Nov 30, 2023 11:13
5 mos ago
31 viewers *
French term
France
FR/AR-EN, broad range of domains
Native in: English 
Works in: French to English, Arabic to English, Italian to English
croiser les polarités
French to English
Tech/Engineering
Electronics / Elect Eng
wiring
I am proofreading a catalogue written in English that has been written by a French team and retains clear hallmarks of French vocabulary and expressions in places.
In a section explaining how the accessories are connected to the control unit of a circuit breaker, the future user is informed that 'the connection of the +/- of the power supply either on terminals F1/F2 of [the control unit] or on the +/- terminals of the [accessory] port must be strictly respected'. They are then warned that 'Crossing the polarities may damage the device'.
Would the most appropriate translation of 'croiser les polarités', which clearly underlies this wording, be 'Inverting polarities' or simply 'Mixing polarities'?
Thank you.
In a section explaining how the accessories are connected to the control unit of a circuit breaker, the future user is informed that 'the connection of the +/- of the power supply either on terminals F1/F2 of [the control unit] or on the +/- terminals of the [accessory] port must be strictly respected'. They are then warned that 'Crossing the polarities may damage the device'.
Would the most appropriate translation of 'croiser les polarités', which clearly underlies this wording, be 'Inverting polarities' or simply 'Mixing polarities'?
Thank you.
Proposed translations
(English)
| 4 +1 | Inverting polarities |
Bashiqa
|
| 5 +1 | reversing polarities |
Kartik Isaac
|
| 4 | crossing polarities |
MassimoA
|
| 3 -1 | reversible polarities |
Lisa Rosengard
|
Proposed translations
+1
1 day 3 hrs
Selected
Inverting polarities
As you suggested.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Jennifer Levey
9 hrs
|
| disagree |
Kartik Isaac
: Inverting polarities is used by audio engineers for inverting a signal to create a precise opposite of the original. Very different context! https://www.firgelliauto.com/en-in/blogs/news/understanding-...
14 hrs
|
| agree |
Daryo
: Works also.
52 days
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Contributors to this question are fairly evenly divided between favouring 'invert' and favouring 'reverse'. I believe that 'invert' more readily evokes the idea of swapping negative and positive."
+1
16 mins
Kartik Isaac
Switzerland
Switzerland
Native in English
Works in field
Switzerland
The Translating Engineer
Native in: English (Variants: UK, US) 
Works in: German to English, French to English
Related KudoZ points
:
8
reversing polarities
Hope this helps :)
Reverse polarity: https://prochecks.co.uk/what-is-reverse-polarity/
Reverse polarity: https://prochecks.co.uk/what-is-reverse-polarity/
Note from asker:
| Thanks, I hadn't thought of that. |
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Jennifer Levey
: 'inverting' is the more-usual term in this context (polarity 'reversing' has other connotations which might mislead the reader).
48 mins
|
|
Inverting polarities is used by audio engineers for inverting a signal to create a precise opposite of the original. Very different context! https://www.firgelliauto.com/en-in/blogs/news/understanding-...
|
|
| neutral |
Anastasia Kalantzi
: https://www.production-expert.com/production-expert-1/5-ways... -I also agree with Jennifer.
10 hrs
|
|
Inverting polarities is used by audio engineers for inverting a signal to create a precise opposite of the original. Very different context! https://www.firgelliauto.com/en-in/blogs/news/understanding-...
|
|
| agree |
Daryo
: Never mind if it's used in other contexts also, that's still the right term. Plenty results if searching "preventing reverse polarity"// a.k.a. "connecting (the battery) backwards".
6 days
|
1 day 10 hrs
crossing polarities
For me, crossing polarities is the right translation.
The + terminals must be connected to the +, the - ones to the corresponding -, as happens with cells or batteries.
The + terminals must be connected to the +, the - ones to the corresponding -, as happens with cells or batteries.
-1
3 days 8 hrs
Lisa Rosengard
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Native in English
United Kingdom
experienced and well qualified linguist
Native in: English (Variant: UK)
Works in: Spanish to English, English, Spanish, and 3 more.
reversible polarities
The reference explains:
It's important to follow the respective wiring diagram (see figure B of the reference below) which shows the power source and how its polarity is connected to the circuit breakers. Whichever end of the circuit breaker the power source is connected to, the positive and negative outputs of its source shall be connected to the respective positive and negative terminals of the circuit breaker.
https://www.altechcorp.com/PDFS/DC wiring_white paper_Altech...
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Note added at 6 days (2023-12-06 20:58:34 GMT)
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https://www.quisure-circuit-breaker.com/faqs-why-can-t-the-c...
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Note added at 6 days (2023-12-06 21:03:51 GMT)
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The reference explains that the polarities are labelled clearly to show which ways the connections must be inserted and installed (polarized direct current circuits).
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 7 days (2023-12-07 20:22:20 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
"The reason for this is that they are UL listed as
line/load reversible (see Figure A) and the breaker polarity is marked only for power source input
(output marking should be disregarded at this point)"
https://altechcorp.com/PDFS/DC wiring_white paper_Altech DC ...
It's important to follow the respective wiring diagram (see figure B of the reference below) which shows the power source and how its polarity is connected to the circuit breakers. Whichever end of the circuit breaker the power source is connected to, the positive and negative outputs of its source shall be connected to the respective positive and negative terminals of the circuit breaker.
https://www.altechcorp.com/PDFS/DC wiring_white paper_Altech...
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 days (2023-12-06 20:58:34 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
https://www.quisure-circuit-breaker.com/faqs-why-can-t-the-c...
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 days (2023-12-06 21:03:51 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
The reference explains that the polarities are labelled clearly to show which ways the connections must be inserted and installed (polarized direct current circuits).
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 7 days (2023-12-07 20:22:20 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
"The reason for this is that they are UL listed as
line/load reversible (see Figure A) and the breaker polarity is marked only for power source input
(output marking should be disregarded at this point)"
https://altechcorp.com/PDFS/DC wiring_white paper_Altech DC ...
Peer comment(s):
| disagree |
Daryo
: There is a HUGE difference between a connection with "reversible polarities" and a connection with "reversed polarities" // The practical consequences of confusing the two can be pretty spectacular! (flashy / explosive ...)
2 days 19 hrs
|
Discussion
https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/circuit-breaker.htm
It mentions the importance of the wiring of each plug, socket and fuse in home and office appliances as an error can be potentially dangerous and harmful. Also, it explains how important it is to ensure the correct wiring and installation of circuit breakers. They should prevent risks of harm, with an automatic switch which closes down the electrical circuit at the fuse box, if an appliance is installed in a faulty manner as it could overheat and cause a danger. The reference explains the importance of the exact and correct connection of a circuit breaker, which must not be faulty.