Often the largest mistakes come from the simplest causes. In Danish, the Executives are called “Direkt\u00f8rer”. So\u00a0“Direkt\u00f8rer<\/span>” are NOT the guys or gals who sit on the Board of Directors<\/span>! Very often\u00a0I have seen\u00a0English <-> Danish translations of annual reports and such\u00a0making the fundamental mistake of equating “direkt\u00f8rer” to “directors”, as the two words “obviously” are very alike. And that is wrong.<\/p>\n Danish ==> English<\/strong> When the annual accounts (UK) or annual statements (USA) are presented, they have been audited by an independent auditor. The act of auditing is called “Revision” in Danish, and the person performing the task is a “Revisor”. Unfortunately, the word “revision” is also used in Danish to mean the same as in English: “English: revision, change”. \u00a0There’s a better word for “revision, change” in Danish: “revidering”, but it’s losing the battle to the shorter “revision”.<\/p>\n Danish ==> English<\/strong> Context is everything. So, the Danish sentence<\/p>\n Danish ==> English<\/strong> \u00a0En revision af virksomhedens \u00e5rsregnskab er sat i gang. –> And more on the issue of accounting. In US English “accounts” are the customers one sells to, while “accounting” is what one does to count the money.<\/p>\n Danish ==> English So, following a change, let’s say the employees will be notified by email. Danish has adopted the English word “mail” (as well as “e-mail”) to solely refer to the new kind of mail, i.e. email. Regular mail is called “post” in Danish. So,<\/p>\n \u00a0Danish ==> English<\/strong> Termination vs. resignation: Danish ==> English In the course of translation one comes across legal language, literature, marketing language, medical, business lingo, comedy, tragedy\u00a0etc. etc.. I’d like to share in this column few things I have learned about business language and some tricky parts and pitfalls … Continue reading
\nBestyrelsen –> the Board of Directors
\nDirektion(en) –> (the) Executive staff
\nDirekt\u00f8r –> Executive<\/p>\n
\nRevision\u00a0–> Audit OR Revision, Change
\nRevisor\u00a0–>\u00a0Auditor
\nRevidering\u00a0–> Reevaluation, Revision<\/p>\n
\nEn revision af virksomhedens kvalitetsstyringssystem er sat i gang. –>
\nWRONG: An audit of the company’s quality management system has been started.
\nCORRECT: A revision (or change) of the company’s quality management system has been started.<\/p>\n
\nCORRECT: An audit of the company’s annual report has been started.
\nWRONG: A revision (or change) of the company’s annual report has been started.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Det overordnede ansvar for afdelingen, inkl. regnskab, var inkluderet i stillingsbeskrivelsen ==>
\nWRONG: The overall responsibility for the management of the department, incl. accounts, was included in the job description.
\nCORRECT: The overall responsibility for the management of the department, incl. accounting, was included in the job description.<\/p>\n
\nMedarbejderne adviseres via mail –> The workers will be advised by EMAIL (not mail)<\/p>\n
\nIn English there are two distinctly different words that differentiate between someone being fired and someone quitting his job: termination and resignation: Danish also has two words: opsigelse and fratr\u00e6den, respectively. However the matter can get unnecessary complicated because, while “Danish: at opsige” means “English: to terminate, fire someone”, the reversal of words means exactly the opposite: “Danish: at sige op” means “English: to quit”.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Opsigelse –> Termination
\nAt opsige (direkt\u00f8ren) –> To terminate (the executive)
\nAt sige (jobbet) op \u00a0–> To quit (the job)
\nFratr\u00e6den –> Resignation
\nResignation –> Resignation, Despair<\/p>\n![\"I](\"http:\/\/rottendanish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/I-dont-always-speak-lingo.jpg\")
<\/div>\n![\"Working](\"http:\/\/rottendanish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Working-for-a-living.jpg\")
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