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Vorquartal

English translation: I agree with you

07:58 Oct 2, 2000
German to English translations [PRO]
Bus/Financial
German term or phrase: Vorquartal
For the translation classes I teach I sometimes dip into the ECB monthly bulletins (why shouldn't students learn to suffer a bit). In the August 2000 issue I encountered the following:

Der jüngste Schätzung von Eurostat zufolge war das reale BIP-Wachstum im Euroraum im ersten Quartal 2000 mit einer Rate von 0,9% gegenüber dem Vorquartal ebenso hoch wie im letzten Quartal 1999.

According to the latest estimate of Eurostat, quarter-on-quarter real GDP growth in the euro area was 0.9% in the first quarter of 2000, a rate as high as that recorded in the last quarter of 1999.

Something seems to have gone wrong somewhere. I am not sure which is the original - the use of "of Eurostat" strikes me as translated, but gegenüber dem Vorjahresquartal (I think) is more idiomatic German. But in the German sentences 3 quarters seem to be involved and in English only 2. To my mind quarter-on-quarter means from one quarter to the next i.e. Q4 1999 and Q1 2000, but that does not fit the English sentence.
buckel
Local time: 22:53
English translation:I agree with you
Explanation:
The problem here, I think, is not idiomatic German but idiomatic English. The text was probably translated into German, and there is no direct equivalent of quarter-on-quarter, so the translator uses 'gegenueber dem Vorquartal'. The result is clumsy and confusing as the fourth quarter of 1999 ends up being referred to in two different ways in the one sentence.
Selected response from:

Tim Drayton
Cyprus
Local time: 23:53
Grading comment
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
napreceding quarter
Michael Dollman
naI agree with you
Tim Drayton
naThe first quarter 2000, the fourth quarter 1999 and the third quarter 1999
Dan McCrosky (X)
nasame quarter of the previous year
Ken Cox
nafurther comment
Ken Cox


  

Answers


10 mins
preceding quarter


Explanation:
I would translate as:

According to the latest Eurostat estimate, real GDP growth in the euro area was 0.9% compared with the preceding quarter, a rate as high as that recorded in the last quarter of 1999.





Michael Dollman
Germany
Local time: 22:53
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in pair: 86
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21 mins
I agree with you


Explanation:
The problem here, I think, is not idiomatic German but idiomatic English. The text was probably translated into German, and there is no direct equivalent of quarter-on-quarter, so the translator uses 'gegenueber dem Vorquartal'. The result is clumsy and confusing as the fourth quarter of 1999 ends up being referred to in two different ways in the one sentence.

Tim Drayton
Cyprus
Local time: 23:53
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 154
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1 hr
The first quarter 2000, the fourth quarter 1999 and the third quarter 1999


Explanation:
The translation appears quite OK to me, but maybe I've been Engleutsching too long. There seem to be three quarters mentioned in both texts. The first quarter 2000, the fourth quarter 1999 and the third quarter 1999. The quarter-on-quarter increase (0.9%) was the same for IIIQ99 to IVQ99 as from IVQ99 to IQ00.

- HTH - Dan


Dan McCrosky (X)
Local time: 22:53
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 1541
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6 hrs
same quarter of the previous year


Explanation:
There are lots of hits on 'Vorquartal' (968 on Alta Vista), and it is evidently a standard term in financial reports. Although it's hard to find an example that unambiguously indicates that the suggested translation is correct, the example in the listed reference can certainly be read this way. Also, this translation makes sense in your context, AND it is also a standard comparison that is used in financial reports.


    Reference: http://www.hessen-infoline.de/zahlen/marktzahlen.cfm
Ken Cox
Local time: 22:53
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 5905
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7 hrs
further comment


Explanation:
Another argument that I forgot to mention (but the one that put me on the track): Vorjahr = the previous year

Ken Cox
Local time: 22:53
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 5905
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