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Glossary entry

French term or phrase:

Objet-Monde

English translation:

World-Object

Added to glossary by Sue Garzon
Feb 2, 2015 16:30
9 yrs ago
French term

Objet-Monde

French to English Bus/Financial Business/Commerce (general)
I can't find the right term for this in English. Any ideas?

http://www.idixa.net/Pixa/pagixa-0904191622.html
Proposed translations (English)
5 +4 World-Object
3 +3 world scale objects
3 world (scale) creations
3 -3 Worldy phenomenona / Worldwide phenomenona
References
Existing translations of Serres' terminology
Change log

Feb 18, 2015 14:44: Sue Garzon Created KOG entry

Discussion

Alexandra Maldwyn-Davies (asker) Feb 3, 2015:
Thanks for your contributions. I went with 'Global Innovation', but gave the client the option of 'World-Object' when I delivered the file. I do believe it was a reference to Serres, but the context wasn't quite right. The text was about a business and technology hub, which although pretty impressive, wasn't quite on a par with the Internet or the atomic bomb. ;-)
John Holland Feb 3, 2015:
Source text seems a direct reference to Serres From p. 3 of translated Serres article "The Natural Contract" available at http://www.sfu.ca/humanities-institute-old/pdf/Naturalcontra... (and already cited by Melissa McMahon in the reference section below):
"By world-objects I mean tools with a dimension that is commensurable with one of the dimensions of the world. A satellite for speed, an atomic bomb for energy, the Internet for space, and nuclear waste for time...these are four examples of world-objects."

From the source text here:
"Avec la globalisation, nous fabriquons des objets-monde, qui sont des objets dans lesquels nous habitons comme dans le monde, et que nous ne maîtrisons pas
Exemples d'objets-mondes : un système satellitaire, une bombe atomique, l'Internet, le déchiffrement du génome, les résidus nucléaires, un réseau de communication, ou encore un ordinateur ou un téléphone mobile - si on définit l'objet-monde comme un outil dont l'une des dimensions au moins atteint l'extension du monde."

It looks like, with the examples, the source text author is making a direct reference to Serres work.
Lara Barnett Feb 3, 2015:
@ Phil As you will see from the dictionary definition, the word I have used has 4 other meanings besides secular:

"Worldly.
1. of or relating to this world as contrasted with heaven, spiritual life, etc.; earthly; mundane.
2. N/A
3. devoted to, directed toward, or connected with the affairs, interests, or pleasures of this world.
4. of or relating to the people or laity; secular; neither ecclesiastical nor religious.
5. Obsolete. of, relating to, or existing on earth."
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/worldly

As you will also see, "worldly" is used in UK texts, as are many other words that may have originated, or be widely used, in the US - i.e. language is constantly living and growing.

"Don’t be fooled by worldly treasures that seduce people but leave them tired, loveless and empty, Pope Francis said in a homily at Mass this morning."
http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2013/06/21/seeking-worl...

"The mind should not be allowed to wander towards worldly objects and what concerns other people."
http://allspirit.co.uk/writings/sacred-texts/who-am-i-nan-ya...
philgoddard Feb 3, 2015:
Because You've deleted one incorrect answer, "worldy (sic) phenomenons", and replaced it with another, "worldy phenomenona". Worldly (not worldy), as your reference states, means secular, which is not the meaning here. And as a native English speaker, you should know the plural of "phenomenon".
Lara Barnett Feb 2, 2015:
@ Phil = (answer box space is too short) I am unsure as to why you have disagreed with me regarding the use of "worldly" - yes it has a more spiritual use at times (as per No 2 below), but it also has a concrete use relating to what is in this world other No.s below.
"Worldly.
1. of or relating to this world as contrasted with heaven, spiritual life, etc.; earthly; mundane.
2. experienced; knowing; sophisticated:
the benefits of his worldly wisdom.
3. devoted to, directed toward, or connected with the affairs, interests, or pleasures of this world.
4. of or relating to the people or laity; secular; neither ecclesiastical nor religious.
5. Obsolete. of, relating to, or existing on earth."
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/worldly

...and considering that the events described in the webpage do actually more humane type issues, and as you say yourself not just "objects" in the English sense of the word, Your reason for disagreeing with my answer is still unclear to me. A Neutral would have made more sense with the explanation you have given so far.
Melissa McMahon Feb 2, 2015:
@Phil Michel Serres is an éminence grise of French philosophy. Corrections and editing are not an option.
philgoddard Feb 2, 2015:
"Object" is not the ideal translation, because if you read on, the list includes things that are not objects, like nuclear waste and deciphering the genome. One possibility would be to leave out these items, and tell the customer why. Alternatively, you could say "innovations" instead of "objects", in which case you'd have to leave out the bit about the etymology of "object".
I think either of these minor changes is justifiable, as otherwise the whole text will read oddly.

Proposed translations

+4
33 mins
Selected

World-Object

Tu peux chercher des infos sur le philosophe Michel Serres, ex: http://www.huyghe.fr/actu_665.htm
Attention: «World-Object» et «Real world-object» ne sont pas de termes synonymes parce que le deuxième fait référence aux objets créer avec le but de ressembler à des objets réels.
Reference:

http://www.huyghe.fr/actu_665.htm

Peer comment(s):
neutral DLyons : It's picked up too many computer associations IMHO.
4 mins
agree Melissa McMahon : This seems to be the standard translation
4 hrs
agree Charles Davis : It is so well established that it must be used, I think.
5 hrs
agree B D Finch : Unfortunately: yes, it seems to be unavoidable. However, your ref. has it without the hyphen.
17 hrs
agree John Holland : Here's an example of a translated paper by Serres where the hypen is used: http://www.sfu.ca/humanities-institute-old/pdf/Naturalcontra... ; the definition of "world-object" on page 3 corresponds well with the source text here.
17 hrs
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Selected automatically based on peer agreement."
+3
19 mins

world scale objects

My take.
Peer comment(s):
agree Terry Richards : Or maybe global scale...
8 mins
neutral DLyons : Maybe "of global reach" following on from Terry.
19 mins
agree philgoddard : Don't forget the hyphen!
31 mins
Thanks, of course.
agree EirTranslations
1 hr
neutral Melissa McMahon : In another context I think this would work, but it's a piece of terminology with a recognised translation
5 hrs
Something went wrong...
2 hrs

world (scale) creations

I think the term "creation" encompasses objects, structures, etc., etc...
Example sentence:

The three kingdoms of nature in their different degrees of evolution are expressions of these three world creations that preceded and prepared our earthly world.

I ask not for "magical" examples, but for real world creations that have become more complex than their creator.

Something went wrong...
-3
6 hrs

Worldy phenomenona / Worldwide phenomenona

Just an idea. Then you could add a gloss type phrase at the beginning of the second paragraph, but in this case you would describe the etymology/linguistic breakdown of the word "phenomenon", for example:

"Phenomenon
late 16th century: via late Latin from Greek phainomenon ‘thing appearing to view’, based on phainein ‘to show"
https://www.google.co.uk/search?site=&source=hp&q=etymology ...

"Phenomenon n.
1570s, "fact, occurrence," from Late Latin phænomenon, from Greek phainomenon "that which appears or is seen," noun use of neuter present participle of phainesthai "to appear," passive of phainein (see phantasm). Meaning "extraordinary occurrence" first recorded 1771. Plural is phenomena."

... and obviously leave out the reference to "ob-jectus".

FYI:
"Worldly.
1. of or relating to this world as contrasted with heaven, spiritual life, etc.; earthly; mundane.
2. N/A
3. devoted to, directed toward, or connected with the affairs, interests, or pleasures of this world.
4. of or relating to the people or laity; secular; neither ecclesiastical nor religious.
5. Obsolete. of, relating to, or existing on earth."
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/worldly


Peer comment(s):
disagree philgoddard : Worldy? Phenomemenona?
4 hrs
disagree B D Finch : A misspelling does, indeed, merit a disagree, especially when a 2nd bash produces a different misspelling, showing it's not a mere typo. Also, "worldy" is wrong and The reference to "ob-jectus" seems rather important to the text.
11 hrs
"Ob-jectus" is important to the text, but I suggested changing the etym. description of "ob-jectus" to an etymological description of phenomenon, which would return to text the same approach.
disagree David Hayes : The spelling mistakes make this suggestion hard to understand. I also think 'worldly' does not fit here.
2 days 9 hrs
Something went wrong...

Reference comments

5 hrs
Reference:

Existing translations of Serres' terminology

From the University of Michigan Press translation (1995) of Michel Serres' "The Natural Contract":

"Let's give the name world-object to artifacts that have at least one global-scale dimension..."

If you google "world object" + Serres, there are plenty of references, mainly in published academic texts.
Eg.
http://www.ctheory.net/articles.aspx?id=515
http://tinyurl.com/lgtcofy
http://tinyurl.com/mtvaxm4
Peer comments on this reference comment:
agree John Holland : I just realized that the link in my agree is to the same paper.
13 hrs
Something went wrong...
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