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Thread: How to translate?

  1. #1
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    How to translate?

    How to translate these word-combinations:
    stream water
    water power
    water surface
    surface water

  2. #2
    Guest

    Re: How to translate?

    Quote Originally Posted by marina
    How to translate these word-combinations:
    stream water
    water power
    water surface
    surface water
    I can help, but only in English.

    "Stream water" would mean water from a stream. Without context, I would assume "stream" means a small river. It could be a specific, non-natural stream of water, though. Similar phrases are "river water", "bath water".

    "Water power" would be used in describing an old river-powered mill. "The mill operated using water power." If talking about electricity, we usually say "hydro-electric".

    "Water surface" would be the surface of the water.

    "Surface water" would be the water on the surface, the topmost layer of water.

  3. #3
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    Thanks, in general I understood it

  4. #4
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    I disagree on "surface water". The only time I've ever heard that particular phrase is when talking about an extremely wet road or a waterlogged bit of land. It's water sitting on top of some surface or other.

  5. #5
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    По-моему это не очень хорошая затея переводить выражения вдали от контекста. Можно, конечно, дать примеры перевода, но вставлять их в предложение всё равно придётся с учётом остальных окружающих слов. Могу предложить такие варианты:

    stream water — поток воды, водяной поток, течение;
    water power — напор, давление воды;
    water surface — поверхность воды, водяная поверхность, в научной литературе поверхность какого-нибудь озера часто называют зеркалом;
    surface water — понятия не имею…


  6. #6
    Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by scotcher
    I disagree on "surface water". The only time I've ever heard that particular phrase is when talking about an extremely wet road or a waterlogged bit of land. It's water sitting on top of some surface or other.
    I meant to say "the water on the surface or the topmost layer of water".

    Ask an oceanographer what "surface water" is, it'll be the topmost layer.

  7. #7
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    As this was from an exercise-book on geography I think Guest was right. Of course, I appreciate everybody's help.

    Quote Originally Posted by Tu-160
    По-моему это не очень хорошая затея переводить выражения вдали от контекста. Можно, конечно, дать примеры перевода, но вставлять их в предложение всё равно придётся с учётом остальных окружающих слов.
    Я тоже так думаю. Если бы там был контекст!..

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