(what) are indicative of a new potential?

English translation: below

23:29 Dec 14, 2003

English language (monolingual) [PRO]
/ Transporte p�blico

English term or phrase: (what) are indicative of a new potential?

Though all the words are clear, I don't understand very well the sense of the construction outside the brackets. What are indicative of a new potential for further development of trolleybus transport?:
1) globalization and regional growth of UITP
2) the fact that this mode of transit is very important for many cities in the Eurasian region....
3) the growing environmental concerns of the society

(As was pointed out in Dr.Meyer's speech at the opening of the trolleybus conference held by the Association of Urban Electrical Transport the previous day), globalization and regional growth of UITP, showing the importance of this mode of transit for many cities in the Eurasian region as well as some other regions of the world, and the growing environmental concerns of the society are indicative of a new potential for further development of trolleybus transport.

Thanks!

Carmen Cuervo-Arango KudoZ activity Questions: 902 (2 open) (12 without valid answers) (7 closed without grading) Answers: 918 Spain
Local time: 16:12

Selected answer:below

Explanation:
globalisation and regional growth of UITP plus the growing environmental concerns - these are all indicative of ...

How I read it.

I don't think that's the title of the speech, as otherwise the 'and' before 'the growing' would be redundant.

Selected response from:

Cilian O'Tuama
Germany
Local time: 16:12

Grading comment

Thank you so much Cilian, your answer plus your comment to the previous Proz - i.e. globalisation and growth (which show the importance of...) and the growing concerns are indicative of.." - make much more sense to me and have been my final choice.

I thank you all and agree with Hamo about how we have to rewrite sentences when they are not clear in the original text. That's also part of our profession, not changing meanings, but making things understandable when they have been expressed in a non very clear way, isn't it?

Enjoy your holidays!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED

4 +6

below

Cilian O'Tuama

Analyzing the text

Alaa Zeineldine

Does this help?

Kim Metzger

Rewrite and understand

Roddy Stegemann

Discussion entries: 1

Answers

6 mins confidence:

Does this help?

Explanation:
The following developments are indicative of a new potential for further development of trolleybus transport:
1. globalization and regional growth of UITP
2. showing the importance of this mode of transit for many cities in the Eurasian region as well as some other regions of the world
3. and the growing environmental concerns of the society

Kim Metzger
Mexico
Local time: 08:12
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in pair: 2249

12 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +6

below

Cilian O'Tuama
Germany
Local time: 16:12
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in pair: 455

Grading comment

45 mins confidence:

Analyzing the text

Explanation:
I believe that Kim's dissection of the text is correct. Using the same numbers as he did, and after throwing away the bracketed phrase, it boils down to:

... <observation 1>, <observation 2>, and <observation 3> are indicative of <the possible survival of the trolleybus>.

Now substitute the actual words of the text and it should be clear.

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Note added at 49 mins (2003-12-15 00:18:37 GMT)
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Taking Cilian\'s comment in consideration, it would be two observations rather than one.

Alaa Zeineldine
Egypt
Local time: 16:12
Native speaker of:

Arabic,

English
PRO pts in pair: 198

5 hrs confidence:

Rewrite and understand

Explanation:
Although I do not like the construction I am about to suggest, the sentence makes perfect sense, if the commas are replaced with hyphens.

As was pointed out in Dr.Meyer's speech at the opening of the trolleybus conference held by the Association of Urban Electrical Transport the previous day, globalization and regional growth of UITP -- showing the importance of this mode of transit for many cities in the Eurasian region, as well as some other regions of the world -- and the growing environmental concerns of the society are indicative of a new potential for further development of trolleybus transport.

What I find awkward about this construction is the following: A -- B -- and C. Thus, I would reconstruct the sentence as follows:

As was pointed out in Dr.Meyer's speech at the opening of the trolleybus conference held by the Association of Urban Electrical Transport the previous day, globalization and regional growth of UITP shows the importance of this mode of transit for many cities in the Eurasian region, as well as some other regions of the world. This and the growing environmental concerns of the society also pointed out by Dr. Meyer are indicative of a new potential for further development of trolleybus transport.

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Note added at 2003-12-15 10:07:57 (GMT)
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Dear Idiko,

Authors, like translators, and everyone else I know make mistakes. The job of the translator is to make intelligible to others of a different language and culture the author\'s intended meaning -- not his mistakes. Before achieving this sometimes difficult task, the translator must understand the author\'s intended meaning. If this means rewriting what he wrote in his own language in an effort to understand it, then so be it!

In the end we appear to agree. Perhaps you have failed to understand how we got there.

Roddy Stegemann
United States
Local time: 07:12
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in pair: 132

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