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  3. General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters

en aval (this instance)

English translation: downstream

20:54 Aug 21, 2019
French to English translations [Non-PRO]
Bus/Financial - General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
French term or phrase: en aval (this instance)
I know there are a number of entries concerning "en aval" already, but I've never quite been able to grasp it, so forgive me if I have missed an entry that deals with it in this context - I am stuck! This is in one of a number of emails exchanged back and forth regarding a quote for wholesale printing products.

"Navrée de vous redéranger mais je dois admettre que cela va urger si je n’ai pas d’éléments ce jour pour travailler en aval des cotations... ☹"

I understand that the word "downstream" has uses in business contexts but I can't tell if that's the appropriate translation here or how to really parse it in this sentence. I appreciate any assistance!
Roberta Beyer
United States
Local time: 11:29
English translation:downstream
Explanation:
'...working downstream of the [cotisations]'

The only doubt in my mind (depends on wider context) is if the writer is talking about working downstream OF the cotisations... or ON them — since 'travailler' can be used as a transitive verb in FR with no need for a preposition.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2019-08-21 22:06:55 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

It means 'after', 'following', 'next' — so it could mean that something else has to happen so that the person will then be able to work on the 'cotisations'; OR, that they need to work on something further down the line, after the 'cotisations'.
My only query in interpreting the FR might be dispelled by a native speaker of FR; as I see it, it could be parsed 2 ways:

"...pour travailler" "en aval des cotations" : to be able to work downstream of the cotations — seems to be the logical interpretation...

BUT what if it should be parsed thus:

"...pour travailler ... des cotations" "en aval" : to be able to work on a number of cotations downstream (of some other point).


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2019-08-21 22:07:32 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Apologies, my tired brain keeps confusing 'cotations' with 'cotisations'
Selected response from:

Tony M
France
Local time: 18:29
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +5downstream
Tony M
4 +2following the quotes..
Francois Boye
4 +1to move downstream from the quotes
Daryo
4from now on....
Lara Barnett
3 -2I have nothing to go on when subsequent quotes start rolling in
MatthewLaSon


Discussion entries: 6





  

Answers


41 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +5
en aval
downstream


Explanation:
'...working downstream of the [cotisations]'

The only doubt in my mind (depends on wider context) is if the writer is talking about working downstream OF the cotisations... or ON them — since 'travailler' can be used as a transitive verb in FR with no need for a preposition.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2019-08-21 22:06:55 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

It means 'after', 'following', 'next' — so it could mean that something else has to happen so that the person will then be able to work on the 'cotisations'; OR, that they need to work on something further down the line, after the 'cotisations'.
My only query in interpreting the FR might be dispelled by a native speaker of FR; as I see it, it could be parsed 2 ways:

"...pour travailler" "en aval des cotations" : to be able to work downstream of the cotations — seems to be the logical interpretation...

BUT what if it should be parsed thus:

"...pour travailler ... des cotations" "en aval" : to be able to work on a number of cotations downstream (of some other point).


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2019-08-21 22:07:32 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Apologies, my tired brain keeps confusing 'cotations' with 'cotisations'


Tony M
France
Local time: 18:29
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 348
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
Notes to answerer
Asker: Is it possible to give me a kind of general idea of what each of those two would mean? I just can't get my head around how "downstream" works in a business context. If it's not an easy explanation, don't worry about it, I can do the research :-)

Asker: I have a guess as to which it is but I am curious to see what you say without your response being colored by my guess.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Victoria Britten: I think if it meant working on the - or rather some - cotations, it would more likely to be "travailler des cotations en aval"; I'd thus go for downstream OF, but as you say the broader context should make that clear.
28 mins
  -> Thanks, Victoria! I agree with your logic
agree  Ph_B (X): downstream of/Re your point abouttravailler des cotations en aval (why did I miss it?), it would be more natural to say travailler sur des cotations en aval
13 hrs
  -> Merci, Ph_B !
agree  B D Finch: Or, more informally, "having got the quotations".
14 hrs
  -> Thanks, B!
neutral  Francois Boye: in this instance, downstream just means after or following
18 hrs
  -> Strange, as it is in fact very typical in business jargon today in EN. / The trouble with things like 'after' and 'following' is that they tend to introduce a temporal connotation that is not there in 'downstream'.
agree  Michele Fauble
20 hrs
  -> Merci, Michele !
agree  Daryo: you do have a point about parsing - there is a small possibility that "en aval" is in fact used in relation to something else previously mentioned, not to the stage of sending "quotes". which would turn "preparing quotes" into the "next stage"!!
5 days
  -> Thanks, Daryo!
disagree  Mpoma: Tony, you've lived in the Dordogne, with all its seductive charms, for too long. English-speakers do not use "downstream" in this context. NOT EVER!
6 days
  -> I have NEVER lived in the River Dordogne, or anywhere near it! But I can assure you EN-speakers most certaonly DO use this expression in this sort of context; I feel sorry for you if you've never come across it used this way.
agree  Michael Confais (X)
12 days
  -> Merci, Michael !
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
from now on....


Explanation:
I would use this term given that its a conversational context.

It sounds like the messaging person might be saying that up until now, the fact that they have no quotations to work on has not caused a problem (yet), but he/she has now come to the point when they really need them.

"...but from now on we need to act with urgency/swiftly on this...."


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2019-08-21 22:28:27 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Or: "This situation is going to become desperate if we don't act swiftly (with urgency)".

Lara Barnett
United Kingdom
Local time: 17:29
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 42

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  GILLES MEUNIER
6 hrs
  -> Thank you
disagree  Tony M: Not a translation or even correct interpretation of the term asked. And could amount to wildly over-interpreting the source text.
16 hrs
disagree  Daryo: it has nothing do with "the present time / now" it's about going upstream / downstream along a flow / exchange of information. // This is "commercial negotiations" [money involved, not risk-free / inconsequential chit-chat]
2 days 8 hrs
  -> I did not say the phrase was referring to the present and there is a still a since of moving forward from a specific point anyway.
agree  MatthewLaSon: Hi there! I don't see why this would be wrong. The language is quite informal and colloquial. I think that this the meaning. Have a nice evening.
7 days
  -> Thank you.
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
following the quotes..


Explanation:
en aval de = the stage after or following

Francois Boye
United States
Local time: 12:29
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 41

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Daryo: yes for the explanation, but not the proposed translation // "following" is too ambiguous it could be misunderstood as "following in time/on a timeline" while it's about "what comes next" in a chain of related events - the logical order/succession.
2 days 6 hrs
  -> the text is not talking about a river, is it?
agree  Mpoma: yes, yes, yes, something simple like this.
5 days
agree  MatthewLaSon: Je suis d'accord avec vous. Bonne Soirée. Je n'ai jamais entendu "to move downstream to the quotes", but I await further enlightenment.
6 days
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5 days   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
pour travailler en aval des cotations
to move downstream from the quotes


Explanation:
IOW "to move to the next step"

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 5 days (2019-08-27 12:52:11 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

assuming that "en aval" means "en aval des cotations", not "en aval" of something mentioned in the previous sentences.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 5 days (2019-08-27 12:55:03 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

in which case it would be "to move downstream to the quotes" !!!


Daryo
United Kingdom
Local time: 17:29
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in SerbianSerbian, Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 105

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Tony M
13 mins
  -> Thanks!
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7 days   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): -2
I have nothing to go on when subsequent quotes start rolling in


Explanation:
Hello,

That is my understanding, whether right or wrong.

en aval des cotations = following quotes = with subsequent quotes

I hope this helps you a little.

Take care.

MatthewLaSon
Local time: 12:29
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 145

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Daryo: shortest version: you have all the right ingredients, but combined in the wrong way - compare "the bag is on the chair that's on the table" vs "the bag is under the table that's next to he chair" bag/chair/table are all there but it's still not the same.
4 hrs
  -> Thank you! Have a nice day. I have to say, though, that I am not sure I am following you (but that is okay).
disagree  GILLES MEUNIER: Pas le sens de travailler
8 hrs
  -> Merci! Oui, je donne l'impression d'avoir traduit le mot "travailler" de façon littérale, mais justement il n'y pas de ça du tout en fait (c'est du trompe-oeil). C'est l'idée générale de ce qui s'y passe. Passez une très bonne journée
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