isolation point

French translation: point de sectionnement

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:isolation point
French translation:point de sectionnement
Entered by: Tony M

13:01 Feb 13, 2019
English to French translations [PRO]
Tech/Engineering - Energy / Power Generation
English term or phrase: isolation point
Hello,

I have a document with a source segment which has changed from "Plan the location for the AC isolation switch" into "Plan the location for the AC isolation point".
"AC isolation switch" is translated as "sectionneur AC" in the TM. For "isolation point" I have a bit of a doubt: should it simply be "point d'isolation"?

Thanks in advance
Natalia Tchoulaevski
France
Local time: 09:35
point de sectionnement
Explanation:
In power generation, a great deal of fuss is made about various 'points' in the system, as they can indicate e.g. the boundaries between different responsibilities etc.

It seems to me that here, in changing the text in this way, they are seeking to emphasize at what point isolation occurs, while remaining non-committal about the actual device used to achieve it — and I think it's quite important for your translation to reflect this.

As Soma says, probably best to avoid 'isolation' because of the ambiguity in FR — and in any case, this kind of 'isolation' of circuits etc. is much more usually referred to in FR as 'sectionner' etc.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2019-02-13 15:29:48 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

By the way, you may need to be wary of that TM: 'AC' has 2 common meanings in EN: 'alternating current' or 'air-conditioning' — neither of which, however, is usually abbreviated as 'AC' in FR!
So before slavishly copying the TU, you might want to try and check what the original meaning was meant to be.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 22 hrs (2019-02-14 11:42:13 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

It seems to me the key point here is the edit to the s/t — assuming, indeed, it was a deliberate edit and not just a slip!

So initially they had specified the location of a particualr device; then they edited it to make it more general and refer to the action, not the device.

Assuming the writer knew why they were doing this, it seems to me vital to reproduce this accurately in the translation. It is not up to us to think "we know best" or that it's "close enough".
Selected response from:

Tony M
France
Local time: 09:35
Grading comment
Thanks!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +2point de sectionnement
Tony M
4AC isolateur
Soma Das (X)


  

Answers


1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
AC isolateur


Explanation:
These are mainly electrical disconnectors and are called 'isolateurs'. Isolator switches are generally known as 'interrupteurs-sectionneurs' or 'sectionneurs-isolateurs'.
'Point d'isolation' may not be the correct term as 'isolation' also means 'insulation' in French.
I think 'AC isolateur' should be an apt term.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 17 hrs (2019-02-14 06:21:33 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

The term 'AC' is liberally used in place of CA (courant alternatif) in online retail for electrical appliances (maybe due to absorption of an English term into French like so many other instances), and since the TM in question also had that term, I suggested AC in place of CA. Having said that, I concede that Tony and Johannes has pointed out something important --- that this phrase does not specify a 'dispositif d'isolation'. However, my point is, isolation by itself means disconnection or separation of the electrical equipment from the energy source, and this can be done only by switches. Hence the suggestion of the term 'isolateur'.

Soma Das (X)
India
Local time: 14:05
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in BengaliBengali, Native in EnglishEnglish
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks for your insights, Soma.

Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
point de sectionnement


Explanation:
In power generation, a great deal of fuss is made about various 'points' in the system, as they can indicate e.g. the boundaries between different responsibilities etc.

It seems to me that here, in changing the text in this way, they are seeking to emphasize at what point isolation occurs, while remaining non-committal about the actual device used to achieve it — and I think it's quite important for your translation to reflect this.

As Soma says, probably best to avoid 'isolation' because of the ambiguity in FR — and in any case, this kind of 'isolation' of circuits etc. is much more usually referred to in FR as 'sectionner' etc.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2019-02-13 15:29:48 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

By the way, you may need to be wary of that TM: 'AC' has 2 common meanings in EN: 'alternating current' or 'air-conditioning' — neither of which, however, is usually abbreviated as 'AC' in FR!
So before slavishly copying the TU, you might want to try and check what the original meaning was meant to be.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 22 hrs (2019-02-14 11:42:13 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

It seems to me the key point here is the edit to the s/t — assuming, indeed, it was a deliberate edit and not just a slip!

So initially they had specified the location of a particualr device; then they edited it to make it more general and refer to the action, not the device.

Assuming the writer knew why they were doing this, it seems to me vital to reproduce this accurately in the translation. It is not up to us to think "we know best" or that it's "close enough".

Tony M
France
Local time: 09:35
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 134
Grading comment
Thanks!
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks, Tony. I chose this option as I think it best conveys the change in the source, although I admit other options had valid arguments.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Johannes Gleim: No doubts!
5 hrs
  -> Danke, Johannes! I'm glad you and I have the in-depth understanding needed for this kind of "delicate" question.

agree  Daryo: makes sense
19 hrs
  -> Merci, Daryo !
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.


See also:
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search