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  1. KudoZ™ Top
  2. German to English
  3. Forestry / Wood / Timber

rohstoffschonend

English translation: resource conserving

22:10 May 31, 2007
German to English translations [PRO]
Tech/Engineering - Forestry / Wood / Timber
German term or phrase: rohstoffschonend
Holzwerkstoffe sind günstiger, rohstoffschonender und rationeller zu verarbeiten als Massivholz.
PoveyTrans (X)
Local time: 17:25
English translation:resource conserving
Explanation:
"resource conserving" is directed to "rohstoff", the above mentioned "friendly" terms have the meaning of "umweltfreundlich", which deals more with the pollution effect than with conservation or preservation of natural resources
Selected response from:

IP-Chemist
Local time: 18:25
Grading comment
Thanks - a difficult one to get idiomatic so thank everyone for your input
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +5reword?
Richard Benham
5 +2resource conserving
IP-Chemist
4environmentally friendlier
SCocron (X)
3nature-friendly/nature-friendlier
Frosty
3sparing of natural resources
Maureen Millington-Brodie


  

Answers


6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +5
reword?


Explanation:
Compared with solid timber, (whatever you want to call them) cost less, save raw materials, and are....

One possibility among many. Just about anything has to beat, e.g. "more raw-material-conserving".

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 19 mins (2007-05-31 22:30:14 GMT)
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I thought that was what I was doing.

Richard Benham
France
Local time: 18:25
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks, meaning is clear but just can't find an idiomatic English equivalent.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Jim Tucker (X): yes I would have put the last two in their own clauses as well,
34 mins
  -> Thx. Whatever.
agree  Ulrike Kraemer: This is one of "those words" I love/hate. There is no "idiomatic" English equivalent. I usually reword saying "saves natural resources" oder so ähnlich.
7 hrs
agree  casper (X)
9 hrs
agree  David Moore (X)
10 hrs
agree  sylvie malich (X)
10 hrs
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28 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
nature-friendly/nature-friendlier


Explanation:
The first gets 124K Googles, the second a mere 97.

Main thing, the trees get a stay of execution!

Frosty
Local time: 18:25
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 12

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Richard Benham: This is going a long way away from the original meaning. Of course, the effect is as you say, but the actual semantic content is different.
2 mins
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +2
resource conserving


Explanation:
"resource conserving" is directed to "rohstoff", the above mentioned "friendly" terms have the meaning of "umweltfreundlich", which deals more with the pollution effect than with conservation or preservation of natural resources

IP-Chemist
Local time: 18:25
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
Thanks - a difficult one to get idiomatic so thank everyone for your input

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  SCocron (X)
2 hrs
agree  Gillian Scheibelein: prefer LittleBalu's saves natural resources, but this is better than the other suggestions. Wood derivatives are not always environmentally friendly (use of VOC solvents etc)
8 hrs
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
environmentally friendlier


Explanation:
You can stay closer to the German structure with a comma-separated list of comparatives

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 hrs (2007-06-01 03:06:02 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Yes, IP-Chemist, good point with the "resource conserving"; below is a modified version of the sentence with this change reflected:

"Compared to solid wood, timber derivatives are more cost effective, resource conserving and efficient to process."

Example sentence(s):
  • Timber derivatives are cheaper, environmentally friendlier and more efficient to produce than solid wood
SCocron (X)
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
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7 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
sparing of natural resources


Explanation:
this might work

Maureen Millington-Brodie
United Kingdom
Local time: 17:25
Native speaker of: English
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