Spanish to English concerns about terminology: Representante/Principal
Thread poster: Rachel Freeman
Rachel Freeman
Rachel Freeman  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 13:06
Spanish to English
+ ...
Nov 28, 2012

Hi everyone,

Well, we all have to deal with persnickity clients evey now and again. After translating a web site from Spanish to English for a client (who has proved to be quite picky) through an agency I recieved a long list of complaints. They even asked my Project Manager if a native speaker had done the translation. The I get back their list of concerns and it is FULL of errors in English. Simple grammar mistakes such as plurals where you need the singular and misuse of verbs. <
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Hi everyone,

Well, we all have to deal with persnickity clients evey now and again. After translating a web site from Spanish to English for a client (who has proved to be quite picky) through an agency I recieved a long list of complaints. They even asked my Project Manager if a native speaker had done the translation. The I get back their list of concerns and it is FULL of errors in English. Simple grammar mistakes such as plurals where you need the singular and misuse of verbs.

My question is this, the company is a wholesale distributor, they are insisting on using a term I can not corroborate in any of my research. The term in Spanish was "representante" but the context they were giving me was client or customer. They insist that the correct term in "business English" is Principal. I have tried to document the use of this term in English with wholesale distribution web sites in the US and the UK and NO ONE seems to use it. I am concerned about letting this term slip by because I can not corroborate its use in orignal texts. Has anyone out there done a translation from Spanish to English in this field and used this term or has experience working with the wholesale distribution industry in English and has come accross the term: "Principal" before? Thank you all for your input.
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David Wright
David Wright  Identity Verified
Austria
Local time: 13:06
German to English
+ ...
Not Spanish but Nov 29, 2012

The term "principal" in an english contract context is actually the opposite of the agent or representative. In an agent-principal relationship the agent (representative) acts for the principal. I think your client has got it entirely wrong. Hope this helps.

 


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Spanish to English concerns about terminology: Representante/Principal







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