Glossary entry (derived from question below)
English term or phrase:
\"Nationality\" of inverted commas?
English answer:
Use the version applying in the target language
Added to glossary by
Allison Wright (X)
Mar 4, 2011 18:58
13 yrs ago
1 viewer *
English term
"Nationality" of inverted commas?
English
Science
Linguistics
Punctuation
I am translating a De-En text which will be published in book form.
Context:
"Dieses Szenarium spielte sich zu Beginn des Känozoikums (Tertiär) ab und bestand bis zum Paläozän (auf dem Niveau des Thanetium, vor 55 Millionen Jahren); und dürfte damit das Wiederauftreten der Gattung Xxxxxx ermöglicht haben. Man vermutet, dass die ältesten Fossilien dieser Zeit im Fluβbecken von Paris im XIX. Jahrhundert (Fig. 1) gefunden wurde."
Fig. 1 (which presumably is a map; I do not have the illustrations at the moment) has the following text:
Nach Gignoux (1960): - p. 513 – «Landénien : la transgression des sables de Bracheux» [hat sich ein Golf gebildet der bis ins Landesinnere in das Gebiet von Reims reichte].
Note the French-style inverted commas around the work referenced. In the German text, they have been left «French».
Elsewhere in the text German-style inverted commas have been used. My English translation naturally has English ones.
I shall be leaving the French between the inverted commas in French, with a brief explanation in English.
My question: Do I leave the inverted commas as they are, or do I change them to English inverted commas?
Target audience: international.
Context:
"Dieses Szenarium spielte sich zu Beginn des Känozoikums (Tertiär) ab und bestand bis zum Paläozän (auf dem Niveau des Thanetium, vor 55 Millionen Jahren); und dürfte damit das Wiederauftreten der Gattung Xxxxxx ermöglicht haben. Man vermutet, dass die ältesten Fossilien dieser Zeit im Fluβbecken von Paris im XIX. Jahrhundert (Fig. 1) gefunden wurde."
Fig. 1 (which presumably is a map; I do not have the illustrations at the moment) has the following text:
Nach Gignoux (1960): - p. 513 – «Landénien : la transgression des sables de Bracheux» [hat sich ein Golf gebildet der bis ins Landesinnere in das Gebiet von Reims reichte].
Note the French-style inverted commas around the work referenced. In the German text, they have been left «French».
Elsewhere in the text German-style inverted commas have been used. My English translation naturally has English ones.
I shall be leaving the French between the inverted commas in French, with a brief explanation in English.
My question: Do I leave the inverted commas as they are, or do I change them to English inverted commas?
Target audience: international.
Responses
4 +7 | Use the version appplying in the target language | Tony M |
Change log
Mar 4, 2011 19:02: philgoddard changed "Language pair" from "German to English" to "English"
Responses
+7
11 mins
Selected
Use the version appplying in the target language
My own feeling is that you should follow the typographic rules of the target language, unless, perhaps, you have quotes used within a piece of (say) FR body text — i.e. as used by the original author.
In the cases you mention, I would use EN quotes throughout.
In the cases you mention, I would use EN quotes throughout.
Peer comment(s):
agree |
philgoddard
3 mins
|
Thanks, Phil!
|
|
agree |
sporran
46 mins
|
Thanks, Sporran!
|
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agree |
Ramey Rieger (X)
: yes
2 hrs
|
Thanks, Ramey!
|
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agree |
Jacob De Camillis (X)
4 hrs
|
Thanks, Jacob!
|
|
agree |
Phong Le
8 hrs
|
Thanks, Phong Le!
|
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agree |
kmtext
16 hrs
|
Thanks, KMT!
|
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agree |
Anna Herbst
1 day 18 hrs
|
Thanks, Anna!
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thank you Tony - and all those for your agreement. Thank you to Paul Skidmore for your advice regarding the publisher."
Discussion
@Phil: Thanks.