Official company name variant (English)
Thread poster: A.O.
A.O.
A.O.
Finland
Local time: 15:03
Finnish to English
+ ...
Mar 7, 2016

If my translation contains names of institutes, etc., I check for the official translation of the name of the institution or company on their website. Sometimes when I need to produce a translation in English (UK), the official translation may be in English (US), centre vs. center, for example.

Would you keep the official translation and have it stick out and look like a mistake in the UK translation? Or would you change the name into the target variant and not respect the official
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If my translation contains names of institutes, etc., I check for the official translation of the name of the institution or company on their website. Sometimes when I need to produce a translation in English (UK), the official translation may be in English (US), centre vs. center, for example.

Would you keep the official translation and have it stick out and look like a mistake in the UK translation? Or would you change the name into the target variant and not respect the official version?

Proofreaders often change the variant to that of the target, but I can't help but think that that is somehow wrong.

Thanks!
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Janni14
Janni14
Denmark
Local time: 14:03
Danish to English
+ ...
I agree! Mar 7, 2016

I do think that it is wrong to change the official name of an institution/agency/company etc. It is really up to the institution to decide what it would like to be called internationally and how to spell that. There may be particular reasons for those choices.



 
Tim Friese
Tim Friese  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 08:03
Member (2013)
Arabic to English
+ ...
Keep the original Mar 7, 2016

As a rule, definitely keep the original.

 
Sara Massons
Sara Massons  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 14:03
Member (2016)
English to French
+ ...
Totally agree Mar 7, 2016

I would definitely keep the official version. To my mind, changing it would be similar to adding an "h" to the name "Sara" because it is the English way.

 
Inga Petkelyte
Inga Petkelyte  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 13:03
Lithuanian to Portuguese
+ ...
And if other languages? Mar 7, 2016

An interesting question.
And how do you do when you have to translate such original names into a language other than English? You don't keep it in the original, do you?
Thus, editors must be following the same rule, taking US English, for names, as an independent source language and adapting it to the UK English.
For clarity sake, I would ask official local institutions how they deal with such situations.


 
Inga Petkelyte
Inga Petkelyte  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 13:03
Lithuanian to Portuguese
+ ...
Sorry Mar 7, 2016

Sorry, somehow "company" skipped out of my sight. I must be too attached to official institutions. Sorry

 
jyuan_us
jyuan_us  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 09:03
Member (2005)
English to Chinese
+ ...
In most cases, you do. Mar 7, 2016

Inga Petkelyte wrote:

An interesting question.
And how do you do when you have to translate such original names into a language other than English? You don't keep it in the original, do you?


My target language is Chinese but 80% of the clients want such "original names" to be left in English.

[Edited at 2016-03-07 21:09 GMT]


 
Sergei Leshchinsky
Sergei Leshchinsky  Identity Verified
Ukraine
Local time: 15:03
Member (2008)
English to Russian
+ ...
... Mar 7, 2016

I always search for and use official names only.
If there is no one (sometimes there is not Russiana official translations of rare institutions), I invent, but supply original name in brackets.


 
A.O.
A.O.
Finland
Local time: 15:03
Finnish to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Official company name variant (English) Mar 7, 2016

Sergei Leshchinsky wrote:

I always search for and use official names only.
If there is no one (sometimes there is not Russiana official translations of rare institutions), I invent, but supply original name in brackets.


Yes, that's what I do, too. I always prefer the institution's/company's own version, but it does really look like a mistake sometimes. Thanks for the replies!


 
Kristina Cosumano (X)
Kristina Cosumano (X)  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 14:03
German to English
What about universities and other institutions? Mar 8, 2016

I often come across names of universities and museums which do not have English names on their websites. If the source name seems understandable to a target-language reader, I try to keep it. But sometimes not. At the moment I try to use my best judgement, but to the comany name rules apply here too?

 
Kay Denney
Kay Denney  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 14:03
French to English
my take Mar 8, 2016

Kristina Cosumano wrote:

I often come across names of universities and museums which do not have English names on their websites. If the source name seems understandable to a target-language reader, I try to keep it. But sometimes not. At the moment I try to use my best judgement, but to the comany name rules apply here too?


You don't change the name of a company, that's been registered and all.

For a school or university or hospital, I'll translate it, but I'll keep the original acronym unless I see that the institution itself uses the English acronym.

Unless I have information to the contrary, I'll assume that my readers don't understand a word of French, better safe than sorry


 
neilmac
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 14:03
Spanish to English
+ ...
Academic Institutions Mar 8, 2016

At least one of my academic clients, the UPV, now insists on its name being left in its original form in texts submitted for publication. When in doubt, I ask the client what they prefer.

 
Inga Petkelyte
Inga Petkelyte  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 13:03
Lithuanian to Portuguese
+ ...
Hmmm... Mar 8, 2016

jyuan_us wrote:

My target language is Chinese but 80% of the clients want such "original names" to be left in English.

[Edited at 2016-03-07 21:09 GMT]


Are you telling that 80% of your clients want to leave, e.g., American Nurses Association, Bank of England, ICJ or ICC in their extensions etc. in original?
These are not commercial companies, they are entities with such registered names, but you certainly must have read my second post immediately after the first.
My clients would never accept such names untranslated nor would I, being a client.
With company names it's certainly different. They are just like personal names of people - not touchable, with some exceptions.


 
Daniel Frisano
Daniel Frisano  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 14:03
Member (2008)
English to Italian
+ ...
A German document with an English name for a French university, to be translated into Italian Nov 29, 2017

I know, it sounds like a joke, but here is what my source says:

"
Ein solches Konzept ist ebenfalls in der Dissertation "...", University of Evry-Val-d’Esssonne (...), vorgestellt.
"

What would you do? I guess French and English would use "Université" and "University of", respectively, but what about other target languages? By the way, it's a patent, so you are not supposed to be too "creative".

[Edited at 2017-11-29 13:44 GMT]


 
Kay Denney
Kay Denney  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 14:03
French to English
Essonne Nov 29, 2017

I would translate "university of" into Italian and leave the French.

No, actually, correct the spelling mistake in French (double s not triple in Essonne)


 


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Official company name variant (English)







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