Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Dutch term or phrase:
containerbegrip
English translation:
umbrella concept
Added to glossary by
Kitty Brussaard
Jun 27, 2013 07:49
10 yrs ago
Dutch term
Works in: Dutch to English
containerbegrip
Dutch to English
Science
Environment & Ecology
Hi all,
In an academic social sciences paper, someone would like to translate the phrase "duurzaamheid is een containerbegrip".
My first attempt is "sustainability is an all-encompassing term". I wonder if there is a more precise, or perhaps just pithier, way of saying this?
Thanks
Miriam Levenson
English-language editor at a Flemish scientific institute
In an academic social sciences paper, someone would like to translate the phrase "duurzaamheid is een containerbegrip".
My first attempt is "sustainability is an all-encompassing term". I wonder if there is a more precise, or perhaps just pithier, way of saying this?
Thanks
Miriam Levenson
English-language editor at a Flemish scientific institute
Proposed translations
(English)
| 3 | umbrella concept |
Kitty Brussaard
|
| 4 | catch-all term |
Michael Beijer
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Change log
Jul 4, 2013 11:29: Kitty Brussaard Created KOG entry
Proposed translations
32 mins
Kitty Brussaard
Netherlands
Netherlands
Native in Dutch
Netherlands
Business Language Solutions
Native in: Dutch (Variant: Netherlands) 
Works in: English to Dutch, Dutch to English, Dutch
Related KudoZ points
:
16
Selected
umbrella concept
Inderdaad al eerder ingebracht als KudoZ-vraag (zie Freeks bijdrage). Je zou ook kunnen kiezen voor "umbrella concept" in deze context. Of eventueel zelfs "overarching concept". E.e.a. is ook afhankelijk van de specifieke invalshoek die in jouw tekst gekozen wordt. De term "catchall" (UK "catch-all") heeft vaak een wat negatieve lading (d.w.z. wordt vaak gebruikt om te verwijzen naar vage (verzamel)termen).
Zie ook onderstaande voorbeeld.
The concept of "sustainability" has taken a good bit of criticism in recent years. It has been charged with being so vague and over-used that it lacks significance, and with having been co-opted by the polluter-industrial system. These concerns have some merit. Nevertheless, "sustainability" remains a valuable umbrella framework for environmental issues, because the fundamental cause of our environmental challenges is that our capacity to deplete resources, despoil places, and disrupt ecological systems far outstrips their regenerative and restorative capacities.
(...)
The strengths of "sustainability" as an umbrella concept for environmental responsibility are that it responds to the cause of environmental problems in general and that it can be attached to almost any type of system or activity. Because of this, it must always be substantively specified and operationalized in particular applications and contexts: What (in this particular context) needs to be sustained? At what level and in what ways? How is it to be measured and monitored?
(...)
The "sustainable" in sustainable agriculture will differ from that in sustainable architecture, and it will be different in the United States than it is in the Netherlands or in Malawi. This does not imply that there is anything wrong with the concept. It shows, rather, that a commitment to sustainability as such marks the beginning of the difficult work that needs to be done to flesh out what that it amounts to in practice. That is how things are with overarching framework concepts, be it "sustainability," "justice," or "rights."
http://www.policyinnovations.org/ideas/briefings/data/000210
Zie ook onderstaande voorbeeld.
The concept of "sustainability" has taken a good bit of criticism in recent years. It has been charged with being so vague and over-used that it lacks significance, and with having been co-opted by the polluter-industrial system. These concerns have some merit. Nevertheless, "sustainability" remains a valuable umbrella framework for environmental issues, because the fundamental cause of our environmental challenges is that our capacity to deplete resources, despoil places, and disrupt ecological systems far outstrips their regenerative and restorative capacities.
(...)
The strengths of "sustainability" as an umbrella concept for environmental responsibility are that it responds to the cause of environmental problems in general and that it can be attached to almost any type of system or activity. Because of this, it must always be substantively specified and operationalized in particular applications and contexts: What (in this particular context) needs to be sustained? At what level and in what ways? How is it to be measured and monitored?
(...)
The "sustainable" in sustainable agriculture will differ from that in sustainable architecture, and it will be different in the United States than it is in the Netherlands or in Malawi. This does not imply that there is anything wrong with the concept. It shows, rather, that a commitment to sustainability as such marks the beginning of the difficult work that needs to be done to flesh out what that it amounts to in practice. That is how things are with overarching framework concepts, be it "sustainability," "justice," or "rights."
http://www.policyinnovations.org/ideas/briefings/data/000210
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
56 mins
Michael Beijer
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Native in English
Works in field
United Kingdom
Experienced technical/patent translator
Native in: English (Variants: US, British)
Works in: Dutch to English, Flemish to English, English to Dutch, and 2 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
20
catch-all term
This is to cover the other possible meaning, as discussed in the Discussion area, which I suspect might be more apposite here.
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
freekfluweel
: I could have posted this as an answer... very sporting indeed!
36 mins
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All you did was point out Miriam forgot to check Proz 1st. 'Containerbegrip' can mean many things. I wrote 2 lengthy Discussion entries on the diff. and then entered my choice. If you wanted to enter 'Lianne's' answer as your own you should have done so.
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Discussion
De hoeveelheid disc. entries die jij dan plaatst is niet relevant want dat zijn we wel van je gewend...
Here are a number of examples of usage:
- Eczema is a catch-all term for a number of different skin problems; the most common type, atopic dermatitis, is an allergic condition.
- The ‘fly-on-the-wall’ documentary is a catchy but catch-all term used to describe a variety of observational documentary forms.
- ‘Antisocial behaviour’ is used as a catch-all term to describe anything from noisy neighbours and graffiti to kids hanging out on the street.
- On the rare occasion anyone asks what I am, I tell them I'm a Non-denominational spiritualist, which is a nice catch-all term which gets a laugh and covers all the bases.
- Not that the catch-all term ‘flavouring’ on the label is designed to arouse any suspicions about the synthetic formulations within.
- Restructuring is a catch-all term, used by companies in trouble who need to change or risk losing business as well as successful ones who want to keep their edge. (compare to 'sustainability' in business texts)
- Optics is a catch-all term for the binoculars and scopes so essential to bird watching.
next time, try here first:
http://www.proz.com/search/