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paquets

English translation: cartons

09:41 Aug 17, 2001
French to English translations [PRO]
Medical
French term or phrase: paquets
Problem text is a medical article: "Elle fumait 10 cigarettes par jour depuis 15 ans (7.5 paquets-année)." Is there something wrong in my reading of "paquets" as a pack of 20, or any other mathematical operators I may have overlooked? (7.5 cartons a year would still have yeilded 4 cigarettes a day...)
Parrot
Spain
Local time: 03:51
English translation:cartons
Explanation:

10 cigarettes a day x 365 days
= 3650 a year

1 carton = 20 packs of 20
= 400 cigarettes

7.5 cartons x 400 = 3000, which isn't 3650, but 7.5 is an estimate anyway

just a thought...
Selected response from:

lkoch99
Local time: 21:51
Grading comment
It really makes the most sense, but I'm still befuddled about the packets in a carton... problem with consulting this is, it's an already-published article!
3 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
na +1cartons
lkoch99
napack
Guy Bray
naPack-Package
Ana and Michel
napack-years
lkoch99
napack-year
Henry Liu


  

Answers


7 mins
pack


Explanation:
Maybe the person buys packets of 25 cigarettes, in cartons of 20 packs?

Guy Bray
United States
Local time: 18:51
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in pair: 819
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53 mins
Pack-Package


Explanation:
It might be an error in French. Because there are "paquets" (packets of 20-25 cigarettes) and there are "cartouches" (containing several "paquets") and which could be translated as "packs" or "packages". But even in that eventuality this wouldn't do the trick as a "cartouche" contains 5 or 10 "paquets" and that would leave us only halfway. I am puzzled.

Ana and Michel
Spain
Local time: 03:51
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench, Native in SpanishSpanish
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1 hr peer agreement (net): +1
cartons


Explanation:

10 cigarettes a day x 365 days
= 3650 a year

1 carton = 20 packs of 20
= 400 cigarettes

7.5 cartons x 400 = 3000, which isn't 3650, but 7.5 is an estimate anyway

just a thought...

lkoch99
Local time: 21:51
Native speaker of: Native in DutchDutch, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 15
Grading comment
It really makes the most sense, but I'm still befuddled about the packets in a carton... problem with consulting this is, it's an already-published article!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Germaine A Hoston: Sounds right to me!
27 mins
agree  Laura Molinari: I tend to think it's carton as well, but wouldn't it be best to go to the source? There could be an error
1 hr
  -> yes, if possible...could also be packs of 25, 20 packs in a carton
disagree  Anna Beria: Normally one does not talk of cartons/day or /year for cigarettes. I would check with originator.
2 hrs
  -> what then? 10/day = 7.5 pks every 15 days?
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4 hrs
pack-years


Explanation:
A pack-year is a cumulative measure of smoking: One pack-year is equivalent to smoking a pack of cigarettes each day for a year


    Reference: http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/feb97/nci-05b.htm
lkoch99
Local time: 21:51
Native speaker of: Native in DutchDutch, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 15
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

14 hrs
pack-year


Explanation:
I hope this comment got to you in time.

This is a specific way of writing "dosage" of cigarettes. All the published research have shown a correlation between cigarettes consumed and risk of disease, for example lung cancer. In order to standardise the dosage of cigarette, this is the abbreviated unit.

This refers to someone smoking one pack a day for one year. In order words, if you smoke half a pack a day (10 cigarettes) for 2 years, the risk of developing lung cancer, for example, is the same as someone smoking 2 packs a day for six months.

So in her case, the smoking history, as we doctors called it, is equivalent to someone smoking 7.5 pack of cigarettes in one year.

I hope this makes sense and you have time to amend your translation.


    New Zealand medical practitioner working in CHU Toulouse
Henry Liu
PRO pts in pair: 89
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