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Spanish to English translations [PRO] Marketing - Marketing / Market Research / Online content
Spanish term or phrase:\"test de la madre\"
I'm fairly sure I can't get away with a literal translation of this unreconstructed term, even if it did exist in English, which it doesn't appear to.
The context is talking about online payment methods and usability.
"Es lo que se conoce con el nombre del “test de la madre”: si mi madre es capaz de usarlo tendrá más posibilidades de convertirse en un medio de pago fácilmente adoptable por los usuarios, lo que facilitará su difusión."
I found some sites referring to the same idea as "the grandma test" (hey, both ageist and sexist!), but I wonder if anyone knows of a more PC version. Or perhaps it's simply that marketing experts couldn't care less about being un-PC "within the trade" as it were.
Explanation: For the rest of the sentence to work you've got to replace mother with another type of user, and it's got to be a type of person who would actually use the service, so not children. But making it women, old people or even stupid people is inevitably going to be denigrating to some class of person.
But "novice" might get round the difficulty. Being a novice in using a computer isn't taken as reflecting poorly on your intellectual acuity; in fact for some people it's a badge of honour. It is a bit "descafeinado", but that's the trouble with trying not to offend anybody. And now that you tell us it's for a university text book, I think it would be rather crass to lapse into disciminatory stereotypes, whatever one thinks about so-called "PC" language.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 19 hrs (2017-02-14 21:40:08 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Hi Robert. I see your point about "lo que se conoce con el nombre de", which clearly requires an established expression like "mom test". If the client agrees to make it "novice test", or indeed any other alternative, I think you'd just cut that bit and say "It's the 'X test'", rather than "It's what's known as the 'X test'". It would really matter, in my opinion.
I think this is the most helpful translation for future reference, even though "mom test" is strictly the correct term. Thanks again, Charles, and to everyone else for all the useful info and input! 4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer
Just as an afterthought, it occurs to me that it might be possible to make "mom test" acceptable to more delicate sensibilities by phrasing it carefully so as not to appear to be endorsing the expression. Something like "This is what people often call the 'mom test', the idea being that if your mother...". This is perfectly true, after all; people do call it that. You might even add "in the IT world", or something like that.
Yes, I agree with you. I'll probably use the "mom test" in the translation but strongly suggest using "novice test" to the client. Much of the text does contain English marketing terms, so I imagine the author translated it from the English in any case. Thanks, both of you.
I definitely agree with Charles. Might we worth pointing it out to the client. Spanish can often be much less PC than English, especially American English. (I have a client who persists in using the term "infidel" to refer to Moors in Spain, and I have to put the brakes on that all the time!) Robert, as proz frowns on offering two answers, I've just added a note to my original. Happy to help, however unhelpful it may ultimately be!
"It's time to retire the mom test [...] You're probably familiar with the phrase "the mom test," which is quick shorthand for "the most clueless computer user we can find." When being bandied about by a mostly male crowd, and a smattering of pre-motherhood female IT professionals, it's easy for this sort of condescension to pass unnoticed -- but it's not unnoticed by the mothers who have a clue and who deserve just as much credit as the father geeks in the crowd." https://www.linux.com/news/its-time-retire-mom-test
It may be in the Collins dictionary, but personally I think it's a risky choice. Expressions can be established and attested and still be offensive. I had the impression that this was a text for private circulation, not public consumption. But if it's going to appear in a university textbook I think there's a fairly strong chance that saying "if my mother can use it, anyone can" is going to be provoke a negative reaction, universities (especially US universities) being the way they are.
Actually, seeing your reference made me look into the term "mom test" a little more. At first, I had found references to a book by that name, which was more to do with how you shouldn't ask your mother whether your business is a good idea because she's unlikely to give you the negative criticism you need. However, I then found an actual definition of it in the Collins dictionary, which is exactly what is meant in my text:
So, there you go. I'll probably go with that, as it does seem to be correct translation for it, PC considerations aside. If you'd like to post it, go ahead!
Robert, I didn't think about the rest of the text. Sorry! In that case, seems like "mum test" or "mom test" would be best if the rest of the sentence needs to remain unchanged. On a brighter note, here's a more positive use of the term: http://www.cqc.org.uk/content/making-mum-test-real-our-new-m...
Thanks for all the comments. The problem with most of these ideas, besides Phil's ones, is that they don't fit the rest of the paragraph, i.e., "if my mother were capable of using it, then users would be more likely to adopt it as a payment option". Substituting mother with "dummy", "idiot" or "child" won't work. or As I mentioned before, I don't think "the grandma test" is an acceptable solution either, considering this is a university textbook.
is an American favorite ;-) Cloud timesheet - so easy a child can do it Timesheet entry should be easy, but time and again people tell us that their current system is cumbersome, slow, or that users just don't like using it. Our cloud timesheet is so fast and easy to use, on a "bring your child to work day", we thought we'd prove it to you. http://www.time-and-space.com/cloud-timesheet-so-easy-a-chil...
Thanks, both really good ideas there, Phil. It's actually an textbook on online marketing, for a degree course, I believe. I like your Rip Van Winkle idea a lot, but I've a feeling I'm going bottle it and go with "basic computer literacy test" instead. Now, how about a posting?
You could say the Rip Van Winkle test - if someone can wake up after 350 years asleep, and work out how to use this system, then it's OK. Or, less colourfully, "the basic computer literacy test".
I think it depends on the context, and what your translation is being used for. If it's for public consumption, I'm a strong advocate of censorship. This is sexist and ageist, and you wouldn't use it in (say) an advertisement. But if it's something like an internal memo, I would translate it literally, and put a translator's note saying this is not acceptable in an English-speaking culture.
Automatic update in 00:
Answers
1 hr confidence:
"... for dummies"
Explanation: One fairly common option showing it is appropriate for even the most inexperienced... I hope your context allows usage of this option.
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One advantage is that it is not sexist nor ageist.
Francisco Herrerias United States Local time: 22:08 Works in field Native speaker of: Spanish
