James A. Walsh (asker) Jul 17, 2011:

Update... Well surprise, surprise, I didn't hear back from the end-client about my query, and have to deliver tomorrow morning, so I've, rather ambiguously, rendered "encontrarse" as "available", as follows:

"Para la sola presentación de la oferta, los catálogos técnicos que se presentan, deberá encontrarse en idioma español.”

“For the sole purposes of tender submission, the technical catalogues submitted must be available in Spanish.”

I was tempted to add "[also]" before "available", but this is about as ambiguous as I could render it! And within the Specifications it mentions a period in which bidders can submit queries and clarifications, which will be responded to in due course; so I reckon this may very well end up as a question to be clarified! I did my best, and thanks especially to mediamatrix for your explanations and general support in that regard.

As you’ll have noticed FVS, I used your suggestion on Tom2004’s comment word-for-word; so if you care to enter that as an answer, I’ll happily choose that answer and enter it into the glossary.

Cheers all.

James A. Walsh (asker) Jul 13, 2011:

Thanks, mediamatrix That makes a lot of sense. I will indeed check with the client. Cheers.

mediamatrix (X) Jul 13, 2011:

Sloppy ST editing For all the reasons already mentioned here, I reckon the ST has been mangled in drafting/editing. It would make far more sense (and would conform to normal practice here in Chile) if it said: "Para la sola presentación de la oferta, los catálogos técnicos que se presentan, pueden ser en un idioma otro que español." It's only after that first stage in the process that literally 'everything' has to be in Spanish, and the purpose is to avoid the need for bidders to translate their technical catalogues into Spanish - often huge documents containing a lot of stuff that's not even relevant to the bid - without even knowing if they stand a chance of getting the contract.

I suggest you check with the client.

James A. Walsh (asker) Jul 13, 2011:

@mediamatrix: Yes, it's been copy/pasted correctly And yes, that's one of the reasons I've posted... The subject of the verb is "los catálogos técnicos que se presentan"

FVS (X) Jul 13, 2011:

Media Good point. It seems to be badly drafted at the least.

mediamatrix (X) Jul 13, 2011:

@James Can you confirm that the sentence "Para la sola ... deberá encontrarse en idioma español." has been copy-pasted fully and correctly? And if so, suggest what the subject of the verb 'deberá' might be?

As it stands, it makes precious little sense - which is perhaps why you've posted the question... :)