Glossary entry (derived from question below)
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."
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 | Eileen Brophy |
4 +3 | You | philgoddard |
4 | Users | Cristina Zavala |
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
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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.
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
|
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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Discussion
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...