How to translate the names of universities, schools and other similar institutions Thread poster: Uriama de Menezes
|
|---|
A colleague of mine has just asked me how I would translate the names of Brazilian universities into English and I realized I had no clear answer for her. So, I decided to check what my colleagues from ProZ would answer.
Some examples to get people started:
Universidade de São Paulo (USP)
Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie
Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo (PUC-SP)
Universidade Paulista (UNIP)
Univers... See more A colleague of mine has just asked me how I would translate the names of Brazilian universities into English and I realized I had no clear answer for her. So, I decided to check what my colleagues from ProZ would answer.
Some examples to get people started:
Universidade de São Paulo (USP)
Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie
Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo (PUC-SP)
Universidade Paulista (UNIP)
Universidade Nove de Julho (UNINOVE)
Escola Paulista de Medicina / Universidade Federal de São Paulo (EPM / UNIFESP)
Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas da Universidade de São Paulo (FFLCH-USP)
Thanks in advance for contributions. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Tina Vonhof (X)
Canada
Local time: 17:08
Dutch to English
+ ...
Most of these can be translated with he original name in brackets after the translation.
In the last example, the part "Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas" should certainly be translated because it is not part of the university name (and does not need to be repeated in brackets).
| | | | B D Finch 
France
Local time: 01:08
French to English
+ ...
I agree with Tina. However, you should also check the websites of the institutions concerned, as they may well have their own translation of their name and you should use that as the authorised version.
| | | | | Thanks so far... | Oct 18, 2011 |
Thanks for the answers so far.
@Tina:
The "Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas" part is not the name of the university, but it is the name of the institute (unit, branch, "college"... oh, my, I see another question appearing on the horizon). I'm not sure about other universities in Brazil, but USP is structured in a way that each institute/branch is fairly autonomous. Thus, having been a student both at IP (Instituto de Psicologia) and at FFLCH (the one m... See more Thanks for the answers so far.
@Tina:
The "Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas" part is not the name of the university, but it is the name of the institute (unit, branch, "college"... oh, my, I see another question appearing on the horizon). I'm not sure about other universities in Brazil, but USP is structured in a way that each institute/branch is fairly autonomous. Thus, having been a student both at IP (Instituto de Psicologia) and at FFLCH (the one mentioned earlier), it comes naturally for me to make the distinction clear. The institute's name has its own weight, it seems. Saying someone studied at FFLCH gives some information about the person's education and engenders some preconceptions which largely differ from the those related to Escola Politécnica, for example.
How important this distinction is for the translation depends, it seems, on the translation's purpose. What do you think?
Cheers. ▲ Collapse
| | |
|
|
|
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 01:08
Spanish to English
+ ...
| Not necessary | Oct 19, 2011 |
Just don't bother. Especially if it's on a letter or parcel, because if you translate the name of the institution it might not reach its destination.
For example, Valencia Polytecthnic University (Spain, Europe) has just issued the edict that as of now its name is to remain inviolate in translated academic papers citing it.
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 01:08
Spanish to English
+ ...
| With a pinch of of salt | Oct 19, 2011 |
B D Finch wrote:
However, you should also check the websites of the institutions concerned, as they may well have their own translation of their name ...
Yes they may indeed. However, I'd proceed with caution.. not all websites are trustworthy or well translated, I've seen some real howlers.
| | | | Tina Vonhof (X)
Canada
Local time: 17:08
Dutch to English
+ ...
[quote]
"The institute's name has its own weight, it seems. Saying someone studied at FFLCH gives some information about the person's education and engenders some preconceptions which largely differ from the those related to Escola Politécnica, for example."
I didn't mean you shouldn't translate it but you don't need to consider it part of the name OR you could just use the acronym FFLCH. You go by what you know to be situation in Brazil but sometimes it may not be possible to represent these fine distinctions (whether or not it is an independent unit and whether there is prestige attached to having studied there) in the target language and country.
| | | | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » How to translate the names of universities, schools and other similar institutions | TM-Town | Manage your TMs and Terms ... and boost your translation business
Are you ready for something fresh in the industry? TM-Town is a unique new site for you -- the freelance translator -- to store, manage and share translation memories (TMs) and glossaries...and potentially meet new clients on the basis of your prior work.
More info » |
| | Trados Business Manager Lite | Create customer quotes and invoices from within Trados Studio
Trados Business Manager Lite helps to simplify and speed up some of the daily tasks, such as invoicing and reporting, associated with running your freelance translation business.
More info » |
|
| | | | X Sign in to your ProZ.com account... | | | | | |
Login to reply/comment 
Translation news
