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Espaces verts

English translation: grounds maintenance

10:25 Mar 14, 2006
French to English translations [PRO]
Tech/Engineering - Business/Commerce (general) / facilities management
French term or phrase: Espaces verts
It is not very clear to me from this list of services offered under a facilities management contract, exactly what 'espaces verts' would mean in such a context. My first thought was 'maintenance of landscaped areas' but of course it doesn't actually say that. I wondered if anyone has expert knowledge of such contracts and what they would usually mean in terms of 'espaces verts'...I think it has to be maintenance. Any suggestions as to how to translate this?

Prestations forfaitaires :

• Espaces verts,
• Gardiennage / accueil,
• Nettoyage des locaux,
• Suivi / entretien du réseau AEP,
• Suivi / entretien du réseau huiles,
• Suivi / entretien cuves débourbeurs AEP,
• Entretien / vérification étanchéité toitures,
• Entretien / vérification stores et rideaux,
• Nettoyage rechange tapis de sol,
• Portes locaux sécurisés, sectionnelles, coupe-feu,
• Moyens de manutention (y.c. contrôles périodiques),
• Analyse vibratoire moteurs.
French2English
United Kingdom
Local time: 22:59
English translation:grounds maintenance
Explanation:
I don't have specific experience of this term used like this, but I feel sure you're right.

I would just say 'grounds', to avoid 'landscaped', which might be a bit OTT for some of the miserable, bald patches of brown grass you get outside some offices!

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2006-03-14 11:31:37 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Although I don't set all that much store by Google statistics, a quick search revealed that "green spaces maintenance" only got 93 hits, whereas "grounds maintenance" got nearly 2½ million!

And after all, 'espaces verts' is only really a euphemism for 'grounds', in this sort of context; they will still sweep up dead leaves, even if some have them have blown onto the car park!

Given the context, I think the general term is most appropriate
Selected response from:

Tony M
France
Local time: 23:59
Grading comment
Yes - this was sufficient as it happened, although I did include a note to check that it didn't refer solely to the green spaces contained within the grounds. Thanks
3 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +7Grounds
Gayle Wallimann
3 +8grounds maintenance
Tony M
4 +3maintence of green spaces
Sylvia Smith
3 +3Gardens/grounds
Karen Marston
5Groudskeeping
Yaron Dahan
3 -2landscaping
Bailatjones


  

Answers


6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
Gardens/grounds


Explanation:
I don't have knowledge of this type of contract but it makes sense to me that this is what it refers to. It probably does mean maintenance of the gardens/grounds but as it is implied in the French contract I think it would be safer to imply it in the English too - always best to be as vague as the source in legal texts.

Karen Marston
United Kingdom
Local time: 22:59
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Katherine Mérignac
8 mins
agree  Carol Gullidge
22 mins
disagree  Adam Warren: Not exactly: "green spaces" is the best answer
36 mins
agree  Jean-Claude Gouin
3 hrs
agree  IC --
1 day 10 hrs
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10 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +7
Grounds


Explanation:
Grounds maintenance. Very common in both UK and US service contracts.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 12 mins (2006-03-14 10:38:33 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

My computer is the slowest today...I clicked and waited for several minutes thinking that it had gone to sleep!


    Reference: http://www.regularcleaning.co.uk/
Gayle Wallimann
Local time: 23:59
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 41

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Anna Fitzgerald
8 mins
agree  Carol Gullidge: yes. I think the maintenance is implied
20 mins
agree  Tony M: Yes indeed! Don't worry, I don't think it's just yours, ProZ seems to be VERY slow right now!?
48 mins
agree  Bourth (X): In the context of FM I think this best.
1 hr
agree  Jean-Claude Gouin
3 hrs
agree  sporran
6 hrs
agree  IC --
1 day 10 hrs
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21 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
maintence of green spaces


Explanation:
I would suggest using something more specific than grounds, because many things can be built on grounds, but here I think they are referring specifically to open areas with greenery/gardens.

Sylvia Smith
Local time: 23:59
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 99

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Adam Warren
19 mins
  -> thank you Adam!
disagree  Tony M: But 'open areas with greenery / gardens' is exactly the definition of grounds!
38 mins
  -> Hello Dusty! 1) Grounds can mean many other things as well, and I thought it best to me more specific here. 2) Quite the perfectionist, aren't we?!?
neutral  Bourth (X): Personally I would reserve "green spaces" for an urban (municipality) context, and only if "parks and gardens" didn't work.
1 hr
  -> point well taken, Bourth
agree  zaphod: Or Green areas, or more in general Greenery
1 hr
  -> thank you zaphod
agree  Jean-Claude Gouin: You must mean "maintenance of green spaces" ...
3 hrs
agree  IC --: I thind there is typo for maintence...
1 day 10 hrs
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54 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): -2
landscaping


Explanation:
I am not sure as this would really depend on the rest of the contract but maintenance is implied in this word...
there is a risk, though, of this also implying a 'high skill' level type of service so I leave it as a suggestion

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 55 mins (2006-03-14 11:21:18 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

oops, Dusty, just read your note...:-)

Bailatjones
Switzerland
Local time: 23:59
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Tony M: Sorry, Michelle, but I think this would imply the wrong idea -- the actual CREATION of the green spaces, rather than simply their upkeep.
7 mins
disagree  Jean-Claude Gouin: I agree with Dusty.
2 hrs
neutral  Julie Barber: not the same thing..
1 day 16 mins
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6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +8
espaces verts
grounds maintenance


Explanation:
I don't have specific experience of this term used like this, but I feel sure you're right.

I would just say 'grounds', to avoid 'landscaped', which might be a bit OTT for some of the miserable, bald patches of brown grass you get outside some offices!

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2006-03-14 11:31:37 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Although I don't set all that much store by Google statistics, a quick search revealed that "green spaces maintenance" only got 93 hits, whereas "grounds maintenance" got nearly 2½ million!

And after all, 'espaces verts' is only really a euphemism for 'grounds', in this sort of context; they will still sweep up dead leaves, even if some have them have blown onto the car park!

Given the context, I think the general term is most appropriate

Tony M
France
Local time: 23:59
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 571
Grading comment
Yes - this was sufficient as it happened, although I did include a note to check that it didn't refer solely to the green spaces contained within the grounds. Thanks

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Gayle Wallimann: I do have experience translating these contracts, and that is what is used.
7 mins
  -> Thanks, Gayle, for your corroboration!
agree  Calou
7 mins
  -> Thanks, Calou!
agree  LydieC
11 mins
  -> Thanks, Lydie!
agree  Richard Quinn
30 mins
  -> Thanks, Richard!
disagree  Adam Warren: Not specific enough: "green spaces" are indeed part of the "grounds", though: see the "green spaces" answer. Regards.
35 mins
  -> Thanks, Adam! Not quite sure I follow you...?
agree  Bourth (X): Since our list does not contain "carpark maintenance" etc, I agree that "espaces verts" probably covers everything that is not built on. Treatment plants also have a lot of "espaces verts" and not much else other than plant and buildings.
1 hr
  -> Thanks, Alex! My point precisely!
agree  Charlie Bavington: And I too was going to mention the car parking areas aspect that Alex has already raised
1 hr
  -> Thanks, Charlie! Indeed... From the instances where I have encountered this term personally, it has been clear it meant 'all the areas around the buildings'
agree  Jean-Claude Gouin
3 hrs
  -> Thanks, 1045!
agree  Julie Barber: totally agree. Work for an FM company
1 day 1 hr
  -> Thanks a lot, Julie!
agree  IC --
1 day 10 hrs
  -> Merci, ICG !
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11 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
Groudskeeping


Explanation:
Well, it's obviously not just the spaces, since all other items on the list are jobs. And there's no reason to use four words, when one good one will suffice.

Yaron Dahan
Local time: 00:59
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Tony M: If correctly spelled, at least! ;-) /// I know that feeling well! I make SO MANY on KudoZ, but it's mainly 'cos the type is so small, I have trouble reading it...
1 day 11 mins
  -> oyy.... im a typo king... thats why i check my translations eight times...
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