https://www.proz.com/kudoz/spanish-to-english/business-commerce-general/6951269-el-usuario.html

Glossary entry

Spanish term or phrase:

el Usuario

English translation:

The User

Added to glossary by Comunican
Apr 13, 2021 16:26
3 yrs ago
55 viewers *
Spanish term

el Usuario

Spanish to English Bus/Financial Business/Commerce (general) website legal notice
Let me start by saying: I'm not asking this question because I don't understand the text, but rather to gain other people's opinions about translating in contemporary British English style....

Modern British English is generally warmer and more personal than its Spanish equivalent (decades of writing in Plain English and all that!) and I'm interested in knowing whether others think it would be appropriate or, conversely, would be going too far, to exchange "the User" (impersonal third person) with "You" - bearing in mind that: (i) this is a Legal Notice, (ii) the less formal register might not sit well with the owner of the website (even though a UK equivalent would be likely to use the more personal second person) and (iii) it would require a fullre-write of the whole document in that less formal style....

Also, if you think it should be left in the third person, should it be third person plural - "Users" instead of "the User"?

Thanks for your thoughts. And I look forward to hearing what others think! Hopefully a question that will help others too ;-)

"El Usuario se compromete a hacer un uso correcto de esta Web de conformidad con la Ley, con el presente Aviso Legal, así como con las demás condiciones, reglamentos e instrucciones que, en su caso, pudieran ser de aplicación. El Usuario responderá frente al titular de esta Web y frente a terceros, de cualesquiera daños o perjuicios que pudieran causarse por incumplimiento de estas obligaciones."
Proposed translations (English)
4 +6 The User
4 +3 You
4 Users

Discussion

Comunican (asker) Apr 15, 2021:
@AllegroTrans1 Thanks for your comments and yes, I think I agree with you. Though I will henceforth ask my clients if they would prefer a more informal "you" style and see what they say...
AllegroTrans Apr 13, 2021:
Fornal in - Formal out Some of us like contemporary friendly Enflish in legal documents (and it's also happening in other languages, albeit more cautiously) but it isn't the translator's job to change the style in this way provided that a clear and coherent rendering is possible using the source text style.
AllegroTrans Apr 13, 2021:
A matter of opinion.... say, if this was something like an instruction manual. But it isn't, it's a legal notice and imo the correct translation is "the User" (with a leading capital as in the source text).
Comunican (asker) Apr 13, 2021:
"Cada cliente es un mundo"!!!! Y tanto! :-)
kittilina Apr 13, 2021:
Fair enough.... I think that's the best possible solution! "Cada cliente es un mundo"!!!!
Comunican (asker) Apr 13, 2021:
Fair enough Kittilina Thanks and I appreciate you engaging with my question.... you're probably right that it is best to play it safe. Maybe the answer is to ask each client what they prefer....
kittilina Apr 13, 2021:
Comunican I understand what you're saying, and I know there is a certain informality on some websites, nevertheless I think most of the lawyers I translate for would flip if I didn't use "user". It's a question of avoiding ambiguity.
Comunican (asker) Apr 13, 2021:
@kittilina "You" could be anybody just reading the terms.... Thank you and yes, that has been a factor in my thinking too (and like you, I've translated loads of these). But there are many examples of second-person "you" in British English websites....
I've just taken a look at Marks & Spencer's website (being one of the country's leading consumer-focused companies) and they are very "You"....
https://www.marksandspencer.com/c/help/legal-and-ethical-pol...
philgoddard Apr 13, 2021:
Life is too short to read terms and conditions if you're not the user. In fact, life is too short to read terms and conditions, period :-)
kittilina Apr 13, 2021:
User It wouldn't be appropriate to put "you". I've translated loads of these and it is always "the User". It's more specific. "You" could be anybody just reading the terms and conditions and not necessarily the person who is actually the user. I think everyone understands "user" and end user".

Proposed translations

+6
55 mins
Selected

The User

As it's legal terminology, I'd us The User.

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Note added at 2 days 18 hrs (2021-04-16 11:21:56 GMT) Post-grading
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Thank you very much for accepting my answer Comunican
Peer comment(s):

agree Denise De Peña (X)
2 hrs
Thank you very much Denise
agree AllegroTrans
4 hrs
Thank you very much AllegroTrans
agree Francois Boye
8 hrs
Thank you very much Francois
agree neilmac : I'm with Allegro on this one... although I sometimes use "you" and we" in instruction manuals as well.
13 hrs
Thank you for agreeing neilmac
agree Yvonne Gallagher : I think it's best to match the formal legal style here
20 hrs
Thank you for agreeing Yvonne
agree William Bowley
1 day 20 hrs
Thank you very much William
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks everyone for your input and comments on this. I think on balance, "User" is right. However, I will henceforth ask my clients if they would prefer a more informal "you" style and see what they say... Thanks again. Was hopefully a useful debate to have..."
+3
7 mins

You

As you say, English-language consumer contracts usually address the reader head-on, referring to them as "you" rather than using the third person. Other European languages don't do this nearly so often.

I used to put a translator's note explaining why I'd said "you" when the source text didn't, but now I don't bother, because clients understand.
Peer comment(s):

agree patinba
1 min
agree Orkoyen (X)
56 mins
agree AllegroTrans : But "the User" is equally correct and would be the "true" translation; see my note
5 hrs
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36 mins

Users

Otra opción más formal que "you", y "el usuario", así como "el lector", tiene un sentido de plural en español.
Peer comment(s):

neutral Yvonne Gallagher : where are you getting the plural from?
20 hrs
Esa es mi respuesta, se podría utilizar "users", si no estás de acuerdo, está bien. A veces, en español se dice "el lector / el usuario/ el hombre / la mujer" tiene un sentido generalizador o plural.
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