Dec 7, 2000 09:54
23 yrs ago
8 viewers *
German term
Dan McCrosky (X)
Nachrüsten
German to English
Marketing
This is not in reference to Pershing II missiles; it is part of my "Schrauber" project. Automobile accessories to be sold to "Schrauber".
Here is the context:
"1971 wurden Fenster gekurbelt – basta! Elektrische Fensterheber gab´s nur in Autos mit Chauffeur. So einfach war das. Einfach war es deswegen noch lange nicht. `Elektrische Fensterheber zum Nachrüsten, erschwinglich für jeden Geldbeutel, passend für jedes Fahrzeug.´ Mit dieser Idee realisierte Herbert Meyer 1971 seine Vorstellung von einem kundenorientierten, fortschrittlichen Lieferanten für Auto-Zubehör – die Geburtsstunde von (Company name)."
So far I have "retrofit", "back fit" (?? or backfit ??), "up grade" or simply "install" or "put in". This is for worldwide consumption with emphasis on North American consumers. My dictionaries love "retrofit" but I have not heard it used often, is "retrofit" a good choice? For example:
"Bill retrofitted his car with power windows."
or
"Bill retrofitted power windows in his car."
TIA - Dan
Here is the context:
"1971 wurden Fenster gekurbelt – basta! Elektrische Fensterheber gab´s nur in Autos mit Chauffeur. So einfach war das. Einfach war es deswegen noch lange nicht. `Elektrische Fensterheber zum Nachrüsten, erschwinglich für jeden Geldbeutel, passend für jedes Fahrzeug.´ Mit dieser Idee realisierte Herbert Meyer 1971 seine Vorstellung von einem kundenorientierten, fortschrittlichen Lieferanten für Auto-Zubehör – die Geburtsstunde von (Company name)."
So far I have "retrofit", "back fit" (?? or backfit ??), "up grade" or simply "install" or "put in". This is for worldwide consumption with emphasis on North American consumers. My dictionaries love "retrofit" but I have not heard it used often, is "retrofit" a good choice? For example:
"Bill retrofitted his car with power windows."
or
"Bill retrofitted power windows in his car."
TIA - Dan
Proposed translations
(English)
| 0 | more thoughts on aftermarket installation |
Beth Kantus
|
| 0 | to retrofit |
Mats Wiman
|
| 0 | retrofit, upgrade |
Isaac Katz (X)
|
| 0 | retrofit |
Ulrike Lieder (X)
|
| 0 | late, additional, subsequent fitting |
Dr. Sahib Bleher
|
| 0 | retrofit |
Tim Drayton
|
| 0 | DIY power window winder kit for retrofitting |
Rolf Buesken (X)
|
| 0 | power windows? |
Dr. Sahib Bleher
|
| 0 | Thanks for the tip. |
Dan McCrosky (X)
|
Proposed translations
1 hr
Selected
more thoughts on aftermarket installation
As a native speaker, I'd like to add my humble opinion.
I'd say it depends in part on whether Bill did the work himself or not. Even though retrofit is an acceptable verb, I believe it's use as such may be confined more to industrial settings. However, there is really nothing wrong with it.
If he does the upgrading himself, I think I'd say "he installed power windows in his car" or "he outfitted/ upgraded his car with power windows."
On the other hand, if he has it done,
it sounds perfectly alright to me to say "he had his car retrofitted with power windows," or "he had power windows installed in his car."
Anecdotal: just bought a new car myself, and one of the bells and whistles it is missing is foglights. I'm planning to have them added by the dealership. When I talk about it, which includes discussing it with the technicians who will do the work, reference is generally made to "having foglights installed."
HTH - Beth
I'd say it depends in part on whether Bill did the work himself or not. Even though retrofit is an acceptable verb, I believe it's use as such may be confined more to industrial settings. However, there is really nothing wrong with it.
If he does the upgrading himself, I think I'd say "he installed power windows in his car" or "he outfitted/ upgraded his car with power windows."
On the other hand, if he has it done,
it sounds perfectly alright to me to say "he had his car retrofitted with power windows," or "he had power windows installed in his car."
Anecdotal: just bought a new car myself, and one of the bells and whistles it is missing is foglights. I'm planning to have them added by the dealership. When I talk about it, which includes discussing it with the technicians who will do the work, reference is generally made to "having foglights installed."
HTH - Beth
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "The majority should rule and Mats was here first, but I have the feeling most of you are no more motorheads than I am. I would bet that if I could ask 100 real Schraubers, the vast majority would say, "put in" or "installed" rather than something with "retrofit".
I tried uel's URL. The sites looked good but many were written at an automotive engineering level.
I'm learning a lot here. I just tried "power window winder" on AltaVista because the term was new to me. I got one hit for a car made in India.
For +retrofit +"power windows" +car - there were 58 hits, nearly all pertinent, but 58 hits in the English internet is not what I would call universally known.
For +install +"power windows" +car - there were 900 hits, also nearly all pertinent. 15 times as many as for "retrofit".
Because Beth made the most use of the word "install", especially where she mentioned the mechanics, I have to go against the majority and choose her answer.
Sorry this grading justification was so long but I wanted you to know that I did understand your answers and gave the grading considerable thought.
Thanks to everyone,
Dan
"
10 mins
Mats Wiman
Sweden
Sweden
Sweden
DEU / ENG / FRA / SPA > SWE since 1982
Native in: Swedish (Variant: Stockholm) 
Works in: German to Swedish, English to Swedish, Swedish
Related KudoZ points
:
1498
to retrofit
Bill retrofitted his car with power windows
Ernst says:
nachrüsten (Masch) / retrofit v, backfit
Nachrüsten n, -rüstung f / retrofitting, backfitting
Ernst says:
nachrüsten (Masch) / retrofit v, backfit
Nachrüsten n, -rüstung f / retrofitting, backfitting
10 mins
retrofit, upgrade
retrofit is an acceptable choice.
upgrade is used more when the value and usability of an entire piece of machinery or equipement is improved or increased
upgrade is used more when the value and usability of an entire piece of machinery or equipement is improved or increased
Reference:
43 mins
retrofit
If I may add my two cents' worth:
"Bill retrofitted his car with power windows"
would be my choice, "retrofitted power windows in his car" does not sound idiomatic at all.
As for usage, especially if this is for North American consumption, I'd say that retrofit is the term of choice.
Run
http://www.google.com/search?q=retrofit kit automotive &meta...
which will get you about 4,000 or so hits for retrofit and retrofit kit.
"Bill retrofitted his car with power windows"
would be my choice, "retrofitted power windows in his car" does not sound idiomatic at all.
As for usage, especially if this is for North American consumption, I'd say that retrofit is the term of choice.
Run
http://www.google.com/search?q=retrofit kit automotive &meta...
which will get you about 4,000 or so hits for retrofit and retrofit kit.
1 hr
Dr. Sahib Bleher
Native in German
35 years of experience
Native in: German
Works in: English to German, Arabic to German, German to English, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
219
late, additional, subsequent fitting
I'd say retrofit is alright as a noun, but it makes for a horribly unspeakable verb. In this case it is better to split it and say "Bill fitted electrical window winders late" or "added electrical window winders to his car" etc.
You can read retrofit in some adverts, but you wouldn't ever here anybody on the streets say: I retrofitted such and such. They'd say: I put some extra window winders in. I added window winders as an extra. etc.
HTH
You can read retrofit in some adverts, but you wouldn't ever here anybody on the streets say: I retrofitted such and such. They'd say: I put some extra window winders in. I added window winders as an extra. etc.
HTH
Reference:
5 hrs
Tim Drayton
Cyprus
Cyprus
Native in English
Cyprus
English, not translationese
Native in: English (Variant: British) 
Works in: Turkish to English, German to English
Related KudoZ points
:
154
retrofit
Having a look at the number of hits produced, I think retrofit is the only candidate. But to go back to your original context, I would suggest using it adjectivally, i.e.
Elektrische Fensterheber zum Nachruesten=
retrofit window motors
Elektrische Fensterheber zum Nachruesten=
retrofit window motors
6 hrs
DIY power window winder kit for retrofitting
I think the product is a kit, which is typical for this situation, and it should be mentioned in the translation.
Reference:
1 day 3 hrs
Dr. Sahib Bleher
Native in German
35 years of experience
Native in: German
Works in: English to German, Arabic to German, German to English, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
219
power windows?
Just an afterthought: there is definitely an Atlantic divide here. Install is used in the UK, but fitting is standard. And nobody, definitely, talks of power windows (you'd think they're some kind of explosive). We talk of electric windows or electric window winders.
1 day 4 hrs
Thanks for the tip.
Based on your last comment I ran the following AltaVista English enquiries:
"electric window winders" = 10 hits
"electrical window winders" = 1 hit
+"electric(al) windows" +uk +cars = 3500 hits
+"power windows" +uk +cars = 600 hits
The above plus operators do not work too well but they give a rough idea. The +uk gets mostly sites from the UK or that mention the UK. The +cars gets rid of most of the Microsoft sites. We can see that you are absolutely right, "electric windows" are about six times as well known in the UK as "power windows". Reversing the UK operator yields:
+"electric(al) windows" -uk +cars = 5,000 hits
+"power windows" -uk +cars = 37,000 hits
This shows the rough relationship outside the UK. I think Americans would understand "electric windows" but since the customer is mainly interested in the US market and has engaged me because he wants US English, I will probably leave it with "power windows" but let him know that on your quaint little island, people prefer "electric windows". At least you have a functioning elected government.
As far as "fit" versus "install" goes, we will have to hope that everyone will understand "install" because if I tell the customer he has to write "fit/install", he will throw me out on my ear.
Thanks,
Dan
"electric window winders" = 10 hits
"electrical window winders" = 1 hit
+"electric(al) windows" +uk +cars = 3500 hits
+"power windows" +uk +cars = 600 hits
The above plus operators do not work too well but they give a rough idea. The +uk gets mostly sites from the UK or that mention the UK. The +cars gets rid of most of the Microsoft sites. We can see that you are absolutely right, "electric windows" are about six times as well known in the UK as "power windows". Reversing the UK operator yields:
+"electric(al) windows" -uk +cars = 5,000 hits
+"power windows" -uk +cars = 37,000 hits
This shows the rough relationship outside the UK. I think Americans would understand "electric windows" but since the customer is mainly interested in the US market and has engaged me because he wants US English, I will probably leave it with "power windows" but let him know that on your quaint little island, people prefer "electric windows". At least you have a functioning elected government.
As far as "fit" versus "install" goes, we will have to hope that everyone will understand "install" because if I tell the customer he has to write "fit/install", he will throw me out on my ear.
Thanks,
Dan
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