Mar 4, 2019 12:02
5 yrs ago
17 viewers *
Dutch term
Postbus
Dutch to English
Bus/Financial
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
Dear colleagues,
Do you normally translate the Dutch 'Postbus' (in a Dutch address) into 'PO Box'?
It seems logical to leave it untranslated if it is a Dutch address.
Thanks in advance,
Frank
Do you normally translate the Dutch 'Postbus' (in a Dutch address) into 'PO Box'?
It seems logical to leave it untranslated if it is a Dutch address.
Thanks in advance,
Frank
Proposed translations
(English)
| 3 +6 | PO Box |
Robert Rietvelt
|
| 4 +1 | Postbus |
philgoddard
|
Change log
Mar 4, 2019 12:08: Henk Sanderson changed "Language pair" from "English to Dutch" to "Dutch to English"
Mar 4, 2019 12:10: writeaway changed "Field" from "Other" to "Bus/Financial"
Proposed translations
+6
4 mins
Robert Rietvelt
Native in Dutch
Works in field
Senior translator EN/ES/DE->NL
Native in: Dutch 
Works in: Spanish to Dutch, English to Dutch, German to Dutch
Related KudoZ points
:
4
Selected
PO Box
I think both are possible, but does an English speaking person understand the word "Postbus"? So, to be on the safe side I would translate it.
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Note added at 1 day 3 hrs (2019-03-05 15:32:41 GMT)
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@Frank
Als eerder vermeld, er zijn hier meerdere mogelijkheden, maar voor de consistentie zou ik alle "postbussen" vertalen. Niet gaan knoeien met aanhalingstekens of haakjes.
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Note added at 1 day 3 hrs (2019-03-05 15:32:41 GMT)
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@Frank
Als eerder vermeld, er zijn hier meerdere mogelijkheden, maar voor de consistentie zou ik alle "postbussen" vertalen. Niet gaan knoeien met aanhalingstekens of haakjes.
Note from asker:
| Thanks Robert, also to Henk, Marijke and Textpertise. I've decided to translate it, in case English speakers might be confused bij 'Postbus'. |
| Yes, opinions are clearly divided. I tend to agree with Richard Purdom's last point. So what do you think of translating it between brackets the first time it appears and leave it untranslated if it appears a second or a third time? |
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Henk Sanderson
1 min
|
|
Bedankt
|
|
| agree |
Marijke Singer
3 mins
|
|
Bedankt
|
|
| agree |
Textpertise
: I always translate it as P.O. Box or P.O.B.
5 mins
|
|
Bedankt
|
|
| neutral |
philgoddard
: I don't think it's important that English-speaking readers be able to understand every word of an address. It's not them who will be delivering the letters :-)
1 hr
|
|
I said both are possible, but I would translate it.
|
|
| agree |
Tina Vonhof (X)
4 hrs
|
|
Bedankt
|
|
| agree |
writeaway
: I don't understand why this is an issue but translating makes it clear to any English speaker who doesn't know Dutch.
10 hrs
|
|
Bedankt
|
|
| agree |
Richard Purdom
: It is important that everyone knows it's a PO Box
23 hrs
|
|
Bedankt
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Selected automatically based on peer agreement."
+1
1 hr
philgoddard
United States
United States
Native in English
United States
Six languages into flawless English
Native in: English
Works in: German to English, French to English, Spanish to English, and 4 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
36
Postbus
I don't think you should translate addresses unless they're written in non-European scripts.
You wouldn't translate Champs-Elysées as Elysian Fields, or Unter den Linden as Under the Limes.
You wouldn't translate Champs-Elysées as Elysian Fields, or Unter den Linden as Under the Limes.
Note from asker:
| You do have a point. Now I'm in doubt again...Maybe do what is most common. I seem to see more translations where 'Postbus' is translated than texts where it's left Dutch. |
| Thanks Barend and the others! |
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Barend van Zadelhoff
: Ik neem aan dat het gaat om de adresgegevens voor respons.
1 hr
|
| neutral |
Tina Vonhof (X)
: Not translating Postbus is an option but it's not the same as a street name.
2 hrs
|
|
I think it is!
|
|
| neutral |
writeaway
: agree with Tina. Translating it makes it clearer for anyone not familiar with Dutch. It's definitely not the same as translating street names. Not even remotely
8 hrs
|
| neutral |
Richard Purdom
: But you wouldn't arrange to meet someone at Brandenburger Tor in Berlin or Canal Grande in Venice either.
22 hrs
|
|
I'm not talking about meeting places, I'm saying that the address is for the benefit of the postal service.
|
Discussion
Dus in geval van bezorging aan huis:
(Naam)
Straatnaam Huisnummer (Nederlands)
Postcode Plaats (Nederlands)
Landnaam (Engels)
Bij bezorging aan postbus:
(Naam)
Postbus Postbusnummer (Nederlands)
Postcode Plaats (Nederlands)
Landnaam (Engels)
Wat je volgens mij moet doen is het Nederlandse adres intact laten behalve de landnaam.
Naam
Postbus (postbusnummer)
Plaatsnaam
The Netherlands
'The Netherlands' is voor de Engelse postbode.
De rest van het adres is voor de Nederlandse postbode.
No, but we do say Berlijn (not Berlin), Parijs (not Paris), Londen (not London)....