it is odd to see XYZ thousand in English, but if the intent is to imply an estimate, it can be used, but with a modifier: for example, some 20 thousand.

I wouldn't fight the client too hard on this one, even though you are right. Their version is not "wrong" factually or even illogical. Save your energy for real problems.

English term (edited): ,000 vs. thousand

I think that if your client wants to use the thousand, they have to write the numbers in words as well, e.g. "one thousand" instead of "1 thousand". So I guess you are right.

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Note added at 33 mins (2004-07-20 11:58:43 GMT)
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I finally found something on the internet that might be interesting here:

Write out the word million and similar terms, unless the number represents a metric or imperial measurement, or is in a table:

$25 million
4.1 million people
but
2 000 000 t of ore
1 000 000 km2

Use figures for any number less than one million:
250 000

Do not use a space with a four-digit number:
1500

To make long numbers easier to read, insert a space between three-digit groups:
15 000
250 000
1 250 000

http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/ess/pubs/guide/gramm/num_e.html

English term (edited): ",000" Vs "Thousand"

You want to give your best to your client. Your client is worried about what HIS/HER clients will understand from the translation! I think you should give your client what he/she wants. As you can see, both of you want the best for your individual clients. [I may add here: Between Europe and the rest of the world, decimal point is expressed as a ',' in Europe and a '.' in the rest of the world. May be your client has clients in both these worlds!]. Hope this helps.

I'm only half joking -- I think you are technically correct but it's better to concede the point rather than alienate the client. Sometimes (often?) clients do not know what's good for them, but we needn't make that our problem.

English term (edited): ,000 versus thousand

Personally, I would agree with you (fwiw). If your client wants to indicate ballpark values, they should use words like "approx." rather than messing about with non-standard notations.

In rare cases where I have a head-on disagreement with a client on a point like this, I say to them: this is my advice to you as a text and translation professional. What you do with my professional advice (and the text, after delivery) is up to you...

I prefer the 123,000 form and am a bit sceptical about '000 v. thousand as a satisfactory basis for distinguishing between a ballpark figures and precise ones - surely context or modifiers should be the decisive factor, and if it's important they should be there, (all the more so for a baker's dozen or an ingot dealer's thousand?).

The 123 thousand form looks strange to me too.

However, it does seem to be being used sometimes in some respectable looking US financial & other texts, eg: (but not only)
Journal of the Senate (RI)
http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/Journals/Journals99/SenateJourn...
US, possibly quoting from the below British source
http://www.comparativetables.com/princ.htm
UK
http://www.stakeholder.cwc.net/
On the other hand, the New York Times and International Herald Tribune don't appear to use it (as far as I have seen :-).

My conclusion is that the thousand form shouldn't frighten the horses anywhere (although I agree with Sundari), and that the asker can gently defend the propriety of what he put, while giving the client what the client wants, as well.


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Note added at 20 hrs 24 mins (2004-07-21 07:50:07 GMT)
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\'000 forms are often used for ballpark figures as well.

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Note added at 20 hrs 28 mins (2004-07-21 07:54:04 GMT)
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(Context and modifiers indicating for either form.)

English term (edited): thousand

If someone said to you, do you want to buy 123,000 gold ingots for a hundred bucks, and you bought them, and then found out that you only got 122,998, then you'd be upset, right? What they had actually sold you was 123 thousand gold ingots. A ball park figure.

Well that's exactly the problem here. In financial texts, 123 thousand is often used to express a ball park figure. It doesn't mean 123,000. Companies sometimes don't like to be too precise when stating their figures.

These ball park figures are used in particualr in investment texts (like buying gold ingots). Changing the figure from a ball park figure to a precise figure could have nasty consequences.

One customer of mine likes to get round this by turning 123 thousand into 0.123 million, but personally I'm not too fond of that.

HTH

Alison

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Note added at 20 hrs 13 mins (2004-07-21 07:39:20 GMT)
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I still beg to differ: Here\'s an example from a US government Web site:

\"The total population of the assessment area is 123 thousand, with 37 thousand living in EssexCounty and 86 thousand living in Clinton County. Four of the towns in the AA house Statepenitentiaries whose inmate populations are included within the population totals. \"
http://www.occ.treas.gov/ftp/craeval/jul01/9405.pdf.


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Note added at 20 hrs 16 mins (2004-07-21 07:41:59 GMT)
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And another one, this time from the UK:
\"4.88 million people of working age were claiming a key benefit in November 2003, down 18 thousand from a year previously, and down 67 thousand from August 2003. The number of male claimants fell by 20 thousand to 2.54 million and the number of female claimants rose by 2 thousand to 2.34 million over the year\"
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/mediacentre/pressreleases/2004/march/c...


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Note added at 20 hrs 21 mins (2004-07-21 07:47:04 GMT)
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and another US example:
\"Over 56,000 offers for nearly 3.5 million acres were received. Of these, over 39,500 acceptable offers for almost 2.5 million acres were accepted.

Highlights of signup 20 include:

Almost 1.3 million acres of highly erodible land including about 700 thousand acres of land with an erodibility index greater than 15;

Nearly 1.3 million acres of land within conservation priority areas;

Almost 275 thousand acres of trees will be planted;

Over 150 thousand acres of wetlands and protective upland areas;

Almost 123 thousand acres to be restored to rare and declining habitats; and

Nearly 65 thousand acres of longleaf pine will be restored.\"
http://www.fsa.usda.gov/dafp/cepd/20th/Booklet/execsum.htm

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Note added at 20 hrs 25 mins (2004-07-21 07:51:25 GMT)
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... And also with a currecy denominator:
\" Other Assets – These amounted to approximately NIS 538 thousand (about
EUR 97 thousand and USD 123 thousand) as of December 31, 2003 compared to \"
www.unitronics.com/Year2003.pdf

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Note added at 20 hrs 29 mins (2004-07-21 07:54:58 GMT)
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And another one:
\"First priority investments, to be realized in 2003:

Check in building: USD 365 thousand

Pavements and beaded surface: USD 8 thousand

Garages, workhouse, shelter for the vehicles: USD 20 thousand

Warehouse for air fuel: USD 186 thousand



Second priority investments, to be realized in 2004-2006:

Parking lot I. for 30 vehicles; USD 11 thousand

Lighting of the operational board/surface: USD 13 thousand

Fencing of the airport: USD 34 thousand

Communication: USD 8 thousand

Enlarging of the check in area: USD 73 thousand\"
http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/epic/internet/inimr-ri.nsf/en/gr10...