A customer, having tracked down a sales clerk, tried to explain...

Swedish translation: En kund, som lyckats hitta en expedit, försökte förklara ...

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:A customer, having tracked down a sales clerk, tried to explain...
Swedish translation:En kund, som lyckats hitta en expedit, försökte förklara ...

14:06 Feb 27, 2009
English to Swedish translations [Non-PRO]
Linguistics / Grammar
English term or phrase: A customer, having tracked down a sales clerk, tried to explain...
In my attempt to translate a certain English-language text into Swedish I'm puzzling over how to render properly into Swedish the English grammar construction "having" + participle. The full phrase is "A customer, having tracked down a sales clerk, tried to explain what she wanted." So far the best I've come up with is "En kunde, som hade spårat en expedit, försökte förklara vad hon ville." However, I'm wondering if there's another grammar construction that would come closer to my intended meaning. Any suggestions?
Cynthia Coan
United States
Local time: 23:34
En kund, som lyckats hitta en expedit, försökte förklara ...
Explanation:
Don't translate the wors; translate the message!

"Having tracked down" is sarcasm, and so is "som lyckats hitta".


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Note added at 22 mins (2009-02-27 14:28:42 GMT)
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OOPS!

TYPO!

Please read: "Don't translate the words; translate the message!"
Selected response from:

Sven Petersson
Sweden
Local time: 08:34
Grading comment
I was kind of leaning toward Sven's answer already when a local native speaker of Swedish cast the tie-breaking vote for "En kunde, som lyckats hitta ... "
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +2En kund, som lyckats hitta en expedit, försökte förklara ...
Sven Petersson
4Efter att ha hittat en expedit försökte kunden ...
Reino Havbrandt (X)


  

Answers


20 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
a customer, having tracked down a sales clerk, tried to explain...
En kund, som lyckats hitta en expedit, försökte förklara ...


Explanation:
Don't translate the wors; translate the message!

"Having tracked down" is sarcasm, and so is "som lyckats hitta".


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 22 mins (2009-02-27 14:28:42 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

OOPS!

TYPO!

Please read: "Don't translate the words; translate the message!"

Sven Petersson
Sweden
Local time: 08:34
Native speaker of: Native in SwedishSwedish, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 19
Grading comment
I was kind of leaning toward Sven's answer already when a local native speaker of Swedish cast the tie-breaking vote for "En kunde, som lyckats hitta ... "

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  ohemulen
28 mins
  -> Thank you very much!

agree  Helena Dahlenius
6 hrs
  -> Thank you very much!
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
a customer, having tracked down a sales clerk, tried to explain...
Efter att ha hittat en expedit försökte kunden ...


Explanation:
I think it is poor to copy English grammatic constructions

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Note added at 1 hr (2009-02-27 15:45:26 GMT)
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And, I thinkt that
having + verb >> efter att ha
is more exact

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Note added at 1 hr (2009-02-27 15:47:43 GMT)
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Note about your translation:
tracked down can not translate into spårat in this context

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Note added at 1 hr (2009-02-27 15:53:46 GMT)
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Efter att äntligen ha hittat en expedit försökte kunden förklara...
or
Efter att ha kyckats hitta en expedit...

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Note added at 1 hr (2009-02-27 15:54:04 GMT)
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Efter att ha lyckats hitta en expedit...

Reino Havbrandt (X)
Sweden
Local time: 08:34
Native speaker of: Native in SwedishSwedish, Native in FinnishFinnish
PRO pts in category: 3

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Sven Petersson: Better flow than my suggestion, but the sarcasm is lost.
4 hrs
  -> Agree that lyckats/äntligen should be added
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