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développement limité d'une fonction
Tests d\'endurance des batteries de la configuration portée
Jun 20, 2018 17:01
5 yrs ago
2 viewers *
French term

Former, Informer, Transformer

French to English Marketing Advertising / Public Relations Training and development
Hi all,

This above is taken from a presentation on a training programme in graphics. On the surface it looks nice and simple, except for the fact that presentation revolves around the acronym FIT.

Can anyone think of a suitable translation that doesn't result in TIT?

I might just have to grow up, but I'd like to avoid it if I can.

David
Proposed translations (English)
3 +2 Education, Information, Transformation
2 +3 Foster learning, Inform, Transform
2 +3 Facilitate, Inform, Transform
3 +1 Coach, Inform/Advise, Transform/Change
3 Forge, Inform, Transform
3 Form Inform Transform

Discussion

Marian Vieyra Jun 22, 2018:
Keeping it catchy... I prefer the mantra you came up with INFORM TRANSFORM PERFORM, if only to avoid any memories of Tony Blair...
Carol Gullidge Jun 21, 2018:
Frank see my note just added below my Answer. Basically, it might help if you were to post your suggestion as an Answer, to make David's job easier if the client selects your idea
David Howard (asker) Jun 21, 2018:
Wow! I'm glad I've been able to open up such a vibrant discussion. As some have suggested, changing the acronym in the English version won't actually have a huge impact on the overall document (as Charles asked, in particular), a different acronym will still work. I quite like Carol's suggestion of "Inform, Transform, Perform" and Frank's "inForm, Instruct, Transform". I may give the client a few options to see which they prefer and will choose an entry based on their response.
Carol Gullidge Jun 21, 2018:
Frank and Shabelula :O))

But seriously, I think the logical order with these three has to be: (1) Informing => (2) Transformation => (3) Performance (with performance - denoting success - generally being the ultimate aim with most industries)
Shabelula Jun 21, 2018:
@Carol Gullidge

maybe turning it Transform Inform Perform would make it a nice "TIP" with a meaning in English, too!
Frank Foley Jun 20, 2018:
Eureka!
FIT = Flossed In Translation.
Carol Gullidge Jun 20, 2018:
Leeway on FIT, etc In fact, it seems that the Asker is more concerned about not ending up with an embarrassing acronym than with actually retaining "FIT" itself, nice though it is. After all, FIT is the FRENCH acronym, and doesn't in fact mean the same thing in the ST as it does in EN, which could even be construed as a translation loss in itself. It would nevertheless be a bonus if the English version could use it, possibly overriding the fact that Facilitating is not an exact rendering of the ST. I feel that as long as the message is conveyed reasonably accurately and in a sufficiently catchy manner, the nitty gritty is probably less important.
Claire Nolan Jun 20, 2018:
Good points, Charles. I agree.
Charles Davis Jun 20, 2018:
I think so too But really this is the kind of thing you have to decide when you've seen the whole presentation: how much leeway is there on the acronym and what are the knock-on effects if you change it? What is the orientation of the training? And so on: things only David can judge.
Claire Nolan Jun 20, 2018:
Carol, It's snappy with the repeated "form" syllable. Why not post it as an answer?
Carol Gullidge Jun 20, 2018:
How about a bit of lateral thinking? ...this is marketing after all.

INFORM TRANSFORM PERFORM (or something along those lines)

OK, the nice acronym is lost, but ITP is nice and safe (afaik!), and this is simple and does get the message across. I think the order is important here, as Performance is presumably the ultimate aim
Frank Foley Jun 20, 2018:
Can you modify the acronym in English, or does it run through the whole presentation?
If you can, I'd suggest sth like EIT - Educate Inform Transform. After all, Train and Inform are quite similar in meaning.
If you have to keep FIT, how about using some licence with word order and acro-letters, e.g., "FIT (inForm, Instruct, Transform") ? The French do this all the time with acronyms.

"I might just have to grow up, but I'd like to avoid it if I can." Isn't that what Peter Pan said? :-)

Proposed translations

+2
19 hrs
Selected

Education, Information, Transformation

to stick fairly closely to the ST, since Formation can be translated as Education.

And aren't we all familiar with the slogan "Education, Education, Education"...?!

... and since David himself specified that any acronym other than the excruciating TIT (or other similarly embarrassing translations) would suffice, it doesn't seem that FIT is essential, especially since in any case it doesn't mean the same thing in the ST.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day 2 mins (2018-06-21 17:03:42 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Having just seen David's Discussion entry, I thought I'd better add this option just in case the client does select it:

Inform, Transform, Perform

(and perhaps Frank should post his suggestion as well, to make it easier for David to grade if his idea is selected)


Peer comment(s):
agree Yvonne Gallagher
4 hrs
thanks Yvonne!
agree Lucy Galbraith : I like the snappiness of both of your suggestions. The second is great marketing speak, but if the client doesn't want to deviate at all, then the "ation" endings are a good solution.
1 day 1 hr
many thanks Lucy :)
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks Carol for you helpful discussion entries and suggestion "inform, transform, perform" -the client's preferred option."
+1
4 mins

Coach, Inform/Advise, Transform/Change

Just a suggestion...
Peer comment(s):
neutral writeaway : former isn't coaching
11 mins
It is not exactly the same, I am only trying to avoid using a T as the Asker requested...
agree Julie Barber
2 hrs
Thank you, Julie!
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+3
10 mins

Foster learning, Inform, Transform

But that gives FLIT!

Peer comment(s):
agree writeaway : I came up with Develop and that gives DIT. Inform and Transform - English business speak as well
9 mins
Thanks. Also thought of "facilitate", but that's a more specific type of training method (guide on the side, not the sage on the stage).
agree Carol Gullidge : agree with "Facilitate", as you suggest in your response to Writeaway//indeed, and a very telling aside it was too :)
2 hrs
Thanks, but I only mentioned it as an aside.
agree Charles Davis : I agree with "Facilitate" too, as you can see! (Sorry to duplicate it, but I honestly didn't notice you'd mentioned it already.)) // No, I know, but site etiquette tends to frown on posting ideas that someone's already mentioned.
3 hrs
Thanks, Charles. I don't own "facilitate" as an answer!!!
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+3
1 hr

Facilitate, Inform, Transform

Or nouns: Facilitation, Information, Transformation. Do they have to be verbs?

There are obviously two approaches here: find a word beginning with F that will get by for "Former" and keep FIT, or abandon that and make another acronym that is not embarrassing (TIT, GIT, ZIT...). However, option 2 is not that easy either, because if the acronym doesn't make sense and isn't positively apt, like FIT, then what's the point?

Well, facilitation is not a million miles from training, though I'm not claiming it's the word one would spontaneously have chosen. It expresses the idea of helping people to learn for themselves.

A reference for the hell of it:
http://english.iifac.org/excellent-meetings-tips/misconcepti...
Peer comment(s):
neutral Shabelula : facilitate means something else in training, it's also a role (facilitator)
36 mins
I think it's pretty close; facilitating is effectively a method of training and a facilitator is a kind of trainer.
agree Carol Gullidge : I DO agree with this, but Claire already suggested it in a response to Writeaway. I have no problem with Facilitate - imo, it's close enough and retains the FIT acronym///Got to agree now since you are such a gentleman :)
48 mins
Thanks, Carol. I hadn't noticed, honest! // Very kind of you, thanks!
agree Claire Nolan
2 hrs
Thanks very much, Claire!
agree James A. Walsh
16 hrs
Cheers, James. Welcome back! ;-)
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2 hrs

Forge, Inform, Transform

yes?
Peer comment(s):
neutral writeaway : no. forge has a number of meanings but none of them fit this context
8 hrs
tks
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16 hrs

Form Inform Transform

I really don't see why the literal 'Form' couldn't work - as in fully formed half-formed, form into a shape and other dictionary synonyms. Training is a kind of 'formation' or development into something.
Example sentence:

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/form

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