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éthique

English translation: as ethical as (the work or book...)

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:éthique
English translation:as ethical as (the work or book...)
Entered by: Joelle Glore (X)

19:07 Dec 13, 2009
French to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Printing & Publishing / Belgian French
French term or phrase: éthique
this is taken from a publishing contract. the question is whether éthique really means morals, or maybe more general tone of the work. the books in question are schoolbooks.

Les nouveaux ouvrages proposés doivent être d'une qualité, d'un contenu et d'une éthique comparables à l'ouvrage qui fait l'objet de la présente convention.
Andre de Vries
United Kingdom
Local time: 20:17
as ethical as (the work or book...)
Explanation:
-

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Note added at 48 mins (2009-12-13 19:55:54 GMT)
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or of comparable standards.
Selected response from:

Joelle Glore (X)
France
Local time: 20:17
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +2as ethical as (the work or book...)
Joelle Glore (X)
4character
Stephanie Ezrol
3standing
Jennifer Levey
2 +1approach
John Detre


Discussion entries: 3





  

Answers


17 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
as ethical as (the work or book...)


Explanation:
-

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 48 mins (2009-12-13 19:55:54 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

or of comparable standards.

Joelle Glore (X)
France
Local time: 20:17
Native speaker of: French
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Jean-Claude Gouin: If an author of a math book wrote "Since the hooker had to repay her pimp, she decided to sell cocain on the side." would be an example of lack of ethical standards.
2 hrs
agree  John Robertson: OK for standards
18 hrs
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15 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
standing


Explanation:
It may refer to 'moral standing', but in this context it would be normal to drop 'moral' in English, leaving 'standing'.

Future books shall be of similar ... standing to (this one).

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Note added at 55 mins (2009-12-13 20:02:46 GMT)
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Re Asker's note below: You refer to the (ab)use of 'standing' in French, not English, where it tends to cover a wide range of attributes such as those you mention. Indeed, Belgians use the word in all sorts of circumstances where the English wouldn't dream of using it...

In English, as I already explained, we use it use it as a shortened version of 'moral standing', more or less equivalent to 'moral fibre' in some contexts.

Jennifer Levey
Chile
Local time: 15:17
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 36
Notes to answerer
Asker: standing has other implications - like respect or reputation - which might seem further removed from ethics

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11 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5 peer agreement (net): +1
approach


Explanation:
I'm guessing they're using ethic in the etymological sense: ethos, "the characteristic spirit of a culture, era or community as manifested in its attitudes and aspirations" (Concise Oxford) -- so, as applied to a textbook, its approach.

John Detre
Canada
Native speaker of: English

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Evans (X): I think you may well be right in this case.
2 hrs
  -> Thanks Gilla
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3 days 3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
character


Explanation:
I think it means the character of the work, with the implication of a similar high character.

From Funk & Wagnalls defintion#2 of ethical:

Conforming to right principles of conduct as generally accepted by a specific profession, a given set of ethics.

This is idea of a specific profession seems close to the French usage, and sounds to my ear like the English use of 'work ethic."

But to avoid the confusion with morals, I would suggest character from the Greek ethikos, ethos. As in "books of the same character." There is an implied high character, which is different than morals as do's and don'ts.


Stephanie Ezrol
United States
Local time: 15:17
Native speaker of: English
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