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22:07 Sep 20, 2009
Greek to English translations [PRO] Tech/Engineering - Engineering (general)
Greek term or phrase:πλατύσματα
This is about "planting works" along a newly constructed railway.
Οι προς φύτευση χώροι είναι τα πρανή των ορυγμάτων και των επιχωμάτων, οι οριζόντιες πλευρικές λωρίδες, τα πλατύσματα, και οι βοηθήτικοι δρόμοι.
How do you understand πλατύσματα here? Wider areas beside the track? I don't know if there's a special railway term for them.
Thanks for all the suggestions. I really think I'll have to leave this question unresolved - for now!
A wider area of flat ground - that's how I understand the word, and on this basis, I translated it in a vague, noncommital way. It's just one item in a list of the areas of exposed soil which are planted (when construction of the railway is completed) with bushes, trees etc. to restore the landscape and prevent erosion. It's hardly crucial to the text as a whole, but it's one of those words that bother me.
I just had an idea. πλάτυσμα can mean anything that's wide and flat. What about those places on a railway line where a single track splits into two, so that trains going in opposite directions can pass each other. So effectively the track area widens out. I don't know what the word for that in English is, though.
medical term ... but there may be something in it, the idea that πλάτυσμα is an embankment of some kind, or a feature (step? plateau?) of an embankment. I'm already using "embankment" for επίχωμα, so a different word for πλάτυσμα seems necessary!
On the ERGOSE website, you can find a similar bit of text:
Οι χώροι των αναφερομένων τμημάτων της γραμμής που θα φυτευτούν είναι τα πρανή ορυγμάτων, τα πρανή επιχωμάτων, οι οριζόντιες πλευρικές λωρίδες, τα πλατύσματα, τα στόμια των Cut & Covers και σηράγγων και οι βοηθητικοί δρόμοι. http://www.ergose.gr/ergosesite/inner.asp?CONTAINERID=8&REFC...
They provide an English version, where the word "steps" seems to correspond to πλατύσματα. I can't make sense of that. What kind of steps, where?
For me, πλατύσματα is a very general word for "widenings". Is it possible to narrow down the meaning, e.g. is the word typically associated with roads?
Automatic update in 00:
Answers
8 hrs confidence: peer agreement (net): +1
embankments
Explanation: Not correct etymologically, but it seems to fit the context.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 8 hrs (2009-09-21 07:04:58 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
You're right, of course. Stupid of me not to notice that part.
Philip Lees Greece Local time: 12:42 Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 11
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you, Philip. The problem here is that I'm using "embankments" for επιχώματα, as in ορύγματα και επιχώματα, cuttings and embankments, typical features along a railway.
Asker: It's a bit of a mystery. It could mean "steps" on embankments or, for all I know, it could be something like road laybys (for use by site vehicles during construction). Guesswork!
The translation workplace 
peer agreement (net): +1
