Unusual editing Inițiatorul discuției: Gisela Greenlee
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I received an unusual comment about a recent translation and wanted to ask if anyone else has come across this before. The editor noted that I did not change the German address information to the US format, in other words I left "Hanswurststr. 21, 99999 Teufelsheim", instead of changing it to "21 Hanswurststr., Teufelsheim 99999". Huh? I have never ever changed a local address, since you would of course need it in the correct format for mailing, and I plainly don't see what the value would be in... See more I received an unusual comment about a recent translation and wanted to ask if anyone else has come across this before. The editor noted that I did not change the German address information to the US format, in other words I left "Hanswurststr. 21, 99999 Teufelsheim", instead of changing it to "21 Hanswurststr., Teufelsheim 99999". Huh? I have never ever changed a local address, since you would of course need it in the correct format for mailing, and I plainly don't see what the value would be in changing it, other than potential confusion.
Any thoughts on this matter? ▲ Collapse
| | | | Nora Escoms 
Argentina
Local time: 18:20
din engleză în spaniolă
+ ...
| You're right, of course | Aug 22, 2011 |
Address format should not be changed. This looks like a case of over-zealous editing to me, or maybe your editor is not proficient enough to be doing that job! I would write to them and explain that's how it's supposed to be.
Good luck!
Nora
| | | | Erik Freitag
Germania
Local time: 23:20
Membru (2006)
din olandeză în germană
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| Address information shouldn't be changed | Aug 22, 2011 |
I think you're right: address information indeed shouldn't be changed, unless it is vital that the reader actually understand the address (imagine the - admittedly hypothetical - example of running text in a tourist guide, where the reader is directed to a certain premises).
In all cases where the address just serves as a postal address, it shouldn't be changed. If in doubt - leave it unchanged.
| | | | Sheila Wilson
Spania
Local time: 22:20
Membru (2007)
engleză
+ ...
| They're not doing their job | Aug 22, 2011 |
Nora Escoms wrote:
Address format should not be changed. This looks like a case of over-zealous editing to me
Everyone knows it should be "Sausage John Street" in American
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JH Trads
Statele Unite
Local time: 17:20
Membru (2007)
din engleză în franceză
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| you are right | Aug 22, 2011 |
this is an example of an editor's worst sin: scratching out a good rendering and replacing it by a wrong one. The second worst sin: of course, not spotting a mistranslation. Cheers!
[Edited at 2011-08-22 19:44 GMT]
| | | | Nicole Schnell
Statele Unite
Local time: 14:20
din engleză în germană
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In Memoriam | Never change the format | Aug 22, 2011 |
Addresses are scanned by computers. Any garbled format will create an error, the letter or parcel then needs to be hand-cancelled and it will arrive late.
| | | | jacana54 (X)
Uruguay
din engleză în spaniolă
+ ...
| Think of the postman! | Aug 23, 2011 |
I'm reading Nicole's post and laughing because in my part of the world, what we would say is "Think of the postman!" In any case, it's the same idea: make it easy for whoever/whatever has to handle it at the receiving end, leave it as they are used to seeing.
| | | | Angie Garbarino
Local time: 23:20
Membru (2003)
din franceză în italiană
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| Absolutely... | Aug 23, 2011 |
Nicole Schnell wrote:
Addresses are scanned by computers. Any garbled format will create an error, the letter or parcel then needs to be hand-cancelled and it will arrive late.
Right!
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Gisela Greenlee
Local time: 16:20
din germană în engleză
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INIŢIATORUL SUBIECTULUI
for confirming that we don't change the address format when translating a document. That was probably the most unusual editor's comment I've ever received. I did let the agency know that this was definitely not correct, so hopefully they passed the information on to the editor.
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