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11:22 Dec 30, 2011
French to English translations [PRO] Science - Nutrition
In first paragraph of section entitled " des conséquences critiquables...", appears the sentence " l'avenir est-il vraiment aux légumes qui se conservent très longtemps mais avec beaucoup moins de goût, aux viandes surgonflées, aux fruits irradiés etc..."
I am not familiar with the term and was wondering if anyone out there is familiar with this phrase? at first I was tempted to translate it with "overinflated meats", but I am not sure it is the term used in English! The translation is meant for an audience who knows the subject matter (Malbouffe etc) but not French. I have not yet found a text in English with a similar phrase...
Any ideas would be welcome!
Thanks!
Only the likes of cooked ham and bacon are filled with water.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 5 hrs (2011-12-30 17:16:28 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
(artificial) hormone-laden pumped-up meat
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 22 hrs (2011-12-31 10:02:09 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Come to think of it, "pumped-up" leaves it ambivalent as to why the meat is bulky, while hinting that it is due to hormones (which was perhaps the intention of the original).
The whole point here is that we don't know what method is being referred to and that it is of no importance. The result, I agree, is the important element. Also, the term "gonflé" for meat is fairly colloquial in register, "surgonflé" more so. Why guess when we don't know and the original makes no mention of the method?
In context, I do not find this puzzling. The work covers all sorts of odds and sods, the review does not get specific here. Carte blanche! The website aims to be accessible. It is a "site grand public". There are some technical things up there but it is meant to be understood by anyone interested in health. In the press, general and scientific, you can find the term "gonflé" used to describe meat that has been "gonflée aux hormones" just as much as you can by water having been injected. If your audience is scientific, all the more reason to be extremely careful of detail and not say how the meat has been "gonflée" if the original does not specify. I'm letting this go now as it is starting to look like perseveration. On the science research masters I am doing, we have it drummed into us just how careful one has to be with choice of term and context. The doc writing the review makes mention neither of water nor of GH. No translation should either. ;-)))
I'm wondering if it is referring to the practice of over-fattening beef etc. (using hormones etc.), or rather to the practice of adding water / polyphosphates to ham etc.?
Automatic update in 00:
Answers
1 hr confidence: peer agreement (net): +1
water-injected meat
Explanation: Though, as Tony says, this could also be about the use of hormones and factory farming, I find that less likely.
uk.news.yahoo.com/political-motives-seen-wal-marts-china-trouble-...
"In recent years, the country has been rocked by a series of food scandals, ... and also an effort to balance some of the bad press Chinese ... of the city's pork market and forced buyers to purchase water-injected meat. ..."
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 1 hr (2011-12-30 12:29:26 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
It is the water-injection process that makes the meat swell so that a considerable amount of the weight the customer is paying for is water. Hormone boosting results in the animals producing actual meat, albeit with animal welfare and quality issues that put many people off wanting to buy it. Give me tofu, soya protein and beansprouts please.
B D Finch France Local time: 08:05 Native speaker of: English
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks for your help... although I cannot seem to get hold of the management today document, I think you are right! Although Nikki and Tony I take your points as well! The translation is not however for le grand public, but for researchers... so I think I will go for water-injected! Merci beaucoup!
4 hrs confidence:
overprocessed meat
Explanation: IMO, in the context of the excessive processing indicated in the context of " légumes qui se conservent très longtemps mais avec beaucoup moins de goût, aux viandes surgonflées, aux fruits irradiés, "pesticidés" ou encore aux plats préparés trop riches en calories, en mauvaises graisses, en sel ou en sucre."
cc in nyc Local time: 02:05 Native speaker of: English
Only the likes of cooked ham and bacon are filled with water.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 5 hrs (2011-12-30 17:16:28 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
(artificial) hormone-laden pumped-up meat
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 22 hrs (2011-12-31 10:02:09 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Come to think of it, "pumped-up" leaves it ambivalent as to why the meat is bulky, while hinting that it is due to hormones (which was perhaps the intention of the original).
Conor McAuley France Local time: 08:05 Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks! I like pumped-up meat too... I agree also with you on the ref to water-injected, having read a few more articles since posting my question! Merci buckets!
The translation workplace 
peer agreement (net): +1
