assoluta casualita'

English translation: assoluta casualita'

09:45 Dec 6, 2000

Italian to English translations [PRO]

Italian term or phrase: assoluta casualita'

This describes a machine which will draw numbered balls for a lottery type game. I'm having a hard time thinking of the best way to express this in English - any ideas?

Amy Taylor KudoZ activity Questions: 225 (1 open) (2 without valid answers) Answers: 133 United States
Local time: 13:09

English translation:assoluta casualita'

Explanation:
You don't fully explain the context in which the above term is found. However I would say something along the lines of:
1)the machine "randomly" draws the numbered balls...
2)The machine draws the numbered balls in a "completely random" manner...
This is the context I understood anyway

Selected response from:

SAMANTHA PASCALE

Grading comment

Thanks - I found a California Lotto site which used 'completely random'. (Although I think robi is right, can be there be such a thing as partially random?)
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

randomized/random/absolute chance

CLS Lexi-tech

assoluta casualita'

SAMANTHA PASCALE

truly random

Jon Zuber (X)

randomized/at random

Roberta Anderson

RE: partially random

SAMANTHA PASCALE

Answers

28 mins

randomized/random/absolute chance

Explanation:
The last term was defined: "'Absolute chance' is however a non-mechanical concept, i.e. an action without cause in principle" in http://www.ebtx.com/ntx/ntx14.htm

CLS Lexi-tech
Local time: 15:09
Native speaker of:

Italian
PRO pts in pair: 1505

37 mins

assoluta casualita'

SAMANTHA PASCALE
PRO pts in pair: 4

Grading comment

Thanks - I found a California Lotto site which used 'completely random'. (Although I think robi is right, can be there be such a thing as partially random?)

48 mins

truly random

Explanation:
As opposed to pseudo-random results, which are predictable at least in theory. A Google search on "truly random" gives 9340 hits, most concerned with number generation.

Jon Zuber (X)
PRO pts in pair: 4

16 hrs

randomized/at random

Explanation:
Depending on the sentence structure, use an expression such as "at random" or "in a randomized way". In both cases, no real need to translate "assoluta" as "random" already conveys the meaning of "absolute randomness" (or can there be "partial randomness"?...)

Roberta Anderson
Italy
Local time: 21:09
Native speaker of:

Italian
PRO pts in pair: 243

2 days 1 hr

RE: partially random

Explanation:
Can there be such a thing as partially random?
The word completely in \"completely random\" serves to emphasize that the machine ALWAYS draws balls in a random manner. It stresses that the machine is accurate in this sense and makes no room for error. It doesn\'t mean completely as in the sense it has as opposite of partially, or \"completely random\" as opposite of \"partially random\". Partially random would mean the machine does not always draw randomly and therefore is NOT random and is inaccurate.

SAMANTHA PASCALE
PRO pts in pair: 4

Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

Return to KudoZ list

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

See also:

ProZ.com term search

Search millions of term translations