el Usuario

English translation: The User

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Spanish term or phrase:el Usuario
English translation:The User
Entered by: Comunican

16:26 Apr 13, 2021
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Bus/Financial - Business/Commerce (general) / website legal notice
Spanish term or phrase: el Usuario
Let me start by saying: I'm not asking this question because I don't understand the text, but rather to gain other people's opinions about translating in contemporary British English style....

Modern British English is generally warmer and more personal than its Spanish equivalent (decades of writing in Plain English and all that!) and I'm interested in knowing whether others think it would be appropriate or, conversely, would be going too far, to exchange "the User" (impersonal third person) with "You" - bearing in mind that: (i) this is a Legal Notice, (ii) the less formal register might not sit well with the owner of the website (even though a UK equivalent would be likely to use the more personal second person) and (iii) it would require a fullre-write of the whole document in that less formal style....

Also, if you think it should be left in the third person, should it be third person plural - "Users" instead of "the User"?

Thanks for your thoughts. And I look forward to hearing what others think! Hopefully a question that will help others too ;-)

"El Usuario se compromete a hacer un uso correcto de esta Web de conformidad con la Ley, con el presente Aviso Legal, así como con las demás condiciones, reglamentos e instrucciones que, en su caso, pudieran ser de aplicación. El Usuario responderá frente al titular de esta Web y frente a terceros, de cualesquiera daños o perjuicios que pudieran causarse por incumplimiento de estas obligaciones."
Comunican
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:44
The User
Explanation:
As it's legal terminology, I'd us The User.

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Note added at 2 days 18 hrs (2021-04-16 11:21:56 GMT) Post-grading
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Thank you very much for accepting my answer Comunican
Selected response from:

Eileen Brophy
Spain
Local time: 09:44
Grading comment
Thanks everyone for your input and comments on this. I think on balance, "User" is right. However, I will henceforth ask my clients if they would prefer a more informal "you" style and see what they say...
Thanks again. Was hopefully a useful debate to have...
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +6The User
Eileen Brophy
4 +3You
philgoddard
4Users
Cristina Zavala


Discussion entries: 10





  

Answers


7 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
You


Explanation:
As you say, English-language consumer contracts usually address the reader head-on, referring to them as "you" rather than using the third person. Other European languages don't do this nearly so often.

I used to put a translator's note explaining why I'd said "you" when the source text didn't, but now I don't bother, because clients understand.

philgoddard
United States
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 298

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  patinba
1 min

agree  Orkoyen (X)
56 mins

agree  AllegroTrans: But "the User" is equally correct and would be the "true" translation; see my note
5 hrs
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36 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Users


Explanation:
Otra opción más formal que "you", y "el usuario", así como "el lector", tiene un sentido de plural en español.

Cristina Zavala
Ecuador
Local time: 03:44
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Yvonne Gallagher: where are you getting the plural from?
20 hrs
  -> Esa es mi respuesta, se podría utilizar "users", si no estás de acuerdo, está bien. A veces, en español se dice "el lector / el usuario/ el hombre / la mujer" tiene un sentido generalizador o plural.
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55 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +6
The User


Explanation:
As it's legal terminology, I'd us The User.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 days 18 hrs (2021-04-16 11:21:56 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

Thank you very much for accepting my answer Comunican

Eileen Brophy
Spain
Local time: 09:44
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 38
Grading comment
Thanks everyone for your input and comments on this. I think on balance, "User" is right. However, I will henceforth ask my clients if they would prefer a more informal "you" style and see what they say...
Thanks again. Was hopefully a useful debate to have...

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Denise De Peña (X)
2 hrs
  -> Thank you very much Denise

agree  AllegroTrans
4 hrs
  -> Thank you very much AllegroTrans

agree  Francois Boye
8 hrs
  -> Thank you very much Francois

agree  neilmac: I'm with Allegro on this one... although I sometimes use "you" and we" in instruction manuals as well.
13 hrs
  -> Thank you for agreeing neilmac

agree  Yvonne Gallagher: I think it's best to match the formal legal style here
20 hrs
  -> Thank you for agreeing Yvonne

agree  William Bowley
1 day 20 hrs
  -> Thank you very much William
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