Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Japanese term or phrase:
且つ
English translation:
a convinient but confusing (imperfect, dissatisfactory) name
Added to glossary by
Anchoy
Feb 27, 2004 22:01
20 yrs ago
Japanese term
且つ
Japanese to English
Law/Patents
Law: Patents, Trademarks, Copyright
Content Management Systems
I'm translating a presentation that explains a term called "metadata." The virtues of this concept are explained, then in the corner of the slide it says:
「メタデータ」：便利且つ不便な言葉
I can only interpret this to mean: '"Metadata": a convenient yet inconvenient word'
But I can't imagine why this would be stated. No negative or "inconvenient" aspects of metadata are mentioned on the slide.
Any ideas on what this is supposed to mean?
「メタデータ」：便利且つ不便な言葉
I can only interpret this to mean: '"Metadata": a convenient yet inconvenient word'
But I can't imagine why this would be stated. No negative or "inconvenient" aspects of metadata are mentioned on the slide.
Any ideas on what this is supposed to mean?
Proposed translations
(English)
| 3 +1 | a convinient but confusing (imperfect, dissatisfactory) name |
kats
|
| 5 | (Convenient) yet (inconvenient) |
Nobuo Kawamura
|
| 4 | Convenient, as well as inconvenient |
Kurt Hammond
|
Proposed translations
+1
5 hrs
Selected
a convinient but confusing (imperfect, dissatisfactory) name
I think it's to indicate the author is not completely satisfied with the naming of metadata, not the functions of metadata. Could you find something in different slides? For possible negative aspect of the naming,
I can only imagine as follows. Metadata can be explained "information about information". The word has been applied to not only to digital contents but also analog contents. So, the author thought that the word may not imply complexities inherent to digital content management. For instance, things should be referenced each other in XML-like scheme.
I can only imagine as follows. Metadata can be explained "information about information". The word has been applied to not only to digital contents but also analog contents. So, the author thought that the word may not imply complexities inherent to digital content management. For instance, things should be referenced each other in XML-like scheme.
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks. Your theory seems closest."
4 hrs
Nobuo Kawamura
Japan
Japan
Native in Japanese
Japan
professional translator since 2001
Native in: Japanese 
Works in: English to Japanese, Italian to Japanese, Spanish to Japanese, and 3 more.
(Convenient) yet (inconvenient)
Anchoy-san, your translation is correct.
5 hrs
Convenient, as well as inconvenient
Literally so, but makes no sense to me. Perhaps they are making an ironic statement.
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