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Dave Chisma & Gail Hodgson wrote:
>
> I would appreciate suggestions about the best way to phrase headings in
> documents destined to be translated into a number of languages.
>
> For example, would you use: 'Printing a Report' or 'To Print a Report',
> and why would you choose one over the other?
>
In your example, "To Print . . . " is more easily translated than
"Printing . . . " because "to print" is the infinitive form (or base
form, or root form) of the verb "print." The infinitive form is a very
basic building block of every language (of the handful) I have
encountered.
"Printing" can, grammatically speaking, be either a gerund (as in your
example phrase), or a present participle (as in "He is printing a report
right now"). While it may seem fine to monolingual English-speakers, to
readers of German, an unintended connotation arises that some other
action may also be happening at the same time (To the tune of: While
printing a report, [[[don't get toner on your nose]]].) The gerund form
occurs more readily in English than in other languages of which I'm
familiar. English-to-other-target-language translators learn how to deal
with structures like these very early in their coursework, I'd say. So
far, no real "curve balls" thrown.
A translator putting your example into German would achieve precision of
meaning and economy in word count using "To Print . . . ." ("Einen
Bericht drücken").
Other suggestions: Avoid culture-bound expressions like "curve balls"
;)
When either of two expressions like "break off" and "interrupt" fit
equally well in a particular context, use the more precise expression
("interrupt").
John Humpert
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