italian translation, written by some of their professors in order to make money out of those poor students. Then it turns out that when you apply for a job, you are supposed to have a very good knowledge of the English language. Go figure.
Lemme know

Re: doubt

Marius Hancu — Sun, 26 Nov 2006 13:19:59 GMT

Do you know what this means?
would have been valid
this is crucial to any detailed explanation. It's unreal conditional.

Now going back to your However ..... valid paragraph:
In short, the contractual obligations remain in effect/valid, even if there are some small changes to the contract.

This is enough for your now. This is difficult legal English (would be recommended to post in the legal forum here). It seems to be part of a license agreement (with Intel, or whoever).

IMO, you should choose easier stuff for your reading at your current level, because it's too difficult for you right now. Your latest questions at 2 and 3 show that.

2/ such undertakings = undertakings such as these=means the obligations taken under/in the contract

3/ the modifications necessary = the modifications necessary to make the text coherent/understandable (if some parts of it are deleted)

Another, more detailed translation:

However, if any of the obligations above are invalid (for whatever unspecified reasons), but can be made valid by deleting a portion of the wording (text of the contract), or reducing either a time period or the range or scope of activities, then such obligations still apply with only the modifications necessary to make them valid.

Otherwise, and this is the spirit of this paragraph
Beware: Changing the text here and there will not make you escape your contractual obligations, the contract still remains in force even in a shorter, slightly modified form

Re: Question in can/could

Marius Hancu — Sat, 25 Nov 2006 12:52:05 GMT

>I wish I could go with you.

Perhaps you understand it in a translation with a conditional:

I wish the possibility of (my) going with you would exist.

Re: if i cared/ if i had cared

Marius Hancu — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 02:19:12 GMT

I think the standard conditional is described here:
http://www.englishpage.com/conditional/conditionalintro.html

Past time (see past unreal conditional at that page)
If I had cared about my grade in this course, I would have studied harder.

Present time (see present unreal conditional)
If I cared about my grade in this course, I would study harder.

In between, things are messier

You can find mixed stuff like this on the Web:
----------
As a disclaimer, I care less about what your opinion or thoughts are
about my blog. If I cared, I would have called you and talked to you.

http://udi-m.blogspot.com/2005_02_01_udi-m_archive.html
-----------

I'd be interested to see others' opinions on such mixed stuff.

I think it is correct.
FWIW, my translation for the last quotation is:
If I would care / cared NOW, I would have called you EARLIER and talked to you.

Does any of you believe that a possible translation is:
If I cared THEN/IN THE PAST, I would have called you EARLIER/SOMETIME IN THE PAST and talked to you.
?

Re: Translation French to English

Mister Micawber — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 08:25:30 GMT

Yes, it sounds reasonably natural. Some notes:

Use a variety of sentence structures-- complex, compound-complex, etc-- rather than a series of short simple sentences.

Commas go inside of the quotation marks for quotes; as do periods, if the quote is the entire sentence.

Latter, not later

'in charge of the Public Relations Department of the Permanent Secretary of prevention policy' -- something is wrong semantically here.

Doubt, not doubt about

easeâ, says. -- Who says?

police not Police

discourage, not put discourage

encourage needs a direct object

conditional, not conditionally

Re: Montague Grammar

Roro — Sun, 05 Jun 2005 15:11:50 GMT

Hello, rvw. I'd like to add just a few words.
I remember reading in Gamut1991 roughly such an exciting passage:

G.W. Leibniz (1646-1716) had proposed a program for logic and developed ideas of a universal language, in which thought could be represented directly, without any of the ambiguities. Frege's predicate logic is a more powerful language system, and Montague Grammar is a much more productive paradigm which can give a semantics for natural language. (This is a very rough paraphrase ... I cannot find the exact place in Gamut now...)

And I think ... a truth-conditional semantics which is based on a model is similar to an axiomatic corollary in mathematics. ( I haven't got any conformation, maybe there's inaccuracy in my expression.)
======================================================================
Here's another translation of tanka:

Ever since I placed
a yellow birdcage beside
the open window,
I keep imagining that
some bird will come and live there.

Which sentences are correct?

K48 — Sat, 23 Apr 2005 17:25:29 GMT

A person in a forum asked to translate several sentences into English. Here are two variants of translation; we argue and cannot decide which are correct.

My translation:
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
1) I've just heard Anne arguing with a/the manager
2) After a computer programme has been written it should be checked by a developer.
3) If I had more spare time I would learn one more foreign language.
4) We would visit you more often if you live closer.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Another person's variant:
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
1. I've just heard Ann arguing with the manager. ??? I've just heard that Ann was arguing with the manager.
2. After a computer program was written, it should be checked by a programmist.
3. If i'd have more freetime, i'd learn one more foreign language.
4. We'd visit you more often if you'd live closer.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

I disagree with him in several points, e.g. in using "would" in conditional clauses in sentences 3 and 4, and with the word "programmist". I think it's a "Runglish" term and another word, e.g. "programmer" or "software developer" should be used.

Re: Conditional sentense in a past tense with generalized subject

souroin — Mon, 28 Mar 2005 05:57:02 GMT

Hello Paco, first

I think Jim mentioned that part because I sometimes write back saying 'il mio maestro' - actually am not an italian though, I very much like the sound of it. I did studied. I am now rather embarrased with the fact that I gave him my profile incorrectly by saying something in Italian. I just liked it and although not conveying at all obviously but for me 'il mio maestro' carries bit august sounding. I might change it to 'my Lord' then.

and... Hello Jim, my Lord

Thanks for your effort to understand what my question was. I found your explanation as difference of subjunctive and indicative understandable. So, ambigious it sounds but you say the quoted phrase can include two meanings.

The phrase was in a study report referring to what the concerning part of the code of conduct set out in the study protocol. I thought the person wrote the translation just switched the tense from present to past, and then wondered if that quote may sound 'indicative'. The rule were to apply any study subjects when any of these subjects would develop an adverse event(s), so if the sentense has to be in clear language, the 'subjunctive' paraphrase should be the choice, but again as you suggested the original quote can say both, I will just leave the sentence as it is then.

I thought the quote in present tense sounds alright for the protocol language but in report language just merely shifting the tense to past may sound bit awkward as it may say like referring to a certain but nonspecific subject even the study completed and it must have been already known by then if there were so I'd rather say in 'subjunctive' phrase... but it was just my lack of English sense.

And... sorry if I have been unintentionally 'deceiving' you about my nationality but your comparisons to italian language as examples in the past were also helpful.

Best regards,
Souroin

Re: Mixed Conditionals

MrPedantic — Wed, 02 Mar 2005 14:32:27 GMT

Here's another way of looking at it, Jack. As you say in another place, native speakers use mixed conditionals all the time. In speech, for instance, speakers often change conditional types in mid sentence â not because they want to express a subtle distinction, but because speech is by its nature fragmentary and inconstant.

At other times, you change conditional types in mid sentence because (while speaking) you realize that what you are about to say sounds a little too blunt. Take this example:

1. If the car breaks down on you, you would have to pay for the repair, if you didn't buy the warranty.

If I were a car salesman, I might say this if (after 'breaks down') I suddenly realized that suggesting that the car might break down wasn't a very good idea. I would therefore soften the possibility by switching from a type 1 to a type 2 conditional.

If I were the car buyer, on the other hand, I would 'hear' the softening, but internally correct the sentence to:

2. If the car broke down on you, you would have to pay for the repair, if you didn't buy the warranty.

Or:

3. If the car breaks down on you, you will have to pay for the repair, if you don't buy the warranty.

I would guess that this makes conditionals quite difficult for a person learning English: native or practised speakers are habituated to 'internal translation' of fragmentary or mixed forms, but those learning English can't be sure which form is intended.

MrP