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Dec 13, 2012 09:06
11 yrs ago
6 viewers *
French term

missionnaire

French to English Bus/Financial Human Resources
This text about company rules for people going on "missions" abroad includes a list of definitions, including the term "missionnaire". Now, I have been translating "mission" as "assignment", but "assignee" obviously doesn't fit here. Neither of course does "missionary" !

What do you call someone who goes on an assignment/mission ?

Example of (a part of a) sentence: "Dans un souci de traçabilité des Missionnaires..."
Proposed translations (English)
4 assigned members
4 +3 staff on postings abroad
3 +2 those on assignment
3 +1 mission staff
4 field staff
4 -2 missionary

Discussion

Jocelyne Cuenin Dec 13, 2012:
Bon, nous n'avons pas exploité la piste des mission appointees (aussi bien UN que 'vrais'missionnaires) ; mission assignees :NASA astronaut candidates and mission assignees ; mission members. Hope it helps.
Michel F. Morin Dec 13, 2012:
Merci P. Petitavoine C'est une évidence, et je ne comprends pas que d'aucuns deviennent si nerveux pour un simple désaccord linguistique !
anna purna (asker) Dec 13, 2012:
BTW, my text covers assignments/missions both in France and abroad.
Jocelyne Cuenin Dec 13, 2012:
Je suis d'accord, Anna Ce lien du gouvernement francais montre que c'est tout simplement quelqu'un qu'on a désigné pour être membre d'une mission genre audits, inspections, expertises, conseil, évaluations, veille, prospective..". Cela n'est pas forcément à l'étranger.
anna purna (asker) Dec 13, 2012:
Re: missionary Even if it were to appear in a dictionary as "a person who goes on a mission", I would never use it in a corporate context, as the religious connotation is overwhelming. As translators, we must surely be aiming to choose words that are in common use. Who, when reading my translation, is ever going to look a word up in a dictionary ?!! Translations have to be user-friendly !
Jocelyne Cuenin Dec 13, 2012:
Michel a raison dans le sens que missionnaire est aussi entré dans le langage 'administratif': http://webissimo.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/00720...
anna purna (asker) Dec 13, 2012:
To Michel F. Morin With respect, the first line of the link you have provided reads "Missionaries are individuals who have dedicated their lives to helping others. Their work can be very difficult and it may require them to reside for a long period of time in a foreign country"
Michel F. Morin Dec 13, 2012:
For Finch Sorry mu friend, but I stick to my point: "missionary" is not only related to churches (what does sex have to do here). See "http://www.imglobal.com/img-insurance/missionary-insurance.a... and many others (http://www.travelinsurancereview.net/missionary-travel-healt... (http://www.hthtravelinsurance.com/missionary/index.cfm)...
I'm a bit surprise you just decide to ignore all these hits, or to deal them out !
Michel F. Morin Dec 13, 2012:
Company rules "Mssionary" is widely used in a "company rules" context: I know, I'm one ! The context you mention, Anna, does not seem to have anything to do with a religious context !
anna purna (asker) Dec 13, 2012:
Precision I need to find a "neat" noun (not more than two words) as it is on the list of definitions. An option would be to choose "mission staff" and then change all my "assignments" to "missions"...
anna purna (asker) Dec 13, 2012:
Definitely not missionaries Although I agree with you that I've never come across the term in a business context either.
Jocelyne Cuenin Dec 13, 2012:
Vous êtes sûre qu'il ne s'agit pas tout bonnement de "missionaries" dans votre texte ? En français aussi, un missionnaire est envoyé en mission par une église... Normalement. ...

Proposed translations

26 mins
Selected

assigned members

Many US companies refer to their staff as 'company/staff members'. In your case, these are company members going on an assignment.
I cannot think of a single word but I believe that 'assigned members' conveys the idea. If there are only few mentions of 'missionnaires' in your text, you might as well use the longer 'company/staff members going on an assignment'.

I hope that helps!
Peer comment(s):
agree CHAKIB ROULA (X) : Relevant as well
21 mins
neutral Yvonne Gallagher : "assigned members " makes no sense
3 hrs
disagree Tony M : Agree with G2: for it to make sense, it would need to be 'staff members' — but in any case, the meaning is not right for 'someone on an assignment'
91 days
Something went wrong...
3 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "A lot of interesting discussion. For me, the only answer was to use a "two-word" term, so I eventually used "assigned staff", which fitted in the best in my list of definitions."
+1
26 mins

mission staff

http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/secretariat_general/corps/index.cfm?...
I found the term 'mission staff' to describe employees sent on diplomatic missions (see link above). Or perhaps you could refer more generally to the position ('staff member', 'employee', etc.)
Reference:

ec.europa.eu/dgs/secretariat_general/corps/index.cfm?go=vademecum.vademecum

Peer comment(s):
agree CHAKIB ROULA (X) : Definitely agree
21 mins
neutral Yvonne Gallagher : used in very narrow context (as in your link) and is EUspeak otherwise
3 hrs
neutral B D Finch : Agree with gallagy2's comment.
4 hrs
Something went wrong...
58 mins

field staff

This term is used in companies for staff whose work is outside the company office and also in international organisations like the United Nations.
Reference:

http://www.fsu.unlb.org/

Something went wrong...
-2
1 hr

missionary

Good morning,

Well, in spite of your own comment, Anna, I strongly believe the proper translation for "missionary" (a "frequent business traveler") definitely is "missionary".
See for instance URL below.
And by the way, I beg to differ about "assignment", which is "affectation" in French: a long lasting job position which does not includes frequent business trips !
Reference:

http://www.sevencorners.com/insuranceplans/missionarytravelmedical/

Peer comment(s):
agree Damien Poussier
9 mins
neutral Jane F : missionary has religious connotations in U.K. English
17 mins
neutral polyglot45 : agree with Jane F.
30 mins
neutral Sandra & Kenneth Grossman : A missionary is someone who tries to convert a person to a different religion.
1 hr
agree Tamara Don : I agree, due to the religious connotations I would avoid using the term 'missionary' in English in this context.
1 hr
disagree Yvonne Gallagher : only used in connection with religion imo/you need to read your own links and see that they are talking of missionaries "spiritual guidance" So all of us, native speakers, are wrong?
2 hrs
I beg to differ ! "Missionary" is not ONLY used in a religious context.
disagree B D Finch : Religion (or sex), but NOT in this business context! "Assignment" in English is not a one-to-one equivalent of the French "affectation" and can mean a task allocated for a short period or to be carried out alongside other duties.
4 hrs
Sorry mu friend, but I stick to my point: "missionary" is not only related to churches (what does sex have to do here). See "http://www.imglobal.com/img-insurance/missionary-insurance.a..." and many others !
disagree philgoddard : If you're in a hole, stop digging. And look up "missionary position" in the dictionary.
5 hrs
Well, I wonder what makes you so nervous and agressive, just because we do not fully agree on a translation ? Besides, believe or not, I heard of the "missionary position" before: enough at least to say it is totally irrelevant here ! :
disagree Tony M : The religious connotation is too strong, this term would be inadvisable unless it was very clearly explained in some detail; we just don't normally use it like this in EN; your link actually disproves your own argument.
91 days
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+2
1 hr

those on assignment

I have used this in the past
Peer comment(s):
agree writeaway : this would have been fine. horse/water phenomenon once again
85 days
agree Tony M : Yes, those/people/staff on (an) assignment(s)
91 days
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+3
1 hr

staff on postings abroad

This is business, not diplomacy, so we cannot use ‘missionary’ (which is only used, and certainly only understood, in a religious context in English) nor can we properly use anything with ‘mission’ in it (although ‘mission staff’ / ‘field staff’ is correct for international organisations).

This pedestrian phrase is, I suggest, the best understood and fits the business context best.
Peer comment(s):
agree Yvonne Gallagher : or on "assignment" abroad if she wants to keep that word//"staff posted/assigned abroad" a bit shorter though prefer longer version
2 hrs
Thanks.
agree philgoddard
4 hrs
Thanks. By the way, I see now what I misunderstood with ‘Verbindingenstatuut’.
agree Mary Holihan
1 day 2 hrs
Thanks.
neutral Tony M : Yes, except for the fact that they mpght well be on a mission in their home country, so not necessarily abroad at all!
91 days
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