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. English
  3. Photography/Imaging (& Graphic Arts)

The luminance shall be 1 270 cd/m2 ± 320...

English translation: (shall and should)

11:45 Feb 14, 2008
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Tech/Engineering - Photography/Imaging (& Graphic Arts)
English term or phrase: The luminance shall be 1 270 cd/m2 ± 320...
I have some doubts concerning the construction of the following:

The luminance at the centre of the illuminated surface of
the transparency illuminator shall be 1 270 cd/m2 ± 320
cd/m2 and should be 1 270 cd/m2 ± 160 cd/m2.

This is the definition of ISO Standard for ISO 3664 2000 Viewing Conditions.
I can't understand the reference parametre. Why the first SHALL BE and the second SHOULD BE? It is not clear what the standard is.
Thanks for your help
Susannide
Selected answer:(shall and should)
Explanation:
In the specifications I have seen they mean this:
"shall be" means this is an absolute requirement - you are not permitted to disobey it;
"should be" means it is desirable but you can disobey it if really necessary.
In this case, it must be within 320 cd/m2 of 1270 (i.e. 950 to 1590) and they'd really like it to be within 160 (1110 to 1430)
HTH
Selected response from:

Oliver Walter
United Kingdom
Local time: 22:51
Grading comment
Thanks a lot to all of you.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +5(shall and should)
Oliver Walter
1 +3See explanation below...
Tony M


  

Answers


8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +5
the luminance shall be 1 270 cd/m2 ± 320...
(shall and should)


Explanation:
In the specifications I have seen they mean this:
"shall be" means this is an absolute requirement - you are not permitted to disobey it;
"should be" means it is desirable but you can disobey it if really necessary.
In this case, it must be within 320 cd/m2 of 1270 (i.e. 950 to 1590) and they'd really like it to be within 160 (1110 to 1430)
HTH

Oliver Walter
United Kingdom
Local time: 22:51
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thanks a lot to all of you.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Tony M
2 mins
agree  Ken Cox: Yep, 'shall' and 'should' have defined meanings in specification contexts. In this case you could read 'shall be' as 'must be' and 'should be' as 'is preferably'.
5 mins
agree  Jack Doughty
14 mins
agree  orientalhorizon
23 mins
agree  V_Nedkov
13 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

10 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 1/5Answerer confidence 1/5 peer agreement (net): +3
the luminance shall be 1 270 cd/m2 ± 320 / should be...
See explanation below...


Explanation:
You're right, it certainly sounds like a bit of an error, or poor editing. However, these standards are read and re-read so many times by so many people, one might hope they woud be error-free (though we know full well that they are not, especially when they have been translated).

Here, I suspect there is an explanation for it:

the first specification, with 'shall', is prescriptive: it MUST meet this criteria.

the second one, on the other hand, is a tighter spec (the tolerance is halved), and so is only DESIRABLE — in an ideal world, it WOULD meet this tighter criteria, but they can't insist on it.

Although I would deprecate this way of expressing things, I suspect that is indeed the intended meaning.

Tony M
France
Local time: 23:51
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 15

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Oliver Walter: You are (we are!) right, except that it's not poor editing: Ken & I have both seen these formal meanings of "shall" & "should" in specs.
15 mins
  -> Thanks, Oliver! Yes, as I said, although at first sight it might LOOK like poor editing, I think there are plenty of precedents for this
agree  orientalhorizon
22 mins
  -> Thanks, O/H!
agree  V_Nedkov
13 hrs
  -> Thanks, V. Nedkova!
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