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the child??

English translation: the child/your child

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:the child??
Selected answer:the child/your child
Entered by: Karina Pelech

18:10 Jun 2, 2002
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
English term or phrase: the child??
I would appreciate your opinion on the following.
I am translating instructions for mounting a baby seat on a bicycle and have the expression 'the child' all over the place ie. Make sure the child is seated,
take the child out of the seat.
This sounds very impersonal to me but am hesitant to put 'your child' as who knows, it could be your brother or neighbour you're carrying about.
I would like to hear your opinions, especially from anyone who has translated something similar or who has children and reads instructions like this all the time!!
Thanks,
Anne
AnneM (X)
Local time: 09:11
Sounds fine to me
Explanation:
Nothing wrong with "the child," in my opinion.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-06-02 18:21:01 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Now that I\'ve seen your note I think \"the child\" is the only thing you can use, because of the age range.
Selected response from:

Sue Goldian
Local time: 10:11
Grading comment
Thank you ever so much everybody for sharing your opinions and experiences.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
5 +18Sounds fine to me
Sue Goldian
4 +4I think the child is fine...
Klaus Dorn (X)
5 +3the child
Roomy Naqvy
4 +3In German...
Alison Schwitzgebel
4 +2Impersonal is good. . .
Fuad Yahya
5your child / the child
Karina Pelech
4'toddler'
Margaret Lagoyianni
4***
Petra Molenaar


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
'toddler'


Explanation:
toddler refers to a child who has not long started walking. Alternatively - youngster.
I have no experience in translation of such but am a mother of six.

Margaret Lagoyianni
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:11
PRO pts in pair: 9

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Roomy Naqvy: I wouldn't agree with the toddler. There is a linguistic difference between the two terms. Youngster would be FALSE.
53 mins
neutral  John Kinory (X): Agree with Roomy. I don't know if this is what Anne is asking.
1 hr
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8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +18
Sounds fine to me


Explanation:
Nothing wrong with "the child," in my opinion.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-06-02 18:21:01 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Now that I\'ve seen your note I think \"the child\" is the only thing you can use, because of the age range.


    Mother of three :-)
Sue Goldian
Local time: 10:11
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 16
Grading comment
Thank you ever so much everybody for sharing your opinions and experiences.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  tazdog (X): I think "the child" is fine, too.
7 mins
  -> Thanks Cindy
agree  Sarah Ponting: Another mother of 3!
9 mins
  -> Thanks Sarah
agree  Chris Rowson (X): I recently translated Montessori material (for 3 - 6): for that and for you, I find "the child" fine. Where I had a problem was "its"! :-)
12 mins
  -> Thanks Chris
agree  Attila Piróth
49 mins
  -> Thanks Attila
agree  Roomy Naqvy
52 mins
  -> Thanks Roomy
agree  Daniela McKeeby
1 hr
  -> Thanks Daniela
agree  Arthur Borges
1 hr
  -> Thanks Arthur
agree  John Kinory (X): Sounds fine to me.
1 hr
  -> Thanks John
agree  jerrie
1 hr
  -> Thanks Jerrie
agree  Barbara Szelest-VanDussen
2 hrs
  -> Thanks Barbara
agree  Gayle Wallimann: Absolutely fine. You really don't have any other choice and child is used in all instructions like this,
2 hrs
  -> Thanks Gayle
agree  katica (X)
2 hrs
  -> Thanks Katica
agree  airmailrpl: child sounds good
2 hrs
  -> Thanks
agree  Katsuhiko KAKUNO, Ph.D.
3 hrs
  -> Thanks Katsuhiko
agree  NGK
3 hrs
  -> Thanks Norbert
agree  Gabriela Tenenbaum (X): #:)
3 hrs
  -> Thanks Gaby
agree  AhmedAMS
4 hrs
  -> Thanks Ahmed
agree  fcl: the child, das Kind, l'enfant, no problem.
6 hrs
  -> Thanks. In Hebrew, too - hayeled
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8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
I think the child is fine...


Explanation:
the child is here only used as a classification, to describe the kind of human for which the seat is for, hence it should be "the child". It's used just the same as "the adult", if we were to translate or write about an instruction for something that is only used by adults. Here, we wouldn't say "your ....." neither. Stick with it, it is not imporsonal, it's "the child (that you are driving around on your bicycle)"...

Klaus Dorn (X)
Local time: 10:11
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in pair: 35

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Roomy Naqvy
52 mins
agree  Barbara Szelest-VanDussen
2 hrs
agree  katica (X)
2 hrs
agree  Gabriela Tenenbaum (X): #:)
3 hrs
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8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
In German...


Explanation:
They always speak about "das Kind" in these type of instructions. It is pretty impersonal, but as you say the child in question may not always be your own....

I'd stick with "the child"

Also check out

"Harness straps should be at or above the child's shoulders.
Harness straps should be threaded through the top slots of most safety seats. Check the instructions.
Harness straps are snug. Remember- Baby's seatbelt!
Harness chest clip should be at the child's armpit level. It positions the harness straps on the child's shoulders, so in a crash the child stays in the safety seat. "

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-06-02 18:19:46 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

ah yes, mother of one (and three weeks to go on number 2!)


    Reference: http://www.bannerhealthaz.com/services/carseat_tips.html
Alison Schwitzgebel
France
Local time: 09:11
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in pair: 92

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Roomy Naqvy
53 mins
agree  Barbara Szelest-VanDussen
2 hrs
agree  katica (X)
2 hrs
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8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
your child / the child


Explanation:
same thing really.

Afternoon Anne,

In the conttext, "your" child is justt another way of saying "anyone's" child/ or the "child who is there". It is in the third person plural and relats to everyone.

Either will do, just make sure you are consistent.

Suerte ... :o)

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-06-02 18:20:14 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

relates.. sorry (and for excessive \'t\' s - this terrible keyboard...

:o)

Karina Pelech
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in pair: 31
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27 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
***


Explanation:
Hi Anne,
You would be able to make it more "personal" i.e. less like you carry a bag around or to remember you are dealing with a "spirit" by using alternately his and her throughout your text.

Hope this helps
Petra

Petra Molenaar
Native speaker of: Dutch
PRO pts in pair: 11
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57 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +3
the child


Explanation:
Dear Anne,

I have been translating such documents from English to Gujarati for quite some time. Each language will have its own cultural dynamics. Right now, I am on few documents dealing with Special Education. Now, 'the child' in English becomes 'your child' [tamarun baalak] in Gujarati. You see, in Gujarati, 'the child' would not do and it can be used even if it is 'the child who is your brother or sister'.

Even in Hindi, it would be 'your child' most of the time in such a context.

But in English, which is more a language of understatement, it would best be 'the child' but certainly, at places where you feel appropriate you can intersperse the text with 'your child' to take away the monotony of the translation. [In Gujarati/Hindi, we would often say 'My dearest friend XYZ' but in English, 'My dearest' would often be reserved for the beloved. This is a matter of cultural difference.]

I did an earlier document from English to Gujarati dealing with measles, mumps vaccines and again, we had 'the child', 'your child' etc and I followed the same convention into Gujarati of 'your child'. But if I were translating into English, I would have rather stuck with 'the child'.

Regards
Roomy Naqvy
'a child of the times'


    Reference: http://my-childlike-brain.com!!!
Roomy Naqvy
India
Local time: 12:41
Native speaker of: Native in HindiHindi
PRO pts in pair: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  John Kinory (X): Even in Hebrew, which is not a language of understatement, I prefer to stick with 'the child': 'Your child' sounds too contrived.
42 mins
  -> thanks
agree  Barbara Szelest-VanDussen
1 hr
  -> thanks
agree  Gabriela Tenenbaum (X): #:)
3 hrs
  -> :):):)
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
Impersonal is good. . .


Explanation:
. . . partly for the reasons you indicated: it could be your brother or neighbour you're carrying about.

In the US, the practice is to go for the personal, which I feel is intrusive and distastefully ingratiating.

I work at a hospital. The Patient Education Department produces patient instruction sheets full of such personal statements as the following:

"The surgeon will put the Quinton catheter into your child's subclavian vein. . ." etc.

We in the Language Assistance Department have struck an agreement with the Patient Education Department to re-write such a statement, when translating into Arabic, as follows:

"The surgeon will put the Quinton catheter into the stem cell donor's subclavian vein. . ." etc.

Of course, we wish that the Patient Education Department would write the original document using impersonal but accurate phrasing, so we do not have to make changes as we translate into Arabic.

I applaud the original author of the instructions that you are translating for not trying to ingratiate himself or herself to the customer. The customer needs clear instruction, not false piety.


Fuad

Fuad Yahya
Native speaker of: Native in ArabicArabic, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 893

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  John Kinory (X): Oddly enough, in the UK too there is a lot of this (the practice to go for the personal, which I too feel is intrusive and distastefully ingratiating
1 hr
agree  Roomy Naqvy
6 hrs
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