Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Jul 2, 2013 08:42
10 yrs ago
14 viewers *
English term
Poland
depress
English
Tech/Engineering
Automotive / Cars & Trucks
Example:
depress the brake pedal
The way the verb is used in service manuals I'm working on makes me think that someone has got the meaning totally wrong, i.e. uses "depress" as an opposite to "press". This is a novelty as "press" and "release" were used before.
This is a sample sentence:
Verify a test lamp does not illuminates harness connector terminal 27 and ground while the brake pedal is depressed.
As you can see a confused verb meaning seems to be just one of the many problems of the writer.
The big question is:
Does "depress" mean "release" in modern American English?
I believe a modern engineer thinks that "depress" is an opposite to "press", similarly to "pressurize" and "depressurize".
How this should be handled may be beyond my control, as I will report it to my client, though they may want to consult me. If you have a way out, suggestions will be highly appreciated.
depress the brake pedal
The way the verb is used in service manuals I'm working on makes me think that someone has got the meaning totally wrong, i.e. uses "depress" as an opposite to "press". This is a novelty as "press" and "release" were used before.
This is a sample sentence:
Verify a test lamp does not illuminates harness connector terminal 27 and ground while the brake pedal is depressed.
As you can see a confused verb meaning seems to be just one of the many problems of the writer.
The big question is:
Does "depress" mean "release" in modern American English?
I believe a modern engineer thinks that "depress" is an opposite to "press", similarly to "pressurize" and "depressurize".
How this should be handled may be beyond my control, as I will report it to my client, though they may want to consult me. If you have a way out, suggestions will be highly appreciated.
Responses
| 3 +1 | press down on |
Jack Doughty
|
| 5 +2 | press |
David Moore (X)
|
| 5 | release |
Terry Richards
|
| 4 | depress |
B D Finch
|
Change log
Jul 7, 2013 07:27: Jack Doughty Created KOG entry
Responses
+1
14 mins
Jack Doughty
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Native in English
&
English
Works in field
United Kingdom
Translator since 1953
Native in: English
Works in: Russian to English, German to English, English
Related KudoZ points
:
64
Selected
press down on
No, to depress a pedal means to press down on it, not to "de-press" it by releasing the pressure (my native language is UK English, so it remains to be seen if any native US speaker will contradict me).
Yes, it is poor English. I think what he means is:
Check that the test lamp does not illuminate the harness connector terminal 27 and is grounded while the brake pedal is depressed.
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Note added at 1 hr (2013-07-02 10:20:16 GMT)
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The added context (see "Discussion") makes it clear that the author of this piece is using the word "depress" wrongly. Instead of "press" and "depress", he should say "depress" and "release".
Yes, it is poor English. I think what he means is:
Check that the test lamp does not illuminate the harness connector terminal 27 and is grounded while the brake pedal is depressed.
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Note added at 1 hr (2013-07-02 10:20:16 GMT)
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The added context (see "Discussion") makes it clear that the author of this piece is using the word "depress" wrongly. Instead of "press" and "depress", he should say "depress" and "release".
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thank you very much. Yours was the earliest comprehensive response."
+2
12 mins
press
Even modern American English isn't turning the language on its head; I wouldn't have used "depress" here, but "press" is what it means!
Some non US native speaker (mis)using a dictionary, methinks...
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Note added at 14 mins (2013-07-02 08:56:41 GMT)
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Merriam-Webster gives as meaning 2 for "depress": "Press down, as of a typewriter key".
Some non US native speaker (mis)using a dictionary, methinks...
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Note added at 14 mins (2013-07-02 08:56:41 GMT)
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Merriam-Webster gives as meaning 2 for "depress": "Press down, as of a typewriter key".
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Yvonne Gallagher
: I would have thought "depressed"= FULLY pressed-down was widely used? I certainly wouldn't say it's that unusual or needs a dictionary...
8 mins
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You'd be amazed how many so-called translators with non-native-speaker abilities in a language think that any term in a dictionary will do...
|
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| agree |
jccantrell
: To my Merkin ears, 'depress' is fine and used correctly.
5 hrs
|
3 hrs
depress
Pressing down on the brake pedal is what you do in order to depress it. However, if you had a setup with a pulley you could depress the brake pedal by pulling (from above or below), rather than by pressing it. In other words "depress" is the downward movement of the brake pedal that is the desired outcome, rather than the means used to achieve it. This is a correct and accurate instruction and should be retained.
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Note added at 3 hrs (2013-07-02 11:52:53 GMT)
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I've now seen the additional information in the Discussion section and it does look as though the author is using the word totally incorrectly.
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Note added at 3 hrs (2013-07-02 11:52:53 GMT)
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I've now seen the additional information in the Discussion section and it does look as though the author is using the word totally incorrectly.
44 mins
Terry Richards
France
France
Native in English
&
English
Works in field
France
30 years in IT, Engineering degree.
Native in: English (Variants: UK, US, British) 
Works in: French to English, English
release
Now that I have seen the new context, it is clear that the original author is using the verb incorrectly. The verb they wanted was release.
Depress is a perfectly good verb meaning "apply enough pressure to make it move" but that is not what is needed here.
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Note added at 3 hrs (2013-07-02 12:42:18 GMT)
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If you choose this answer, you probably shouldn't enter it into the glossary. As a couple of the commenters have pointed out, this would result in a very confusing entry. It also shows why you should read *all* of the discussion before using a KOG entry :)
Depress is a perfectly good verb meaning "apply enough pressure to make it move" but that is not what is needed here.
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Note added at 3 hrs (2013-07-02 12:42:18 GMT)
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If you choose this answer, you probably shouldn't enter it into the glossary. As a couple of the commenters have pointed out, this would result in a very confusing entry. It also shows why you should read *all* of the discussion before using a KOG entry :)
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
B D Finch
: Now I've also seen the additional context, you seem to be right about the author using the word incorrectly. That will potentially make for a very misleading KoG entry, which is why I hesitate to "agree" with your answer.
2 hrs
|
| neutral |
Yvonne Gallagher
: agree with BDF's comments
3 hrs
|
Discussion
Wenn das Licht nicht leuchtet, ist die Birne niedergebrannt....
I wholeheartedly agree with Jo; I'd be extremely inclined to reject the job. If the source text is so laden with errors as to make it incomprehensible, the customer cannot hold you responsible for any delay occasioned to the translation! Of course, your reputation is at stake, isn't it...
"Verify a test lamp does not illuminates harness connector terminal 27 and ground" is gibberish
I don't in fact believe that the "de" element here is a prefix; think of words such as "destroy". deploy", and so on...
There are a number of tests to diagnose components. On the face their output is simple to a technician:
1. Press A and see if a test lamp is illuminated.
2. Release A and see if a test lamp is not illuminated.
According to this logic the pair of sentences is:
Verify a test lamp illuminates harness connector terminal 27 and ground while the brake pedal is pressed.
Verify a test lamp does not illuminates harness connector terminal 27 and ground while the brake pedal is depressed.
Please disregard the awful grammar to assess the logic.
Am I the only one appalled by the use of 'intuition' rather than a dictionary?
Please see http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20101019094229AA...
tr.v. de·pressed, de·press·ing, de·press·es
1. To lower in spirits; deject.
2.
a. To cause to drop or sink; lower: The drought depressed the water level in the reservoirs.
b. To press down: Depress the space bar on a typewriter.
3. To lessen the activity or force of; weaken: feared that rising inflation would further depress the economy.
4. To lower prices in (a financial market).
[Middle English depressen, to push down, from Old French depresser, from Latin dprimere, dpress- : d-, de- + premere, to press; see per-4 in Indo-European roots.]