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  2. German to English

Dienste und Services

English translation: No difference...

21:12 Dec 26, 2001
German to English translations [Non-PRO]
Marketing
German term or phrase: Dienste und Services
In a German text these two words are used in a way that makes me think that they are NOT IDENTICAL in the mind of the author:
"Die Geschaeftsreise vereint in idealer Weise den moeglichen Nutzen mobiler Dienste, Services and Informationen."
or:
"Viele Services und Dienstleistungen fuer mobile Webanwendungen gibt es bereits am Markt."

I probably miss some subtle difference between 'Service' and 'Dienstleistung'. Could you tell me what this difference is?
Thank you so much in advance!
Ursula
Ursula Peter-Czichi
United States
Local time: 15:48
English translation:No difference...
Explanation:
...IMHO this is another example where someone uses an anglicism to be able to show variety... of course, this doesn't work in English.

A similar example I recently came across were "Aufträge und Orders" (in the securities business).

HTH - best regards, Ralf
Selected response from:

Ralf Lemster
Germany
Local time: 21:48
Grading comment
Thanks Alan, Ralf, Sven, Maya and Alexander for giving me your opinions. Reading the entire text, there really is no apparant difference between the two words: SONK, language bloat, et al.
Have a happy new year!
Ursula
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +5No difference...
Ralf Lemster
4 +2services
Alan Johnson
5 +1functions, services and information
Alexander Schleber (X)
5services
Sven Petersson
4services
4The same, but used differently
Maya Jurt


  

Answers


9 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
services


Explanation:
I would stick to this. This is typical of "Neudeutsch" - someone trying to impress by (in this case redundant and) uneeded use of English.


Native speaker of:
PRO pts in pair: 12

9 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
services


Explanation:
I would stick to this. This is typical of "Neudeutsch" - someone trying to impress by (in this case redundant and) uneeded use of English.

Alan Johnson
Germany
Local time: 21:48
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in pair: 3391

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Eva Blanar
1 hr
agree  Thomas Bollmann
1 hr
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9 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +5
No difference...


Explanation:
...IMHO this is another example where someone uses an anglicism to be able to show variety... of course, this doesn't work in English.

A similar example I recently came across were "Aufträge und Orders" (in the securities business).

HTH - best regards, Ralf

Ralf Lemster
Germany
Local time: 21:48
Native speaker of: German
PRO pts in pair: 2684
Grading comment
Thanks Alan, Ralf, Sven, Maya and Alexander for giving me your opinions. Reading the entire text, there really is no apparant difference between the two words: SONK, language bloat, et al.
Have a happy new year!
Ursula

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Claudia Tomaschek
5 mins
agree  Eva Blanar
1 hr
agree  Thomas Bollmann
1 hr
agree  Dr.G.MD (X)
1 hr
agree  Dr. Stephan Pietzko
3 hrs
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13 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
services


Explanation:
The source text is total SONK. Stick with services!


    My geriatric brain.
Sven Petersson
Sweden
Local time: 21:48
Native speaker of: Native in SwedishSwedish, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 1641
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17 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
The same, but used differently


Explanation:
Service is really Dienstleistung. But judging from all the German sites that used both, I would make a distinction:

Service: Kundendienst, Wartung, Reparatur von Produkten.

Dienstleistung: Tertiär-Dienste: Schulungen, Software, Handwerkerdienste etc.

I would carefully study the whole text to see what your client calls Service and what is Dienstleistung for him, because people use those two terms very carelessly.

HTH a tiny little bit.





Maya Jurt
Switzerland
Local time: 21:48
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman, Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in pair: 545

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Sven Petersson: Can you please point towards some source supporting your opinion?
29 mins
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48 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
functions, services and information


Explanation:
While I agree with all the other answerers that it is a bad case of overkill, if you want to satisfy the client and make a real differentiation, then I would translate it like this:
"The business trip combines the possible utility of mobile fuctionality, services, and information in an ideal manner." That is a fairly literal translation.

For the second sentence, I would drop the duplication.

HTH

Alexander Schleber (X)
Belgium
Local time: 21:48
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 2426

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Dr. Fred Thomson: Creative ans sensible solution. If you can't win, join 'em.
41 mins
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