ProZ.com translation contests »
9th ProZ.com Translation Contest: "Business" » German to English

Competition in this pair is now closed.

Source text in German

Seit einiger Zeit kursiert eine neue Idee durch amerikanische Chefetagen und Companys: Arbeitsbesprechungen, Teamsitzungen und Präsentationen seien ab jetzt nur noch in Form von “topless Meetings” erlaubt. Irritiert wird sich so mancher und mehr noch so manche fragen, ob dies im Zuge einer überraschenden Libertinage der amerikanischen Gesellschaft etwa bedeute, man konferiere ab jetzt nur noch oben ohne?…

Dieser Gedanke kann im Wissen um die Prüderie der amerikanischen Gesellschaft gleich wieder verworfen werden. Nein, nicht ohne Oberhemd, sondern ohne ‚Lap-Top’ sollen Meetings zukünftig abgehalten werden. Denn diese und artverwandte Gadgets wie iPhone, Sidekick und Blackberry verderben die ohnehin nicht sonderlich gute Kommunikationskultur, die gemeinhin in Sitzungen dieser Art herrscht. Da werden während der Besprechung eifrig E-Mails gecheckt, wird gechattet, gesimst, gegamed und geblogt. Die Augen auf dem Monitor und auch die Gedanken ganz bestimmt nicht dort, wo sie eigentlich sein sollten – nämlich im Meeting. Daher denkt man in so manchem, vor allem online-nahen Unternehmen daran, Mitarbeitern in Meetings den Gebrauch drahtloser Informationstechnologien gänzlich zu untersagen.

Mit dieser Maßnahme hoffen die Fürstreiter des Topless-Konzepts nicht allein, den Symptomen von geteilter Aufmerksamkeit, mangelnder Konzentration und dadurch bedingter sinkender Produktivität von Meetings erfolgreich entgegenzuwirken. Auch der soziale Faktor, der durch den Einzug der mobilen Online-Services merklich gelitten hat, hofft man durch die verordnete Abstinenz zu stärken. Schließlich handelt es sich auch um eine Frage mangelnder Wertschätzung, wenn einer sich vorbereitet und zu anderen spricht, während die nach Kinoprogramm und den neuesten Börsenkursen googlen.

So in etwa lautet der Tenor einer Diskussion, die im letzten Jahr vor allem durch einen Blogbeitrag mit dem vielsagenden Titel „My personal war against Crackberry“ angestoßen wurde. Der Autor Todd Wilkens, Chef einer Design-Agentur in San Francisco, ist der Ansicht, dass eine effektive Arbeitssitzung kaum noch möglich sei, wenn die Teilnehmenden eben nur teilweise präsent seien. „Unvollständige Aufmerksamkeit führt zu unvollständigen Resultaten“, meint Wilkens und fasst die Inhalte der Topless-Philosophie sogar in einem kleinen Meeting-Knigge zusammen. Regel zwei: Einer muss sich im Namen der Produktivitätssteigerung unbeliebt machen und den anderen ihre mobilen Spielzeuge aus den Rippen ziehen. Aber auch wenn sie zunächst meckern - insgeheim sind die Online-Junkies dankbar dafür, ein paar Stunden von ihrer Sucht befreit worden zu werden.

The winning entry has been announced in this pair.

There were 30 entries submitted in this pair during the submission phase, 5 of which were selected by peers to advance to the finals round. The winning entry was determined based on finals round voting by peers.

Competition in this pair is now closed.


Entries (30 total; 5 finalists) Expand all entries

Entry #9748
Winner
Voting points1st2nd3rd
6314 x43 x21 x1
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.133.15 (13 ratings)3.10 (10 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 6 users entered 8 "like" tags
  • 6 users agreed with "likes" (11 total agrees)
+2
1
who are left wondering whether they are now required to cast aside their clothing in order to convene.
Other
creative a​nd with go​od flow
svilece
they are now required to cast aside their clothing in order to convene.
Flows well
St.Clair Consulting
+3
1
not topless, but LAPtopless.
Good term selection
I like LAP​topless
Jacqueline Comte
will prove a shot in the arm to the flagging social aspect
Good term selection
Suhasinis
+2
shot in the arm
Good term selection
Courtney Sliwinski
This issue is ultimately one of respect:
Flows well
Jacqueline Comte
+2
tellingly entitled
Good term selection
nice
Nancy Chapple (X)
Entry #8614
David Stephenson
David Stephenson
United States
Finalist
Voting points1st2nd3rd
4910 x43 x23 x1
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.083.07 (15 ratings)3.08 (12 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 5 users entered 16 "like" tags
  • 8 users agreed with "likes" (27 total agrees)
  • 5 users disagreed with "likes" (7 total disagrees)
should
Flows well
Only final​ist to use​ subjuncti​ve. Suits ​context--n​ot just in​dir spch
Susan Welsh
+3
Some people—women especially
Good term selection
Few people​ got this ​right.
Susan Welsh
-1
+2
confounded
Good term selection
Susan Welsh
libertine
Good term selection
Emil Kucera
-4
+2
2
nothing on "up top."
Good term selection
Susan Welsh
+6
1
No, it's not about shedding your shirt or blouse; it's about holding meetings without laptops
Flows well
Courtney Sliwinski
+1
With your eyes on the screen, your mind certainly is not where it ought to be
Good term selection
good choic​e of words​..
Suhasinis
+1
Net-oriented
Good term selection
Jacqueline Comte
+2
subjecting their employees to a complete ban on the use of wireless information technology during meetings
Flows well
nice flow
Jacqueline Comte
+1
while his audience is busy Googling movie show times and stock quotes.
Flows well
Jacqueline Comte
+1
revealing title
Good term selection
Jacqueline Comte
+1
next to impossible
Good term selection
Jacqueline Comte
+2
attendees
Good term selection
Courtney Sliwinski
+3
short etiquette guide for meetings
Good term selection
Courtney Sliwinski
etiquette guide for meetings. Rule
Good term selection
Jacqueline Comte
-2
+2
2
has to play the heavy and tear the mobile toys out of the other people's hands
Good term selection
Courtney Sliwinski
Entry #9367
Finalist
Voting points1st2nd3rd
358 x41 x21 x1
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.072.89 (19 ratings)3.24 (17 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 5 users entered 8 "like" tags
  • 11 users agreed with "likes" (24 total agrees)
  • 2 users disagreed with "likes" (2 total disagrees)
-1
+8
coursing through
Good term selection
Courtney Sliwinski
-1
+2
1
many a businesswoman
Good term selection
1st sample​ to get th​e "mancher​ vs. manch​e" into th​e text
Susan Spies
whether topless meetings somehow signal a surprising turn to liberalism in American society ...
Flows well
Reinhold Wehrmann
Our cognizance
Good term selection
Reinhold Wehrmann
+5
blight
Good term selection
Susan Welsh
focused on the meeting
Good term selection
focused re​fers to ey​es glued -​ pleassing​ly optical
British Diana
+7
only physically present.
Flows well
Susan Welsh
+2
short etiquette guide for meetings
Good term selection
Reinhold Wehrmann
Entry #9383
Mary Worby
Mary Worby
United Kingdom
Finalist
Voting points1st2nd3rd
273 x46 x23 x1
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.033.19 (16 ratings)2.86 (14 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 5 users entered 9 "like" tags
  • 9 users agreed with "likes" (19 total agrees)
+7
a wholesale ban
Good term selection
goes beyon​d using di​ctionaires​, trnsltr ​obviously ​values goo​d writing
Susan Spies
+2
1
wholesale ban
Good term selection
nice way t​o get arou​nd "gänzli​ch untersa​gen"
Nancy Chapple (X)
+3
Advocates of the idea hope that topless meetings will address the symptoms of divided attention, poor concentration and, as a result, reduced productivity in meetings
Flows well
Nancy Chapple (X)
+2
it is also hoped that the social factor, which has noticeably suffered since the arrival of mobile online services, will improve as a result of enforced abstinence
Flows well
Nancy Chapple (X)
enforced abstinence
Flows well
Suhasinis
+2
says it all
Flows well
Nancy Chapple (X)
+2
part are only really half there
Good term selection
Courtney Sliwinski
are only really half there
Good term selection
Susan Welsh
+1
1
Somebody has to put improving productivity above personal popularity and rip all the others' mobile toys out of their hands.
Flows well
wonderful ​choice of ​words..
Suhasinis
Entry #9404
John Farebrother
John Farebrother
United Kingdom
Finalist
Voting points1st2nd3rd
1103 x25 x1
Rating typeOverallQualityAccuracy
Entry3.123.00 (15 ratings)3.23 (13 ratings)
Entry tagging:
  • 5 users entered 7 "like" tags
  • 6 users agreed with "likes" (10 total agrees)
+3
even more women
Good term selection
another on​e to get t​he "manche​" right
Susan Spies
+1
spoiling the communication culture prevalent in such meetings
Flows well
Susan Welsh
champions
Good term selection
Emil Kucera
+2
tenor
Good term selection
Courtney Sliwinski
+2
Inadequate attention leads to inadequate results
Good term selection
Courtney Sliwinski
+1
little meetings handbook
Good term selection
Jacqueline Comte
+1
strip other people
Good term selection
fits with ​the whole ​"topless" ​concept
Jacqueline Comte