laid down

English translation: which was first defined and made public

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:laid down
Selected answer:which was first defined and made public
Entered by: Nadia Ayoub

12:20 Nov 23, 2011
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Social Sciences - International Org/Dev/Coop
English term or phrase: laid down
World leaders will soon gather again here in Rio de Janeiro to consider how to meet the challenge of sustainable development **laid down** twenty years ago.

I am not sure what "laid down" means exactly in this context.

Thank you for your help!
Nadia Ayoub
Egypt
Local time: 15:31
which was first defined and made public
Explanation:
The challenge of sustainable development was discussed, defined and became a public issue 20 years ago.

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Note added at 2 hrs (2011-11-23 14:23:53 GMT)
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The context would seem to refer to Rio 92:
"A II Conferência das Nações Unidas sobre Meio Ambiente e Desenvolvimento Humano, realizada em 1992 no Rio de Janeiro, teve como principal tema a discussão sobre o desenvolvimento sustentável e sobre como de reverter o atual processo de degradação ambiental."

"O mais importante deles [acordos], a chamada Agenda 21, comprometia as nações signatárias a adotar métodos de proteção ambiental, justiça social e eficiência econômica, criando um Fundo para o Meio Ambiente, para ser o suporte financeiro das metas fixadas."

http://rpc.br.tripod.com/artigos/rio92.html
Selected response from:

Martin Riordan
Brazil
Local time: 10:31
Grading comment
I used defined, thank you!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +2identified and recognized/ recognised, made part of the group's agenda
Jenni Lukac (X)
4 +2which was first defined and made public
Martin Riordan
5first presented
Hal D'Arpini
5declared
Abouzar Oraki


Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


48 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
identified and recognized/ recognised, made part of the group's agenda


Explanation:
This is a curious expression. Since it refers to a challenge, I'm assuming that twenty years ago the subject of sustainable development became a part of the group's agenda. If it meant identifying and publishing, as Martin suggests, the proper expression would be "laid out" in a document and there should be a document dating back to that time that defines a policy or makes a statement defining objectives. If you can't track down such a document (or if such a document is not mentioned elsewhere in text you're working with), I would not be so explicit. Either the writer has confused "laid" with "laid down" or he/she is noting that the group first became aware of this challenge twenty years ago and began to study and address this issue.

Jenni Lukac (X)
Local time: 14:31
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 44
Notes to answerer
Asker: Many thanks Jenni!


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Tina Vonhof (X)
3 hrs
  -> Thanks very much, Tina.

agree  Lara Barnett
1 day 1 hr
  -> Thanks very much, Lara.
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5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
which was first defined and made public


Explanation:
The challenge of sustainable development was discussed, defined and became a public issue 20 years ago.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2011-11-23 14:23:53 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

The context would seem to refer to Rio 92:
"A II Conferência das Nações Unidas sobre Meio Ambiente e Desenvolvimento Humano, realizada em 1992 no Rio de Janeiro, teve como principal tema a discussão sobre o desenvolvimento sustentável e sobre como de reverter o atual processo de degradação ambiental."

"O mais importante deles [acordos], a chamada Agenda 21, comprometia as nações signatárias a adotar métodos de proteção ambiental, justiça social e eficiência econômica, criando um Fundo para o Meio Ambiente, para ser o suporte financeiro das metas fixadas."

http://rpc.br.tripod.com/artigos/rio92.html

Martin Riordan
Brazil
Local time: 10:31
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
I used defined, thank you!
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks Martin :)


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Noël Purcell-O'Byrne: I agree with the "first defined" but would leave out the rest of the sentence out. "Laid down" used to mean "closed, terminated, ended" as in a "committee being laid down after it has completed its work".
3 mins
  -> Thanks, Noël!

agree  Sheila Wilson: Synonyms could be: put down on paper, written down, etc
12 mins
  -> Thanks, Sheila!
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
first presented


Explanation:

All the other answers would likewise fit, but I‘m offering my answer merely as a simple substitute for the ST. To lay down a challenge means to present someone with a challenge, and I think it comes from the medieval tradition practiced by knights of throwing down [laying down] one‘s gauntlet in front of an opponet in order to offer him a challenge.


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Note added at 4 hrs (2011-11-23 16:48:06 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I included “first” in my translation because of the “twenty years ago” that follows “laid down” in the ST. It’s a way of further highlightig the passage of time since the challenge was first presented. (There, I used it again. :) )


    Reference: http://onlinedictionary.datasegment.com/word/to+throw+down+t...
Hal D'Arpini
Local time: 14:31
Native speaker of: English
Notes to answerer
Asker: Many thanks Hal, this is very interesting!

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22 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
declared


Explanation:
declared

Abouzar Oraki
Local time: 17:01
Native speaker of: Native in Persian (Farsi)Persian (Farsi)
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