Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Sep 2, 2012 10:10
11 yrs ago
Danish term
Lænestol
Danish to English
Other
Furniture / Household Appliances
I have just completed a Danish to UK English translation for a client who complained that I used the word 'armchair' for 'lænestol'.
I am at liberty not to disclose the context of the text or the clients name.
I am English and was bought up in England. I believe the 'proofreader' is Danish.
Any feedback is most welcome!
I am at liberty not to disclose the context of the text or the clients name.
I am English and was bought up in England. I believe the 'proofreader' is Danish.
Any feedback is most welcome!
Proposed translations
(English)
| 5 +2 | armchair |
Sven Petersson
|
| 4 | easy chair, recliner |
Erik Brinkhof
|
| 4 | Lounge chair |
Jens Kaestel
|
| 3 | easy chair |
Christine Andersen
|
Proposed translations
+2
23 mins
Sven Petersson
Sweden
Sweden
Native in English
Sweden
Medical Translator
Native in: Swedish 
, English
Works in: English to Swedish, Danish to Swedish, German to Swedish, and 13 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
16
Selected
armchair
:o)
Note from asker:
| Agreed! |
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Thomas Jensen
4 hrs
|
|
Thank you very much!
|
|
| agree |
Lene Johansen
: Unless the proof reader had a better suggestion, I can't see the problem with your translation.
14 hrs
|
|
Thank you very much!
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks. The proofreader is, I believe, Danish and doesn't seem to have heard of Trados, Wordfast, ordbogen.com or any of the basic professional tools we use every day :)"
11 mins
Erik Brinkhof
Vietnam
Vietnam
Works in field
Vietnam
Language without boundaries
Native in: Dutch
Works in: English to Dutch, Dutch to English, Flemish to English, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
4
easy chair, recliner
Much depends of the type of lænestol. Did they provide pictures?
Perhaps armchair is a bit broad. Consider easy chair or recliner.
Perhaps armchair is a bit broad. Consider easy chair or recliner.
23 mins
Christine Andersen
Denmark
Denmark
Native in English
Denmark
the message, not just the words
Native in: English (Variant: UK) 
Works in: Danish to English, English
Related KudoZ points
:
32
easy chair
I would call it an armchair too, but I think many Danes have a vision of a heavy, and to their minds over-upholstered thing when you say armchair. Possibly in dowdy fabric - I´m sure you know what I mean ;-)
http://cavethinking.blogspot.dk/2011/08/who-are-you-listenin...
Danes may prefer to think of Danish design for a ´lænestol´
http://www.brdr-friis.dk/M%C3%98BELOVERSIGT/L%C3%A6nestole?s...
While an easy chair is arguably the same thing as an armchair, it may sound a little more ´laid back´.
Clients may not always be right, but it is worth a lot to keep them happy.
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Note added at 1 hr (2012-09-02 11:41:14 GMT)
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I have no problem with easy chair - I think the term is used just as much as armchair.
To my mind, it just might be even more old-fashioned and over-upholstered than an armchair, which is strictly a chair with arms, from a dining chair onwards.
It occurs to me that an armchair may be a different category in your client´s product groups.
I have translated a fair bit for Swedish furniture companies as well as Danish ones, and I think some of them referred to lines of office chairs with arms as ´armchairs´ in English, but they were not intended as easy chairs for relaxation.
If that is the case, then the client might have a point, even if it is an armchair to most of us natives.
http://cavethinking.blogspot.dk/2011/08/who-are-you-listenin...
Danes may prefer to think of Danish design for a ´lænestol´
http://www.brdr-friis.dk/M%C3%98BELOVERSIGT/L%C3%A6nestole?s...
While an easy chair is arguably the same thing as an armchair, it may sound a little more ´laid back´.
Clients may not always be right, but it is worth a lot to keep them happy.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2012-09-02 11:41:14 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
I have no problem with easy chair - I think the term is used just as much as armchair.
To my mind, it just might be even more old-fashioned and over-upholstered than an armchair, which is strictly a chair with arms, from a dining chair onwards.
It occurs to me that an armchair may be a different category in your client´s product groups.
I have translated a fair bit for Swedish furniture companies as well as Danish ones, and I think some of them referred to lines of office chairs with arms as ´armchairs´ in English, but they were not intended as easy chairs for relaxation.
If that is the case, then the client might have a point, even if it is an armchair to most of us natives.
Note from asker:
| Difficult isn't it? The client has to be happy but the English speaking people reading the text will be wondering why an armchair has such a strange name suddenly! In my opinion, unless the client is a professional translator themselves or at least with a professional knowledge of what it's all about they should trust the translator. |
2 days 3 hrs
Jens Kaestel
Australia
Australia
Native in Danish
&
English
Specializes in field
Australia
Accurate & well researched translations
Native in: Danish , English
Works in: English to Danish, Danish to English, German to Danish, and 1 more.
Lounge chair
There are several OK translations for this - here's another option. I agree with Christine that it's important to make sure the customer is happy.
I suggest you explain there are several translations with a very similar meaning, provide them with 2 - 4 examples and ask them to pick; you can recommend they use Google images when making up their mind.
Hope that helps :-)
I suggest you explain there are several translations with a very similar meaning, provide them with 2 - 4 examples and ask them to pick; you can recommend they use Google images when making up their mind.
Hope that helps :-)
Discussion
If you would like to enter into a polemic with your customer and/or reviser, you might of course point them to images.google.com to look up the vast amount of armchairs, easy chairs, and recliners respectively. Your customer might better understand your choice this way.
However, it is well worth noting what Christine says about keeping clients happy.