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English to Chinese translations [PRO] Tech/Engineering - IT (Information Technology) / CIO survey
English term or phrase:That's the floor
Strong CIOs don't innovate. They figure out ways to make money for the business. They cut waste and plow those savings into projects that create value. Sometimes they create whole businesses where none before existed. Strong CIOs don't cast about for ROI. They avoid paths that don't promise it. Sound cocky? Maybe. But there's no time left for IT leaders who don't understand all this, says Jan Bertsch, CIO of $62 billion Chrysler. "Great execution is expected. {That's the floor}," Bertsch says. 这是底限？这是最基本/最起码的？
Clearwater, now that Wenjer offered his translation, let me give you mine of the last sentence just for reference:高超的执行是期待之中的，这便是底限。[That is what I think it should be translated. 就这么回事，不必再争了]
Wenjer Leuschel (X)
Taiwan
03:03 Jan 17, 2008
我可以不“择错固执”，把最后一句话改为：Bertsch 说：“受到期待的是良好的执行力。就这么回事。”这里的“就这么回事”说的是 "That's the floor. Nothing to do with the ceiling."
Wenjer Leuschel (X)
Taiwan
02:54 Jan 17, 2008
人有“择错固执”的权利，问题是你问的，答案随你选。我只表示我的意见而已。That's the floor where we are going to!
Great execution is expected.译成“大的动作即将发生”岂不是错得更离谱？！
Wenjer Leuschel (X)
Taiwan
02:38 Jan 17, 2008
@xiaoyanchen: "Great execution is to be expected." is something else than "Great execution is expected (of CIOs)." "I am to be convinced." can never mean "I am convinced (of something)."
Wenjer Leuschel (X)
Taiwan
02:35 Jan 17, 2008
当然，要把 cast about for ROI 翻译成“想方设法寻找 ROI” 也行。不过，意思和“不妄做 ROI 的预测”有什么不同吗?这里的“大师”只有一个，就是提问的大师一人而已。我指出的不过是“任何人都有可能看错、想错”。哪一个机器翻译得出那样的句子呢？
Wenjer Leuschel (X)
Taiwan
02:30 Jan 17, 2008
About example 6: The whole paragraph is as follows. "Its starts getting silly when you look at the Ravens' WRs (#8): Derrick Mason (750 yards) and Mark Clayton (939 yards). That's the floor of what to expect from Porter and Curry." What should be meant?
Wenjer, to paraphrase the original source text, it means: Great execution is expected [of CIOs]. That is the floor [baseline]. [The baseline performance expected of CIOs is the great execution.
呵呵终于见到了“大师级”的译文。cast about for ROI居然译成了“并不妄做 ROI 的预测”，不明白的人还以为是机器翻译。
Wenjer Leuschel (X)
Taiwan
02:18 Jan 17, 2008
To make my point: We need "the what" to make "the floor" meaning "the baseline" in "the baseline of what." Now, I don't see any "what" in the context. Could you convince me by pointing out "the what" in the context?
Clearwater, I was just to say that Wenjer's“大动作即将发生。(我们要到的)就是那一楼” was incorrect when I saw your remark. Yes, you should see the similar pattern of the word usage in my Example 6.
7. But we always have to remember that's just the baseline. I mean, that's just the thing we're not supposed to fall below. That's not an ideal; that's the floor, and so I think that your expert certainly should be able to rely on them.
Examples continued: 5. Some people like to add up the costs, and say that's the "floor" value. 6.That's the floor of what to expect from Porter and Curry. [This example almost matches the original quote of the asker because the word "expect" is used]
Wenjer, if you don't think Example 3 is enough to show you that no mention of the "ceiling" or "sky" is needed when you use "the floor" to mean "the baseline," here are more examples where no such mention is made:
Wenjer Leuschel (X)
Taiwan
02:09 Jan 17, 2008
@xiaoyanchen: Are you saying that we don't have to mention "God" to mean the "devil"? Then, anything could be possible!
Wenjer Leuschel (X)
Taiwan
02:03 Jan 17, 2008
强悍的信息长并不创新，他们会找出方法为公司赚钱，他们会删减浪费，把节省下来的钱深耕到能创造出价值的项目里，有时他们会(因此)创造出前所未有的事业。 强悍的信息长并不妄做 ROI 的预测，他们会避免看不出(ROI)前景的路径。这么说，听来高傲？也许吧。不过，手上握有 620 亿美元项目预算的克莱斯勒信息长 Jan Bertsch 说，对于不懂这一切的 IT 领导者而言，已经没有时间了。 Bertsch 说：“大动作即将发生。(我们要到的)就是那一楼。”
Wenjer, your remark exactly reinforced my previous point that you do not need to mention the ceiling when you used the "floor" to mean the baseline.
Wenjer Leuschel (X)
Taiwan
01:29 Jan 17, 2008
@xiaoyanchen: Do we see Chrysler's CIO mentioning the ceiling or the sky as your examples show? Nope. That's the floor where Chrysler goes to and he doesn't mind the ceiling or the sky at all.
After these four examples from the Internet, which you can verify, I hope you should be convinced that there is a good reason why "the floor" means "the bottom line."
4. To remain an active chapter in The Society for Collegiate Journalists, you need to induct new members annually and elect officers to conduct your business. That's the floor - but the sky's the limit!
1.Matsuzaka netted $51 million and, if that's the floor, imagine what the ceiling could be... 2. "What happened has completely changed the culture," Christensen says. "[PCI] is the bottom line to maintain; that's the floor, not the ceiling."
Wenjer Leuschel (X)
Taiwan
01:21 Jan 17, 2008
我不想越说越不客气。从整个文本研判，那位握有 620 亿项目预算的 Chrysler 公司的 CIO 说的是：“大动作即将发生。(要到的)就是那一楼。”怎么解释都是这个意思。“上限”、“底限”或“最起码”都说不通。
Wenjer, the meaning of "the floor" as "baseline" can be found in several dictionaries. If you need more examples, here are some found on the Internet, all from English websites:
Wenjer Leuschel (X)
Taiwan
00:26 Jan 17, 2008
@xiaoyanchen: Are you telling me that "heaven" opposes to "earth" and that you mean to say "heaven and earth" by mentioning only the "earth"? An idiomatic usage is never idiotic --- there must be a good reason for an idiom. Point me a good one!
Wenjer, "the floor" is opposed to "the ceiling" such as we say "It hits the ceiling." You don't need to have the word "ceiling" present to get the meaning of the "floor," the same way as you don't need the world "bottom" to get the meaning of "top."
Wenjer Leuschel (X)
Taiwan
23:53 Jan 16, 2008
@xioayanchen: I don't see any indices in the statement for a contrast of the floor and the ceiling at all. The statement can only be interpreted as "We are now so far." or "It is about the time (to expect a great execution)." No matter it is idiomatical.
Clearwater, I think your translation is correct. Obviously "the floor" is used here idiomatically, as opposed to "the ceiling." So it means the bottom/base/minimum limit. This is a dictionary definition, and I don't know why you should feel doubtful.
Wenjer Leuschel (X)
Taiwan
15:55 Jan 16, 2008
@Ulrike: I don't think "that's the floor" have a significant idiomatic meaning. In German we would say, "Große Durchführung wird erwartet. Das ist die Etage (, wo wir uns gerade befinden)". It means, "Great execution is expected. We are so far now."
Dear Wenjer， In your example sentence it is not an idiom. It means 157 楼. But this doesn't make sense in the sentence clearwater asked. So, I think in clearwaters`sentence "that's the floor" must have an idiomatic meaning.
Wenjer Leuschel (X)
Taiwan
14:53 Jan 16, 2008
@Jinhang: How would you interprete "that's the floor" in the last sentence above?
Wenjer Leuschel (X)
Taiwan
14:51 Jan 16, 2008
http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=iaQAz39MUDo The Burj Dubai is now the tallest tower in the world...surpassed the CN Tower. The Canadians were sad. Seriuosly, who would want to live on the 157th floor? (I think that's the floor they are building now.)
Here the expression has an idiomatic meaning. Other examples: "Prices have gone through the floor". Ie prices have become very low. However, normally "floor" is a level in a building. Eg. I live on the second floor. 我住二楼。
uli1 Local time: 18:47 Specializes in field Native speaker of: German PRO pts in category: 4
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peer agreement (net): +2
