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... convenient and discreet volume and program changes, battery status, ...
English translation: it's easy to change volume, program and status of battery discreetly (unobserved) on the app
19:40 Aug 8, 2019
English language (monolingual) [PRO] Tech/Engineering - Medical: Instruments / Hoortoestellen
English term or phrase:... convenient and discreet volume and program changes, battery status, ...
Context:
"The EasyControl-A app offers users convenient and discreet volume and program changes, battery status, plus the ability to connect to various IoT based devices and create alerts."
There seems to be something grammatically wrong with this sentence (perhaps a missing verb). Suggestions about the exact meaning woud be highly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
nothing wrong with the grammar as is. Just need to know meaning of "discreet"
You could add a few words "The EasyControl-A app offers users A convenient and discreet WAY TO MAKE volume and program changes,
BUT native speakers can understand it as is (without those additions).
OR you could turn it into a verb phrase as I did in the header if it makes more sense to you that way..
I see Tony has already explained this in Dbox. Just means no one need be self-conscious or embarrassed about (wearing) this device because it's small (hidden) and you don't have to fiddle with it (behind your ear) to change volume etc. controls because (without being observed) you can make those changes on an app now so it's even more convenient
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 17 hrs (2019-08-09 12:58:34 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
SEE BATTERY STATUS (how much battery power you still have on your device)
You are right about there being more room for error when producing a translation of a translation. However, it is up to the client to make that choice.
"...it is a translation from German it makes perfect sense in English..."
That's exactly the point. Translating an already translated text is pretty risky because you have to trust that the translator did his or her job right. Do you know this person?
In my experience, this often ends badly (and is done to save money).
Yvonne may be right that there were some last-minute changes. But since the (German) description on the company's website is much clearer, those changes would be a serious downgrade. That doesn't make sense.
I find Björn's comments really odd and don't see what German has to do with it, because whether or not it is a translation from German it makes perfect sense in English. I don't think anything would be gained by adding the word "display", as this is about functionality and information being provided.
I agree with Tony's comments and explanations, except that I don't find the text "telegraphic".
"...that it is a little telegraphic..." And the rest is not?
The closest sentence I could find was: "Mit der EasyControl-A App für [...] können Sie bequem und diskret die Lautstärke und das Programm ändern, die Hörgeräte stumm schalten und den Batteriestatus prüfen – ganz einfach mit nur einem Wisch."
The part in italics is missing, the part in bold face is too (that's the verb you don't see). The "create alerts" tidbit also seems wrong (and it's meaningless without any further explanation).
"....is all annoyed and going on about..." As Yoda says, beautifully written an article may be; but true to original, it is not.
While people are quick to point out that they may think an article has been written by a non-ENS (and recently, most of these assumptions have been proved wrong, as the author was, e.g., American), few will admit that there are a good number of translators who don't understand the source language all that well (you think that's any different on the EN-DE forum?).
If you must translate a document that has already been translated, it's always a good idea to have the actual source document.
I'm sure both you and Tony could have done better.
I did not say it was "incorrect", just that it is a little telegraphic; any native speaker of English ought to understand it immediately... unless they simply don't have the necessary technical understanding in the first place! I think poor Björn has posted in the wrong question by mistake.
It's understandable, but as you yourself pointed out, it's incorrect because it omits "display", which is why the asker was confused and posted this question. I'm not sure why Björn is all annoyed and going on about architecture :-)
...from German. The company is based in Switzerland. The first half of the sentence is pretty literal ("bequem und diskret" and "Batteriestatus"; also, there seem to be some words missing). The second bit is pretty confusing.
Ah, well spotted! Doesn't proper context make a difference! Yes, of course, so you can make an adjustment on your smartphone, instead of fiddling around behind your ear... that's much more 'discreet' !
I think that "changes" can not be seen as a verb in the sentence "discreet volume and program changes, but as a noun - the app switches to other programs, so the acting of swiching to other channels was called "changes".
It means it is easy (= convenient) to alter the volume or change programmes As for 'discreet', we'd need to know more of the context, i.e. the exact technical deatisl of this device, to know in which WAY it might be discreet — it could mean you can change the volume smoothly, and can change the channel without a blast of noise... or it might eqaully mean that you can adjust the volume and channel in a discreet manner, without anyone seeing what you are doing (if this is important?) There is nothing grammatically wrong with the sentence, though it is a bit telegraphic, saying just that it "offers... battery status", without explaining more fully 'a display of the current battery status'
nothing wrong with the grammar as is. Just need to know meaning of "discreet"
You could add a few words "The EasyControl-A app offers users A convenient and discreet WAY TO MAKE volume and program changes,
BUT native speakers can understand it as is (without those additions).
OR you could turn it into a verb phrase as I did in the header if it makes more sense to you that way..
I see Tony has already explained this in Dbox. Just means no one need be self-conscious or embarrassed about (wearing) this device because it's small (hidden) and you don't have to fiddle with it (behind your ear) to change volume etc. controls because (without being observed) you can make those changes on an app now so it's even more convenient
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 17 hrs (2019-08-09 12:58:34 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
SEE BATTERY STATUS (how much battery power you still have on your device)
Yvonne Gallagher Ireland Local time: 02:57 Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 24
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peer agreement (net): +1