This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
  1. KudoZ™ Top
  2. Chinese to English
  3. Engineering (general)

[医] 性选择, 选配

English translation: optional

19:45 Dec 15, 2010
Chinese to English translations [PRO]
Tech/Engineering - Engineering (general)
Chinese term or phrase: [医] 性选择, 选配
Hi!

I'm translating a manual for a micromotor handpiece (kind of filing tool for the nails).

I strongly suspect the manual was translated from Chinese to English initially and the translation is very poor (I am translating this manual from English to French).

I have a big problem when it comes to the technical specifications :
It tells about the diameter of the head of the lime and it gives (in English but you will understand why I need Chinese experts) :

diameter : 2.0 mm / 2.75 mm / 3.175 mm (apolegamy)

The thing is that apolegamy does not exist in english and the curious thing is that searching google for "apolegamy" shows quite many results for technical descriptions coming from Chinese sites.

Nevertheless, on one site, there seems to be a translation ENGLISH-CHINESE for apolegamy as :
apolegamy [医] 性选择, 选配

But when i translate 性选择 on google, it gives me "sexual selection" ?! Which has nothing to see with a nail machine of course.

Apolegamy could be too a bad pronunciation of "approximately" that was then mistyped ?

Last, "apolegamy" could come from the Greek and would give something like "Apologos" (to decline, to lower). Therefore the size of 3.175 mm (the largest) could be for the head used to sand down something.

Therefore, does [医] 性选择, 选配 has anything to do with a machine used to polish nails ?!

Thanks!
antoine piazza
Argentina
Local time: 04:52
English translation:optional
Explanation:
Hi, antoine101, actually it's really an interesting question. I also notice that in many Chinese sites "apolegamy" have something to do with "选配（optional）" , but not "性选择". "选配" and "性选择"carry totally different meaning in most cases, and "选配" is a technical term actually. For example, if a part of a device is optional, it will be sometimes marked as "选配" in its operation manual .
In this case, 3 diameter specifications are given and one can choose any one of them to use, so they are optional.
Selected response from:

CHEN-Ling
Local time: 15:52
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +2optional
CHEN-Ling
4(medical) gender selection, optional
Flavia Tucci
3(apolegamy =) general connectivity
jbk4311 (X)


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
(apolegamy =) general connectivity


Explanation:
I guess that Chinese people use the term of apolegamy for connecting something in general or adaptable way. It may be came from a + pole + gamy.

jbk4311 (X)
Local time: 16:52
Native speaker of: Native in KoreanKorean
Notes to answerer
Asker: thanks a lot !

Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
选配
optional


Explanation:
Hi, antoine101, actually it's really an interesting question. I also notice that in many Chinese sites "apolegamy" have something to do with "选配（optional）" , but not "性选择". "选配" and "性选择"carry totally different meaning in most cases, and "选配" is a technical term actually. For example, if a part of a device is optional, it will be sometimes marked as "选配" in its operation manual .
In this case, 3 diameter specifications are given and one can choose any one of them to use, so they are optional.

CHEN-Ling
Local time: 15:52
Native speaker of: Native in ChineseChinese, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks a lot !


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  pkchan: 选择性
1 hr
  -> Many thanks!
agree  Shirley Lao
18 hrs
  -> Many thanks!
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

3736 days   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
(medical) gender selection, optional


Explanation:
Hi, I'm a chinese-italian translator and I just want to suggest something about the character 性: it's not just "sex" but it can also mean "gender" or "quality", "property".
I think it's somehow related to the quality of the lime. I'll give you an example of the use of this character:
弹性 elastic + quality/property = elasticity
药性 medicine + quality/property = the property of a medicine

Flavia Tucci
Italy
Local time: 09:52
Native speaker of: Native in ItalianItalian
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

Return to KudoZ list

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

See also:
ProZ.com term search
Search millions of term translations
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search