Often translators have a misunderstanding of how to correctly translate company names and abbreviations of legal forms of organization (OPF). This applies to both translation from a foreign language into Russian and vice versa. To clarify this issue, we will consider as a foreign language the most common English language. For other languages our recommendations will also be valid.
The basic rule for translating company names and their legal forms is that they are not translated, but transliterated.
When translating OPF from Russian into English, the most common mistake is translating “OOO” as LLC (or Ltd. or Limited Liability Company); “CJSC” as CJSC (Closed Joint Stock Company), “OJSC” as JSC (Joint Stock Company) and so on.
What is the mistake here? The meaning conveyed by the semantic particle “LLC” is approximately the following: (1) we're talking about about an organization (2) registered in Russia, (3) and operating on the basis of Russian laws, regulations, rules and regulations (developed for limited liability companies).
When we come across a phrase in the text like “... in the next quarter, Flora LLC plans to purchase a production line for automatic knitting of bouquets...” we subconsciously understand that we are talking about a Russian company. If we read this text “... at the press conference of Alfa GmbH, Beta GesmbH and Gamma S.r.l. announced the launch of a joint project...", then it is also clear that we are talking about the launch of a joint venture between German, Austrian and Italian companies.
The abbreviations GmbH, GesmbH and S.r.l. translated from German and Italian languages denote the same “limited liability company,” but we understand that all three companies from our example are not registered in Russia and are registered and operate in accordance with various laws of their countries. At the same time, translating the names as Alpha LLC, Beta LLC and Gamma LLC would confuse the reader.
The same rules will apply when translating from Russian. Moreover, due to the fact that the Russian language abroad is not as widespread as the Latin alphabet in Russia, leaving the writing in Russian would be wrong - no one will understand anything. We will need to transliterate the company name and OPF to avoid confusion and distortion of meaning.
Examples of correct translation
LLC "Flora" → LLC "Flora"
CJSC “Confectionery Enterprise “Vostok” → ZAO “Konditerskoe predpriyatie Vostok”
Well, the reverse option:
Alpha Limited → "Alpha Limited"
Beta, LLC → “Beta, L.L.C.”
Fact. When registering companies in Russia, the law prohibits the use of foreign abbreviations of organizational and legal forms in the names, such as “GMBH”, “LTD” and others. This means that having encountered the name of the type “ALFA GMBH”, a knowledgeable reader can even more clearly identify it as a translation of the name of a foreign commercial organization.
Exceptions and options
When translating into Russian (most often legal texts), the practice of preserving the names of foreign companies in the original language may be used.
Alpha Limited → Alpha Limited
Alternatively, when mentioning a company (for the first time in the text or always), the spelling in the original language may be indicated in brackets:
Alpha Limited → Alpha Limited
In marketing literature, direct translation is acceptable, but it is important that the reader still has an understanding of the company from which country we are talking about. For example:
Flora LLC → Flora LLC (Limited Liability Company)
Flora LLC → Flora, LLC (Russia)
Alpha Limited → Alpha Limited (limited liability company, Ireland)
Alpha LLC → limited liability company with obligations "Alpha" (USA)
IN fiction To achieve optimal results, any options are possible:
Quitters, Inc. → Stop Smoking Corporation(story by Stephen King)
Work on mistakes
Sometimes a situation arises when it is necessary to perform a reverse translation of the OPF and names. For example, the Russian company, importer of soft toys ZAO Myagkaya Toy, when preparing shipping documents, incorrectly informs the Chinese selling company of its English name - Myagkaya Igrushka, JSC (and a radical option like Furry Toy, JSC is also possible). In this case, when translated into Russian, we can formally translate the name as “Soft Toy, JSC”, JSC “Soft Toy”, JSC “Soft Toy” and even as JSC “Soft Toy”. Of course, in the interests of the customer, it is best not to pay attention to any rules, but, having previously clarified, indicate the real name and legal form of the company.
Using quotation marks
A few words about the use of quotation marks in company names. In Russian, the names of commercial organizations, companies, firms, sports teams, musical groups, newspapers, magazines, etc. are enclosed in quotation marks. In the Russian language, French “herringbones” are traditionally used, and for quotation marks inside quotation marks and when writing by hand, German “paws” are used. Names in a foreign language are usually used without quotation marks; In general, words written in Latin do not require additional highlighting.
Intellectuarium - smart magazine
June 4, 2014 at 4:30 pm
Have you ever heard of the Overton Window?
Joseph Overton described how ideas that were completely alien to society were
lifted from the cesspool of public scorn, laundered and ultimately legislated.
According to the Overton Window of Opportunity, for every idea or problem in society there is a so-called. window of opportunity. Within this window, the idea may or may not be widely discussed, openly supported, promoted, or attempted to be enshrined in law. The window is moved, thereby changing the range of possibilities, from the “unthinkable” stage, that is, completely alien to public morality, completely rejected, to the “current politics” stage, that is, already widely discussed, accepted by the mass consciousness and enshrined in laws.
This is not brainwashing as such, but more subtle technologies. What makes them effective is their consistent, systematic application and the fact that the very fact of impact is invisible to the victim society.
Below I will use an example to explain how, step by step, society first begins to discuss something unacceptable, then considers it appropriate, and finally comes to terms with a new law that enshrines and protects the once unthinkable.
Let's take something completely unimaginable as an example. Let's say cannibalism, that is, the idea of legalizing the right of citizens to eat each other. A tough enough example?
But it is obvious to everyone that right now (2014) there is no way to expand the propaganda of cannibalism - society will rear up. This situation means that the problem of legalizing cannibalism is at the zero stage of the window of opportunity. This stage, according to Overton's theory, is called "The Unthinkable." Let us now simulate how this unthinkable will be realized, having gone through all the stages of the window of opportunity.
Technology
I repeat once again, Overton described a technology that allows you to legalize absolutely any idea.
Pay attention! He did not propose a concept, he did not formulate his thoughts in some way - he described a working technology. That is, a sequence of actions, the execution of which invariably leads to the desired result. As a weapon for the destruction of human communities, such technology may be more effective than a thermonuclear charge.
How brave!
The topic of cannibalism is still disgusting and completely unacceptable in society. It is undesirable to discuss this topic either in the press or, especially, in decent company. For now, this is an unthinkable, absurd, forbidden phenomenon. Accordingly, the first movement of the Overton Window is to move the topic of cannibalism from the realm of the unthinkable to the realm of the radical.
We do have freedom of speech.
Well, why not talk about cannibalism?
Scientists are generally supposed to talk about everything - there are no taboo topics for scientists, they are supposed to study everything. And since this is the case, we will convene an ethnological symposium on the topic “Exotic rituals of the tribes of Polynesia.” We will discuss the history of the subject, introduce it into scientific circulation and obtain the fact of an authoritative statement about cannibalism.
You see, it turns out that you can talk about cannibalism in a meaningful way and, as it were, remain within the limits of scientific respectability.
The Overton window has already moved. That is, a revision of positions has already been indicated. This ensures a transition from an irreconcilably negative attitude of society to a more positive attitude.
Simultaneously with the pseudo-scientific discussion, some kind of “Society of Radical Cannibals” should certainly appear. And even if it is presented only on the Internet, radical cannibals will certainly be noticed and quoted in all the necessary media.
Firstly, this is another fact of the statement. And secondly, shocking scumbags of such a special genesis are needed to create the image of a radical scarecrow. These will be “bad cannibals” as opposed to another bogeyman - “fascists calling for people not like them to be burned at the stake.” But more on scarecrows below. To begin with, it is enough to publish stories about what British scientists and some radical scumbags of a different nature think about eating human flesh.
The result of the first movement of the Overton Window: an unacceptable topic was introduced into circulation, a taboo was desacralized, the unambiguity of the problem was destroyed - “gradations of gray” were created.
Why not?
The Window next moves on and moves the theme of cannibalism from the radical to the possible.
At this stage we continue to quote “scientists”. After all, you can’t turn away from knowledge, right? About cannibalism. Anyone who refuses to discuss this should be branded a bigot and a hypocrite.
Condemning bigotry, it is imperative to come up with an elegant name for cannibalism. So that all sorts of fascists do not dare to label dissidents with the word starting with the letter “Ka”.
Attention! Creating a euphemism is a very important point. To legalize an unthinkable idea, it is necessary to replace its real name.
No more cannibalism.
Now this is called, for example, anthropophagy. But this term will very soon be replaced again, recognizing this definition as offensive.
The purpose of inventing new names is to divert the essence of the problem from its designation, about
See word... Dictionary of Russian synonyms and similar expressions. under. ed. N. Abramova, M.: Russian Dictionaries, 1999. name name, denomination, title, designation, (pro) title, word; term, nomination, title, ethnonym, name,... ... Dictionary of synonyms
NAME- NAME, I, cf. 1. Verbal designation of a thing, phenomenon. Plant names. N. magazine, film. N. hotels. Such actions have their own meaning. (about unseemly actions that discredit someone). 2. more often plural. Separate publication (book, brochure, magazine)… … Dictionary Ozhegova
NAME- (nomen, lat.). 1) Latin word or words used to designate the taxon; the name of the genus (usually) and a higher taxon consists of one word; the name of an infrageneric taxon is a combination of the generic name with one or more... Terms of botanical nomenclature
NAME- NAME, titles, cf. 1. Verbal designation of a thing or phenomenon. To give, to assign a name to something. Untitled. War and Peace is the title of L. Tolstoy's novel. Cookies called Pioneer. 2. Book, magazine or other publication, regardless of... ... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary
NAME- English pate; German Bezeichnung. A linguistic expression denoting objects and classes of objects, their properties and relationships. Antinazi. Encyclopedia of Sociology, 2009 ... Encyclopedia of Sociology
Name- NAME1, name, title, obsolete. naming NAME, nickname, obsolete. nickname CALL / CALL, ness. and owls baptize / baptize, book., owl. name, book. name/call CALLED, bookish. be called, colloquially be called... ... Dictionary-thesaurus of synonyms of Russian speech
Name- task passport brief description name title title edition - [L.G. Sumenko. English-Russian dictionary on information technology. M.: State Enterprise TsNIIS, 2003.] Topics information Technology in general Synonyms passport tasks brief... ... Technical Translator's Guide
Name- see Edition (1) ... Publishing dictionary-reference book
Name- (not) know the names knowledge (not) remember the names Neg, knowledge meet the name perception give the name action forget the name interruption, knowledge deserve the name evaluation, compliance change the name change the name ... ... Verbal compatibility of non-objective names
Name- noun, p., used often Morphology: (no) what? names for what? name, (I see) what? name, what? title, about what? about the name; pl. What? names, (no) what? names for what? names, (I see) what? names, what? names, about what? about the names... ... Dmitriev's Explanatory Dictionary
Name- Name is a verbal designation, the name of someone or something. A trivial name is the name of an object or phenomenon that differs from that accepted in scientific nomenclature. Geographical name (toponym) name... ... Wikipedia
Books
- Book title Buy for 600 UAH (Ukraine only)
- Book title, Aliger Philip. Getting to know the work of Philip Aliger is a feeling of instant recognition. Meetings with the heritage not so much of the style and traditions of the Golden, Silver or Soviet ages of Russian poetry, but of everything...
When translating a name from Russian, it is recommended to check the resulting word/phrase: are they subject to legal protection in the Russian Federation as objects of intellectual property? The LLC is not obliged to translate its name into English; this is done only at will.
Translation of names and legal forms of companies
When translating OPF from Russian into English, the most common mistake is translating “OOO” as LLC (or Ltd.or Limited Liability Company); “CJSC” as CJSC (Closed Joint Stock Company), “OJSC” as JSC (Joint Stock Company) and so on.
What is the mistake here? The meaning that the semantic particle “LLC” carries is approximately the following: (1) we are talking about an organization, (2) registered in Russia, (3) and operating on the basis of Russian laws, regulations, rules and regulations (developed for limited liability companies). responsibility). When we come across a phrase like “.
How to name a company: examples of names
For example, the name of the travel agency “Exotic Wedding” indicates a narrow specialization.The target audience, clients or potential consumers are involved in “field testing”, who finally decide what to name the company.
Examples are included in the survey. Testing is most often carried out by research companies. A mandatory element of naming is the legal verification of the developed name necessary for registration.
Site D
OJSC Siberian Oil Company - Sibirskaya Neftyanaya Kompaniya OAO, Scientific Research Center "Geotechnology" - Geotekhnologia Research Center." In one of my translations, I used the technique of transliteration and parallel connection, as recommended by V.V. Kabakchi in the Handbook to his The Dictionary of Russia. and transferred the name to OJSC Restaurant Company as OAO Restorannaya Kompaniya (Restaurant Company).Company names in English
The company must have a full and has the right to have an abbreviated corporate name in Russian. The Company also has the right to have a full and (or) abbreviated corporate name in the languages of the peoples Russian Federation and/or foreign languages. The full corporate name of the company in Russian must contain the full name of the company and the words “limited liability”.What is the best way to name your company: in Russian or English?
If you are going to work in Russia, then why should a company have English name? Are English goods or companies somehow better than ours?) Of course not.
Moreover, you are going to transport goods from China, then logically, in general, you can give the company a Chinese name) Don’t fool yourself and give your company a Russian name, since the Russian people react to Russian names much better than to American or English.
It depends from what point of view you approach this issue.
Many people believe that “Naming a company in English” means being in trend, being more fashionable, and therefore more popular with a young audience. Make a conclusion based on who your main buyer will be, because, as surveys show, people over 45 do not trust foreign names and labels too much, while those aged 18 to 30, on the contrary, buy most things from companies with a foreign name. Again, you should think about whether you will move to the international level and how it will be easier to prepare documents.
It should be remembered that the English name may lead to spelling errors.
And in general, we live in Russia, but no one has yet canceled patriotism) So, in my opinion, the time of Tolstoy, when French words were in fashion, long gone, need to be raised high level something unique and dear! Good luck to you!
How to come up with a successful business name?
Having come up with a successful name for a company (construction, legal, furniture or any other), the owner will create an intangible asset, which over time will begin to work for its creator and generate income for him.A brand (from the Old Norse “brandr”, that is, “to burn”, “fire”) is a successful trade or service mark that enjoys a high reputation, widespread popularity among consumers, and also creates a holistic image of a product or service in the mass consciousness.
Transferring company names is a complex issue and the advice here may not be uniform in all cases. But here are the basic rules from which you can build:1) If the name is a description of the company from the point of view of its actual activities, and even more so is tied to a toponym, which means the city or region where this company operates, it is better to use tracing paper. Yes, we translate " Ryazan Oil Refinery - Ryazan Oil Refinery"because this is really a plant that refines oil and is located in Ryazan." Moscow Ball Bearing Plant" - This Moscow Ballbearing Plant , for a similar reason. That's why " OJSC Siberian Oil Company" - This " OAO Siberian Oil Company ", and not "Sibirskaya Neftyanaya Kompaniya OAO". On the English-language pages of the company itself, exactly the tracing version is given.
By the way, this is a very important consideration: no matter what the reference books recommend, the company has the right to call itself in English as it wants , because English version of the name is allowed to be recorded in statutory documents , after which it, together with these documents, is registered with the supervisory authorities and acquires legal force. Therefore, when transferring a company name, you should first try to find out whether the company has an officially approved English version of the name.
2) If the company name is not descriptive, but expressive-figurative in nature or is not motivated at all, then practical transcription (transliteration) is used, for example:
group "Children's World" - Detsky Mir Group
,
factory "Bolshevichka" - Bolshevichka Factory
,
rocket and space corporation "Energia" - Energia Rocket and Space Corporation
.
Compare:
"Moscow Ball Bearing Plant" is Moscow Ballbearing Plant
; but the Moscow Ball Bearing Plant - Moscow Sharikopodshipnik Plant
.
In any case, categorical words ( corporation, company, group, research and production association etc.) are calques and not transliterated. Thus, the title should not contain the words “kompaniya, obyedineniye”, etc.
3) Names consisting of abbreviations and compound words are transliterated, for example. OJSC "Sibneft-Noyabrskneftegazgeofizika" - OAO Sibneft-Noyabrskneftegazgeofizika , JSC NK Lukoil - AO NK Lukoil .
To a specific question, how to translate OJSC "Restaurant Company", I propose the following algorithm:
a) Check, if possible, whether the company's charter contains an English version of the name. You wrote that the customer requires you to write OAO Restaurant Company . Perhaps we can agree with the customer’s recommendation, especially if this customer is the “Restaurant Company” itself. In addition, this option is consistent with rule #1.
b) But if the company has not legally secured an English-language version for its name and at the same time is not exclusively engaged in managing restaurants, but its activities also include other matters (for example, tourism), then the name has partially lost its motivation. In this case it is better to transliterate: OAO Restaurantnaya Company .
All kinds of Technical Style Guides are, of course, a good thing, but keep in mind that they are often compiled by employees of some companies who do not necessarily have full knowledge of the topic. Often these are heads of translation departments who are forced to give translations to unqualified translators (sometimes even school teachers) and, in order to somehow unify the work of the latter, they compile such manuals. But their correctness is not indisputable. Some of their recommendations stem from limited experience, some are arbitrary.
Regarding the document " Written translation. Recommendations for the translator and the customer", then you were a little mistaken: it was compiled not by the SPR, but by the National League of Translators of Russia (NLPR) - these are two different organizations. This document is good, but some recommendations in it are only general character and do not resolve all issues, especially in borderline cases. By the way, in terms of the transfer of proper names, NLPR also relied on my work, so our views do not differ. My 2005 book came out after their paper was published and clarifies some of its points.
