Dec 2, 2008 13:07
15 yrs ago
Japanese term
United States
Fast, accurate, highest quality
Native in: English 
, Spanish
Works in: Japanese to English, English to Japanese, Japanese to Spanish, and 4 more.
パソコン
Non-PRO
Japanese to English
Law/Patents
Law (general)
I know: What a no-brainer. What I'd like is an opinion on whether this can be translated as a "PC" (which to many native speakers of English means only a computer which has a Windows OS), whether it should only be "computer", whether it should be a "personal computer", or all of the above depending on the context (it is used in many different contexts in the document I am translating), or whether there is a better term that disambiguates all of these. Thanks for your help!
Proposed translations
(English)
| 3 | computer |
Duncan Adam
|
| 3 +3 | personal computer |
Yuki Okada
|
| 3 | PC/AT-compatible machine (computer) |
RieM
|
Change log
Dec 2, 2008 13:12: KathyT changed "Level" from "PRO" to "Non-PRO"
Proposed translations
10 mins
Duncan Adam
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Native in English
Works in field
United Kingdom
Dr. Duncan Adam, Japanese specialist
Native in: English (Variants: Canadian, Scottish, Australian, British, New Zealand, US, Wales / Welsh, Irish, UK) 
Works in: Japanese to English
Related KudoZ points
:
4
Selected
computer
My opinion:
I would definitely prefer 'computer' 90% of the time.
'PC' definitely suggests a Windows system to me (I use both and refer to my 'Mac' and my 'PC').
Personal computer seems fine when you need to distinguish it from any other kind of computer (i.e. one that doesn't sit on someone's desk in an office).
'Computer' always suggests either a laptop or desktop computer to me, unless the context makes it clear that it means something else.
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Note added at 49 mins (2008-12-02 13:56:40 GMT)
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OK, I think in the first sentence there i would definitely translate it as 'personal computer'.
I would definitely prefer 'computer' 90% of the time.
'PC' definitely suggests a Windows system to me (I use both and refer to my 'Mac' and my 'PC').
Personal computer seems fine when you need to distinguish it from any other kind of computer (i.e. one that doesn't sit on someone's desk in an office).
'Computer' always suggests either a laptop or desktop computer to me, unless the context makes it clear that it means something else.
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Note added at 49 mins (2008-12-02 13:56:40 GMT)
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OK, I think in the first sentence there i would definitely translate it as 'personal computer'.
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "ありがとうございます！"
+3
23 mins
Yuki Okada
Canada
Canada
Native in Japanese
Canada
Engineering translator
Native in: Japanese
Works in: English to Japanese, Japanese to English
Related KudoZ points
:
12
personal computer
I also encounter this once in a while. In Japan, PC refers to all personal computers including Macs. So, an expression like the one in the link is possible:
http://japan.cnet.com/news/tech/story/0,2000056025,20358222,...
Becasue PC tends to refer only to Windows-based personal computers in English, this is not good in this case. I think you also need to differentiate this from other computers like super computers, UNIX machines and really tiny ones contorolling home appliances, toys, etc.
http://japan.cnet.com/news/tech/story/0,2000056025,20358222,...
Becasue PC tends to refer only to Windows-based personal computers in English, this is not good in this case. I think you also need to differentiate this from other computers like super computers, UNIX machines and really tiny ones contorolling home appliances, toys, etc.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
MedSpecialis (X)
2 hrs
|
| agree |
vaksru
16 hrs
|
| agree |
Yumico Tanaka (X)
2 days 8 hrs
|
3 hrs
PC/AT-compatible machine (computer)
Technically, and histrically speaking, this is what is called "パソコン", though the current machine is not quite compatible with this very old generation (PC/AT) any longer. What it still shares is the use of BIOS interface.
http://e-words.jp/w/PC2FATE4BA92E68F9BE6A99F.html
Another option might be "intel-architecture (IA-32, IA-64) machine"
http://e-words.jp/w/IA-32.html
but Mac also uses Intel (with EFI, not Bios).
Bill Gates once callled "IBM-compatible" as in
http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2008/11/dayint...
But this could be misleading because there was another type of "IBM-machines"
http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/PC/AT互換機
I hope I don't make you pull your hair out!
http://e-words.jp/w/PC2FATE4BA92E68F9BE6A99F.html
Another option might be "intel-architecture (IA-32, IA-64) machine"
http://e-words.jp/w/IA-32.html
but Mac also uses Intel (with EFI, not Bios).
Bill Gates once callled "IBM-compatible" as in
http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2008/11/dayint...
But this could be misleading because there was another type of "IBM-machines"
http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/PC/AT互換機
I hope I don't make you pull your hair out!
Discussion