bonafide1313 Jan 15, 2009:

Thank you, Mirra, for reverting, I really find discussions very, very interesting, not only from a translator's point of view... I am not at all advocating literal transactions, but, in my view, to translate "antropizzare" with "anthropise" is not literal... to translate "it rains cats and dogs" with "piovono gatti e cani", that's another story:)...

Mirra_ Jan 15, 2009:

Thank you, Bonafide :) I totally agree with what you wrote: changing texts according to our education level and/or ideas is not a good (and respectful) way to deal with translations.

bonafide1313 Jan 15, 2009:

sure it isn't... (therefore my quotes for "scientific, and "a sort of")... but it's also not a tourist pamphlet; "antropizzare" and its equivalent in many languages is widely known and used by people from "environmental environments" and similar branches, who in my opinion would be the readers of articles of the kind; the author was I think well aware that many Italians would have to look the word up in a dictionary, but he/she decided to use it ... English readers who are not familiar with the world will look it up ... there are many who won't, as this is their jargon, too. A translation is not (always) meant to play the role also of a dictionary of difficult words...

JRM (X) (asker) Jan 14, 2009:

For the record... ... it isn't a scientific text.

bonafide1313 Jan 14, 2009:

agree with Mirra... the author evidently knows the meaning of the word "antropizzare" and he/she used it, being well aware that many Italians perhaps would not understand the word - but he did not care, they are obviously not his/her audience; why would then we assume that the English readers of such a text would not know the meaning of "anthropize"; why should we assume that this is not a sort of a "scientific" text?

Mirra_ Jan 7, 2009:

if the translation exists... and it corresponds *exactly* to the original term, why using a (wrong) periphrasis for it?
Even many Italians do not understand it correctly in Italian, but neverthless 'antropizzare' exists... :)

Nina Taranto Jan 7, 2009:

more of the same Sorry...missed one:
http://www.proz.com/kudoz/italian_to_english/tourism_travel/...

Nina Taranto Jan 7, 2009:

previous glossaries Please also see previous entries in the glossary.
http://www.proz.com/kudoz/267798
http://www.proz.com/kudoz/433718
Of course, nobody is denying the existence or the meaning of anthropiz(s)e; however, on the internet its use is mainly limited to scientific or non-English sites.

Sarah Jane Webb Jan 7, 2009:

Agree with Jim Some contexts really call for a creative solution. A literal translation just would not sound natural here.

Mirra_ Jan 7, 2009:

also... (last but not least) exactly as it is in Italian, 'to
anthropiz(s)e' is not so much used/known BUT its use is well proven
http://www.google.it/search?hl=en&q=anthropise&meta= 481 hits
http://www.google.it/search?hl=en&q=anthropize 322 hits

Mirra_ Jan 7, 2009:

e segnalo anche http://www.proz.com/kudoz/spanish_to_english/environment_eco...

evidentemente non sono l'unica scema che pensa sia importante rispettare le parole...

Mirra_ Jan 7, 2009:

inoltre segnalo un KudoZ con meno "influenze forti" e, di conseguenza, maggiore correttezza nella collaborazione alla risoluzione
http://www.proz.com/kudoz/french_to_italian/general_conversa...

Mirra_ Jan 6, 2009:

still thinking about it... :) please note that for the much more used related noun, i.e. 'anthropiz(s)ation', google states that the use is quite widespread
anthropization
http://www.google.it/search?num=30&hl=en&safe=off&q=anthropi...
(2.280)
anthropisation
http://www.google.it/search?num=30&hl=en&safe=off&q=anthropi...
(20.200)

James (Jim) Davis Jan 6, 2009:

Frequency I often meet this word antropizzare in Italian and it usually requires a "creative" translation. The word "anthropise" does exist in English with the same meaning, but it is used so little (only has a three line wiki entry and is usually used by anthropologists and the like in highly technical contexts), that the literal translation would just leave the reader having to look it up.
Of course if we insist on using and encouraging the literal translation then it might catch on among native English writers ;-) like "solidarity" with the meaning of altruism for example.