Is this good English?

[Kenny同志]

In the English text I've attached, I find a few expressions (highlighted) very puzzling. It was apparently translated from German. Is it good English?

 

Thanks in advance for your comment.

 

link: http://news.cision.com/propel-technology-ltd/r/new-cold-rooms--new-coatings-and-a-full-product-range-for-chillventa-2014,c9644484

 

[li3wei1]

I would put commas after 'smaller' and 'private', and I would group all those categories together as 'catering'.

 

'timely specification' etc. I don't understand. I suspect 'progress' meant to be 'process', but even then it's not really clear what they're talking about. Is this something you don't have to do to install the equipment, or something you don't have to do with your food once you have the equipment?

 

'low floor-space plug-in multideck' is, I assume, a display cabinet for food that doesn't take up a lot of floor-space, has multiple levels, and needs an electrical supply for lights and temperature control.

[roddy]

Timely I think is probably a mistranslation which should be 'time-consuming' or lengthy' - that's the easiest way I can see to have that make sense. 

 

Low floor-space might be better as 'small footprint'. I think plug-in means that it can run off normal mains supply and does not need it's own circuit (like an electric cooker might).

 

The first one I'm not so sure about. I'd parse it as (smaller)(private gastronomy, restaurant, hotel and caterers), with the point being that this new range brings cold rooms within the reach of customers that previously wouldn't have been able to afford / accommodate one. Not sure what 'private gastronomy' is. Private dining is eating out when you get your own room. I'm not sure if that's what's meant. Could be for high-end domestic use - think rich people with huge kitchens and the cooks to work in them.  

[imron]

Not sure what 'private gastronomy' is top link

Google is your friend   Here's the top link.

[Kenny同志]

Oh, I didn't expected such detailed comments! Thanks Liwei, Roddy, and Imron. : )

[roddy]

Yeah, and yet none of the other links on the first page of results seemed to have 'private' and 'gastronomy' next to each other. Did the search in quotes and got cooking courses and food tours, neither of which are right for the context. Given that and a translation that already seems to have errors, I refrained from relying on one Google result. After all, we have to avoid relying on the top link ;-)

[StonyParrot]

Since it is transalted from German, I would assume that "private gastronomy" is transalted from "Privatgastranomie", which simply means a small restaurant or other food establishment that is not owned by a company, but by a single person.

 

"Timely" could be the translated version of the german word "zeitig", which essentially means "early". 

[Kenny同志]

Thanks Parrot. Your input is very useful. 

[Altair]

I parse the reference to "private gastronomy" not as a stand alone reference, but as an attributive phrase: i.e., as "private gastronomy...customers."

 

"Timely" could be a translation not only of German zeitig, but also of zeitlich, which can mean "chronological" or "time-related."  It is possible that what they are trying to say is that their product does not involve "a process of time planning and specification."

[Kenny同志]

Thanks Altair. : ) I have pointed out to the client that the source text was faulty. 

[murrayspeaks]

Combating is the correct spelling not combatting. It is not bad English, it is typical of that used in business but neither, would I say, is it good English