Christopher Smith (X) May 27, 2015:

As Dave said, he has experience of these things. At first it sounded too weapon-related to me, but I am prepared to accept what he says. That is why I withdrew my answer.

Dave Greatrix May 27, 2015:

Point I think everyone is missing the point here. The alarm system state of readiness will be displayed somewhere on a control panel. I don't think "heightened state of alert" would fit somehow...or 'ready to respond to input/operator input immediately' - Anyway, should that not read: 'ready to respond immediately to input/operator input' - still too verbose for a control panel alert...

Barend van Zadelhoff May 27, 2015:

My point?

I know a possible translation for someone/a person staat op scherp': someone being in a heightened state of alertness'

My question?

How would you call it in English if a door 'op scherp staat'.

I could describe it as 'ready to respond to input/operator input immediately'

Dave Greatrix May 27, 2015:

Armed "The door sensors are armed" - I honestly can't see the problem here. In the context of an alarm system, you could even say "the doors are armed"

Evgeny Artemov (X) May 27, 2015:

Dave I didn't mean that as I asked. I know how the alarm works.
The source text says literally "Deze [deuren] staan skerp". How would you TRANSLATE this, keeping "armed", without lapsing into expanding and overtranslating?
(I am not trolling, honest; I really would like to know the limit of acceptable expansion (a good example here) when the source text misses things the target language can't work without.)

Dave Greatrix May 27, 2015:

Point and your point is Barend?

Dave Greatrix May 27, 2015:

Doors The actual doors don't get armed, but the alarm sensors on the doors do get "armed" and if these sensors get "activated" the alarm sounds.

Barend van Zadelhoff May 27, 2015:

If humans 'op scherp staan' you could say that they 'are in a heightened state of alertness'

If doors 'op scherp staan' you could say...

Evgeny Artemov (X) May 27, 2015:

Dave, Sure thing. Question is, however, if the right term is appropriate in a less professional context (the context did not somehow convince me, despite " a document on a security management system (system incorporating access control, security cameras, biometrics, etc.)".

But no one's inventing nothing. ;-) Having been in the navy for quite a while, I still doubt if "garrot the ricket" would be appropriate in a sort of layman's description of a docking a ship in, say, a pop-sci text. Or the full array of old nautical terms in a magazine article. Christopher sensed it too, I guess.
Anyway, you are technically right. :-)
Finally, how do you go about arming doors in this particular sentence? Just curious. Thanks.

Dave Greatrix May 27, 2015:

Stand by I think it's quite risky to invent terms to replace terms that are internationally accepted and indeed commonly used.

Dave Greatrix May 27, 2015:

Armed I was in construction for over 40 years and I've also owned shops, pubs and houses fitted with alarms. An "armed" system is extremely common alarm terminology.

Evgeny Artemov (X) May 27, 2015:

'Stand by' then, perhaps.

Dave Greatrix May 27, 2015:

Armed v Activated An "activated alarm" is sounding
An "armed" alarm has been readied to sound an alert.

If workers "staan op scherp", they are READY to spring into action, buy they are not actually working (activated).

Will Kelly (asker) May 27, 2015:

Also asked on Translatorscafe: http://www.translatorscafe.com/tcterms/en-GB/thQuestion.aspx...