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16:42 May 25, 2011
English to English translations [Non-PRO] Marketing - Other
English term or phrase:even if
Even if our contribution won’t be the final solution, supporting xxx charity, in fighting against AIDS, is a duty and a honour.
I am reviewing. No original.
For some reason, the first part of the sentence (Even if our contribution won’t be the final solution) doesn't sound perfectly right to me.
Is it because you are not supposed to use the future with "if"?
I would really appreciate your insights.
Explanation: ...is fine; there are other things wrong with the sentence, though, that make it read oddly.
For a start, I'd tend to say "even if our contribution isn't going to be..." — just sounds smoother, somehow. Also, need to know what they meant by 'our', it sits slightly awkwardly here, almost as if it ought to have been 2nd person, but the writer was trying to make it more engaging by using the first person, except that there is no 'we further in the sentence to help it along.
Also, the commas around "in fighting against AIDS" don't exactly make for smoother reading, and I'd actually have preferred "..in its fight against AIDS".
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 10 minutes (2011-05-25 16:52:48 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
My suggestion of "isn't going to be" sidesteps the issue of future vs. present!
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 26 minutes (2011-05-25 17:09:21 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
As Jack has kindly pointed out, the specific expression "final solution" is best avoided (especially in this context!)
One might try 'ultimate solution' — though in fact, there is a problem anyway, since 'our contribution' isn't really likely to be the solution anyway; it might perhaps help find it, for example, but I'd say the writer just made a mess of it here, and it really ought to be revised just for the content problem!
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 41 minutes (2011-05-25 17:24:27 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Right! That extra context then makes a whole lote more sense of it.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 42 minutes (2011-05-25 17:25:40 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
As an ESL trainer, I know all about the present/future rules with "if", but as a native speaker I really can't stand up and say this is incorrect. It's a very interesting question and my research has come up with nothing conclusive. I have asked a question on a forum of experts and I'll post if/when I receive a response from them.
The “Even if” part looks perfectly fine to me. If there’s a problem I’d be inclined to say it’s probably in the second part.
Automatic update in 00:
Answers
9 mins confidence: peer agreement (net): +8
even if
Explanation: ...is fine; there are other things wrong with the sentence, though, that make it read oddly.
For a start, I'd tend to say "even if our contribution isn't going to be..." — just sounds smoother, somehow. Also, need to know what they meant by 'our', it sits slightly awkwardly here, almost as if it ought to have been 2nd person, but the writer was trying to make it more engaging by using the first person, except that there is no 'we further in the sentence to help it along.
Also, the commas around "in fighting against AIDS" don't exactly make for smoother reading, and I'd actually have preferred "..in its fight against AIDS".
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 10 minutes (2011-05-25 16:52:48 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
My suggestion of "isn't going to be" sidesteps the issue of future vs. present!
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 26 minutes (2011-05-25 17:09:21 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
As Jack has kindly pointed out, the specific expression "final solution" is best avoided (especially in this context!)
One might try 'ultimate solution' — though in fact, there is a problem anyway, since 'our contribution' isn't really likely to be the solution anyway; it might perhaps help find it, for example, but I'd say the writer just made a mess of it here, and it really ought to be revised just for the content problem!
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 41 minutes (2011-05-25 17:24:27 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Right! That extra context then makes a whole lote more sense of it.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 42 minutes (2011-05-25 17:25:40 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Yup, indeed, that too!
Tony M France Local time: 04:06 Works in field Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 92
Grading comment
thanks to everyone
Notes to answerer
Asker: "us", because it's a company
Asker: besides everything else, now that I think of it: "an honour", not "a honour".
The translation workplace 
peer agreement (net): +8