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  3. Furniture / Household Appliances

Lænestol

English translation: armchair

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Danish term or phrase:lænestol
English translation:armchair
Entered by: danisheng

10:10 Sep 2, 2012
Danish to English translations [PRO]
Furniture / Household Appliances
Danish term or phrase: Lænestol
I have just completed a Danish to UK English translation for a client who complained that I used the word 'armchair' for 'lænestol'.
I am at liberty not to disclose the context of the text or the clients name.
I am English and was bought up in England. I believe the 'proofreader' is Danish.
Any feedback is most welcome!
danisheng
Denmark
Local time: 02:22
armchair
Explanation:
:o)
Selected response from:

Sven Petersson
Sweden
Local time: 02:22
Grading comment
Thanks. The proofreader is, I believe, Danish and doesn't seem to have heard of Trados, Wordfast, ordbogen.com or any of the basic professional tools we use every day :)
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +2armchair
Sven Petersson
4easy chair, recliner
Erik Brinkhof
4Lounge chair
Jens Kaestel
3easy chair
Christine Andersen


Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


11 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
easy chair, recliner


Explanation:
Much depends of the type of lænestol. Did they provide pictures?

Perhaps armchair is a bit broad. Consider easy chair or recliner.

Erik Brinkhof
Vietnam
Local time: 07:22
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in DutchDutch
PRO pts in category: 4
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23 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +2
armchair


Explanation:
:o)

Sven Petersson
Sweden
Local time: 02:22
Native speaker of: Native in SwedishSwedish, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 16
Grading comment
Thanks. The proofreader is, I believe, Danish and doesn't seem to have heard of Trados, Wordfast, ordbogen.com or any of the basic professional tools we use every day :)
Notes to answerer
Asker: Agreed!


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Thomas Jensen
4 hrs
  -> Thank you very much!
agree  Lene Johansen: Unless the proof reader had a better suggestion, I can't see the problem with your translation.
14 hrs
  -> Thank you very much!
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23 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
easy chair


Explanation:
I would call it an armchair too, but I think many Danes have a vision of a heavy, and to their minds over-upholstered thing when you say armchair. Possibly in dowdy fabric - I´m sure you know what I mean ;-)
http://cavethinking.blogspot.dk/2011/08/who-are-you-listenin...

Danes may prefer to think of Danish design for a ´lænestol´
http://www.brdr-friis.dk/M%C3%98BELOVERSIGT/L%C3%A6nestole?s...

While an easy chair is arguably the same thing as an armchair, it may sound a little more ´laid back´.

Clients may not always be right, but it is worth a lot to keep them happy.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2012-09-02 11:41:14 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I have no problem with easy chair - I think the term is used just as much as armchair.

To my mind, it just might be even more old-fashioned and over-upholstered than an armchair, which is strictly a chair with arms, from a dining chair onwards.

It occurs to me that an armchair may be a different category in your client´s product groups.
I have translated a fair bit for Swedish furniture companies as well as Danish ones, and I think some of them referred to lines of office chairs with arms as ´armchairs´ in English, but they were not intended as easy chairs for relaxation.

If that is the case, then the client might have a point, even if it is an armchair to most of us natives.


Christine Andersen
Denmark
Local time: 02:22
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 32
Notes to answerer
Asker: Difficult isn't it? The client has to be happy but the English speaking people reading the text will be wondering why an armchair has such a strange name suddenly! In my opinion, unless the client is a professional translator themselves or at least with a professional knowledge of what it's all about they should trust the translator.

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2 days 3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Lounge chair


Explanation:
There are several OK translations for this - here's another option. I agree with Christine that it's important to make sure the customer is happy.
I suggest you explain there are several translations with a very similar meaning, provide them with 2 - 4 examples and ask them to pick; you can recommend they use Google images when making up their mind.

Hope that helps :-)

Jens Kaestel
Australia
Local time: 10:22
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in DanishDanish, Native in EnglishEnglish
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