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Subject:Re: Alternative way to say strongly? From:"Linda K. Sherman" <linsherm -at- GTE -dot- NET> Date:Tue, 18 Aug 1998 16:51:38 -0400
Jennifer Hines wrote:
>
> Hi everyone,
>
> I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on an alternative way to say "strongly
> recommends."
> I am writing a user manual that at some point in the future will be translated into a
> number of different languages. Included in this document is a warning beginning with
> the words, "So and So strongly recommends yadda, yadda, yadda" and I am afraid
> that "strongly" will lose meaning through interpretation. I've looked at many different
> word sources (dictionary, thesaurus) and come up with other words that I can
> substitute, but still seem to lose meaning through translation. If anyone has
> encountered and solved this problem, I'd love to know how you did it.
You have to trust other people to do their jobs. Competent professional
translators will ensure that the original intent is conveyed in the
translation. Unless you speak those other languages, your assumption
that something is being lost could be unfounded. For example, "strongly
recommends" translates just fine into Welsh--"awgrymu'n gryf" :) And
because issues of politeness and authority are very sensitive to
cultural context, your "strongly recommends", if translated too
literally, could in some cases cause grave offense and in others not be
taken seriously enough. It is best to leave these issues to the experts.
You may be overlooking the real problem, however. It's my experience
that we writers use "should" or "strongly recommends" when what we
really mean is "must" or "requires". We cop out with "should" and
"strongly recommends" because we don't want to seem rude or overbearing.
Unfortunately, readers tend to take these phrases a little too literally
and see them as offering an acceptable alternative which is, in fact,
not acceptable at all.
Your characterization of the statement as a "warning" suggests that this
is a case where you really mean "must". A complete rewording may be in
order. For example:
For example:
Avoid: "The manufacturer strongly recommends that the unit be cleaned
once a month."
Use: "The unit must be cleaned once a month to ensure proper operation."
OR: Clean the unit once a month to ensure proper operation."
In all cases, the best way to reinforce the desirability of doing, or
not doing, something is to clearly document the consequences of taking
the less desirable option.
