This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
  1. KudoZ™ Top
  2. French to English

syndrome “ usine à gaz ”

English translation: pointlessly complex system

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:syndrome “ usine à gaz ”
English translation:pointlessly complex system
Entered by: Tamara Salvio

19:51 May 25, 2003
French to English translations [PRO]
Bus/Financial
French term or phrase: syndrome “ usine à gaz ”
Re: a uniform standards guide to be applied to a network of companies: « Le guide permet de mettre en adéquation notre organisation avec nos engagements, ajoute E.P. Le risque ? Le syndrome “ usine à gaz ”. Notre souci numéro un a été de simplifier . »
I believe I need to paraphrase here, I don't think the "gas factory syndrome" will resonate ;-))
Thanks!
Tamara Salvio
United States
Local time: 09:00
pointlessly complex system, self-sustained useless complexity
Explanation:
NA
Selected response from:

cjohnstone
France
Local time: 18:00
Grading comment
"pointlessly complex system" I believe will fit *perfectly*... thank you. And thanks to all for your amazing answers & explanations..."Bloatware" I love it...and would use it in a second if the context were technical...
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +3'usine à gaz' syndrom (too complex and expensive project)
Francis MARC
4 +2pointlessly complex system, self-sustained useless complexity
cjohnstone
5huge labyrinthine system's syndrome
Proelec
5a system or orgnization that is not efficient, not cost-effective and already outdated
Jean-Luc Dumont
2 +2bloatware syndrom
Fabrice MERCIER


  

Answers


7 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
'usine à gaz' syndrom (too complex and expensive project)


Explanation:
un parallèle possible avec 'Babel Tower' (though the complexity was language related in addition to the too ambitious and too big project)


the program that would take a CERN invoice (with concolidated information), and that would 'reallocate' the invoice lines to the appropriate accounts in the collaborations plan of accounts, would be an 'usine a gaz'. Very complex and expensive to implement.
http://ais.cern.ch/projs/team_accounting/team_detail.html

Francis MARC
Lithuania
Local time: 19:00
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in pair: 6500

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Jean-Luc Dumont
5 mins
agree  cjohnstone
10 mins
agree  reliable
6 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

16 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
huge labyrinthine system's syndrome


Explanation:
supported by "le Robert & Collins Senior Dictionary" for the first 3 terms.
Seems to me the best for the moment.
No relationship with the "gas factory" at all in English.

Proelec
France
Local time: 18:00
Native speaker of: French
PRO pts in pair: 24
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

19 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
pointlessly complex system, self-sustained useless complexity


Explanation:
NA

cjohnstone
France
Local time: 18:00
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 1632
Grading comment
"pointlessly complex system" I believe will fit *perfectly*... thank you. And thanks to all for your amazing answers & explanations..."Bloatware" I love it...and would use it in a second if the context were technical...

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Jean-Luc Dumont
29 mins
agree  writeaway
32 mins
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

20 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
a system or orgnization that is not efficient, not cost-effective and already outdated


Explanation:
definitely not state-of-the-art

implies also : messy ugly complicated and obsolete

too many pipes and lots of smoke - coming out from everywhere and not efficient

Jean-Luc Dumont
France
Local time: 18:00
Native speaker of: French
PRO pts in pair: 1108
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

27 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5 peer agreement (net): +2
bloatware syndrom


Explanation:
bloatware
bloatware. nm. [WARE] usine à gaz rendu lourde à un point tel que l'ajout
des nouvelles fonctions a complètement anéanti leur intérêt. ...
www.linux-france.org/prj/jargonf/B/bloatware.html - 3k - En cache - Pages similaires

Joel on Software - Strategy Letter IV: Bloatware and the 80/20 ... - [ Traduire cette page ]
... Strategy Letter IV: Bloatware and the 80/20 Myth. By Joel Spolsky Friday,
March 23, 2001 Printer Friendly Version ... What is bloatware, exactly? ...
www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/fog0000000020.html - 15k - En cache - Pages similaires

Linus' Home Page - why I don't like bloatware - [ Traduire cette page ]
Why I don't like bloatware. A perfectly normal rant. [ Site Map ]. ... Bloatware.
What is the opposite of the UNIX way? Bloatware! And what is bloatware? ...
user.tninet.se/~uxm165t/bloatware.html - 12k - En cache - Pages similaires

bloatware - Webopedia.com - [ Traduire cette page ]
... bloatware Last modified: Tuesday, March 12, 2002. ... If creeping featuritis is the symptom,
bloatware is the disease. •E-mail this definition to a colleague•. ...
www.pcwebopaedia.com/TERM/b/bloatware.html - 29k - En cache - Pages similaires

CNN - Computer users fight 'bloatware' - August 12, 1998 - [ Traduire cette page ]
... Computer users fight 'bloatware'. ... Citing the administrative and financial pressures
of bloatware, two retail groups are preparing to take on Microsoft Corp. ...
www.cnn.com/TECH/computing/9808/12/bloatware.idg/ - 32k - En cache - Pages similaires

bloatware from FOLDOC - [ Traduire cette page ]
... Our Services. Guides & Tutorials. Online Computing Dictionary. Register a Domain.
bloatware. <jargon, abuse> Software suffering from software bloat. (1995-10-14). ...
www.instantweb.com/foldoc/foldoc.cgi?bloatware - 10k - En cache - Pages similaires

bloatware - Webopedia.com - [ Traduire cette page ]
... . bloatware Last modified: Tuesday, March 12, 2002. A ... featuritis.
If creeping featuritis is the symptom, bloatware is the disease. ...
systems.webopedia.com/TERM/B/bloatware.html - 32k - En cache - Pages similaires



Fabrice MERCIER
Local time: 18:00
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in pair: 94

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Jean-Luc Dumont: maybe not in this contexte but thanks for the "find"
21 mins
  -> Cheers
agree  Simon Charass: A good one.
1 hr
  -> thanks
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



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
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search