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lente apurada
Rodeiro Instrumentado
Sep 3, 2017 14:40
6 yrs ago
8 viewers *
Portuguese term

empreendedor

Portuguese to English Other Real Estate Dams - Brazil
I'm doing a long manual on the safety of dams with instructions for supervisory agencies ("entidades fiscalizadores"). The manual ties in with Law 12,334/2010 on dam safety (http://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/_ato2007-2010/2010/lei/...

The law (which I am not translating) refers to the "empreendedor" and defines this party as follows:
"agente privado ou governamental com direito real sobre as terras onde se localizam a barragem e o reservatório ou que explore a barragem para benefício próprio ou da coletividade."

My client provided me with an existing *unofficial* English translation of Law 12,334 in which "empreendedor" is translated as 'dam owner'. I'm not sure 'dam owner' fully captures the idea, and 'entrepreneur' is too vague. Any ideas?

Here is an example from the text I'm working on:

Além de estabelecer normas de controle da segurança a serem observadas pelos **empreendedores** e definir quais são os órgãos fiscalizadores, a Lei estabeleceu entre os seus objetivos e fundamentos o de fomentar a cultura da segurança de barragens, a gestão de riscos e a promoção de mecanismos de participação e controle social.
Proposed translations (English)
4 owner (or landowner or landholder)/operator
4 +4 Developer
4 +1 entrepreneur
4 landowner / landholder
4 project owner
2 +1 contractor
3 operating authority
Change log

Sep 3, 2017 18:31: Maria Castro changed "Term asked" from "empreendedor (in this context)" to "empreendedor"

Discussion

airmailrpl Sep 16, 2017:
project owner "project owner"+"dam" site us
About 120,000 results
Mario Freitas Sep 16, 2017:
Indeed No good for a government agency, if that's a possibility. You're right.
Muriel Vasconcellos (asker) Sep 16, 2017:
@ Mario I avoided "entrepreneur" because it does not appear anywhere in the literature on dams. I've been trying to stick with terminology that already exists on the subject, if possible.
Also, the "empreendedor" can be a government agency or public authority in the case of dams (see Teresa's example). That is probably the main reason why it is not used. 'Entrepreneur' would not be used for a government agency in English.
airmailrpl Sep 16, 2017:
project owner The project owner is the owner of the assets and of the business, is the one in charge of the licenses and legally responsible for the enterprise, is the developer, is responsible for the project and for the operation of the plan later.
Mario Freitas Sep 16, 2017:
@ Muriel I honestly don't know why you didn't use "entrepreneur", which is the standard translation for "empreeendedor" and covers all meanings and aspects discussed here. The entrepreneur is the owner of the assets and of the business, the one in charge of the licenses and legally responsible for the enterprise, the developer, responsible for the project and for the operation of the plant later. Plus, the entrepreneur is not necessarily a person; it can be a group or a company as well.
Muriel Vasconcellos (asker) Sep 16, 2017:
More insight I have come across the following comment on the meaning of "empreendedor" much later in this ginormous document, which makes me want to re-open the question for more suggestions:

Um dos dados mais importantes para constar no cadastro de barragens é a informação sobre o empreendedor, por ser o responsável legal pela segurança da barragem. A identificação do empreendedor nem sempre é tarefa fácil, pois há barragens construídas há muito tempo. Em muitos casos a exploração da barragem é feita por mais de uma pessoa, física ou jurídica.
Diante disso, seguem algumas sugestões de estratégias para identificação de empreendedores. É interessante ressaltar que **será considerado empreendedor aquele que solicitar a outorga de direito de uso de recursos hídricos, com a finalidade “reservatório”**
Muriel Vasconcellos (asker) Sep 8, 2017:
Thank you, everyone All your answers were good and carefully considered. I went for Martin's answer because it covers all the bases. It may turn out that I will use your other suggestions in one place or another, depending on the context.
Muriel Vasconcellos (asker) Sep 7, 2017:
@ Airmailpl The text mostly refers to dams for storing water, but the mandate also applies to tailing dams and dams for retaining other forms of waste. It includes multi-use dams but not dams devoted exclusively to hydroelectric power generation. The face must be at least 15 m high from the toe to the crest, OR it has a reservoir capacity of at least 3,000,000 h3, OR it has an average or high potential for associated damage, OR it contains hazardous waste.
airmailrpl Sep 7, 2017:
What kind.. What kind of dams is your source text talking about ??
Muriel Vasconcellos (asker) Sep 7, 2017:
@ Oliveira Simões BTW, my main interest in accepting this translation was hoping to find out how the disaster in Mariana might have been averted. I was in Mariana on a visit to my husband's family shortly after it happened. It's not a fun project at all, with print so small that when you blow it up to see what it says, the lines are too long to display.
Martin Riordan Sep 7, 2017:
@ Oliveira Simões & Muriel As Muriel is translating a manual for supervisory agencies, it now strikes me that the translation she should use in each instance may depend on the context, as it could be either of the entities that are defined in the law. In the example she gives, it seems to me that "operators" or "dam operators" could be the best term, as presumably they would be responsible for implementing the safety standards referre to. But perhaps, in a different context in the manual, the term might refer to the owner of the land.
Oliver Simões Sep 6, 2017:
@ Martin I totally agree with you, Martin. In this particular case, since they are instructions for supervisory agencies, it's more important than ever to specify the roles. The culprits probably love the use of vague language. It's easier to get away with their responsibilities. Hopefully, in the future, they'll be able to avoid ecological disasters such as Mariana. As translators, we can help by not omitting information! I'm curious as to what you would suggest.
Muriel Vasconcellos (asker) Sep 5, 2017:
Thank you, everyone! I appreciate all your suggestions, and I am still open to all of them. It is very difficult to choose because there are arguments in favor of each. I think the solution lies in combining the ideas in a compound phrase -- as Martin suggests and as I've seen elsewhere. (Martin, How about posting your answer?)
I will leave the question open until the site managers threaten to close it and award the points automatically.
Martin Riordan Sep 5, 2017:
@ Mario That's the problem! Entrepreneur is so generic that it doesn't express precisely either of the two roles defined in the law, which means that the future reader of the text is given no idea of what the term refers to. Also, I think it does not emcompass the concept of the owner or holder of the land, who is really a passive party to the operation if it is not involved in the development or operation of the dam.
Mario Freitas Sep 5, 2017:
Puxando a sardinha para minha brasa I think entrepreneur is generic enough, covers all possibilities, allows no ambiguity, besides being the standard translation for "empreendedor", as well as enterprise is the most common translation for "empreendimento".
Martin Riordan Sep 5, 2017:
owner/operator? The definition in the law refers to two different situations, so the translation probably needs to cover both. I think "owner" (or "landholder" as suggested) is preferable to "investor", as the first definition in the law does not suggest that this party actually invests (it may just receive rent for use of the area). As Teresa's link discusses in detail, the law is ambiguous about the actual meaning of the term, which is probably good for the lawyers!
Oliver Simões Sep 3, 2017:
Dam investor At least in Brazil's context, a dam investor normally doesn't have the ownership. They simply tear everything down (either public land or areas that have been designated as Indian reservations) to build their destructive projects. What an irony to call these guys "developers"! Here's an interesting article about Vale do Rio Doce: https://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoza/2011/04/28/brazils-va...
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida Sep 3, 2017:
Dam operator came to my mind apparently is somewhat different: http://www.oc.ca.gov/hr/classification/damoperator.asp
Muriel Vasconcellos (asker) Sep 3, 2017:
'investor/operator' I just now discovered this term used in connection with dams. What do you think?
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida Sep 3, 2017:
@Muriel I wonder if this is of any use to you? http://www.cbdb.org.br/xxxsngb/download/trabalhos_tecnicos/t...

Proposed translations

2 days 7 hrs
Selected

owner (or landowner or landholder)/operator

I think that this combo term covers the two entities defined in the actual law.
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thank you, Martin. I'm more comfortable using the dual form."
+1
10 mins
Portuguese term (edited): empreendedor (in this context)

contractor

One of the many synonyms offered for "entrepreneur" on thesaurus.com.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 15 mins (2017-09-03 14:55:19 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

"Safety control standards observed by the contractors..."
Peer comment(s):
agree Katarina Peters
6 mins
Thank you, Katarina.
Something went wrong...
+4
32 mins
Portuguese term (edited): empreendedor (in this context)

Developer

Developer is not the same as the owner, but seems close in tthis case
Peer comment(s):
agree Nick Taylor : Nice!
1 hr
thanks Nick
agree Priscila Molina
3 hrs
thanks Priscila
agree Irene Berlin
5 hrs
thanks Irene
agree Paulinho Fonseca
8 hrs
thanks Paulinho
Something went wrong...
32 mins
Portuguese term (edited): empreendedor (in this context)

operating authority

My suggestion...

Glen-Canyon Dam Operating Authority; Producing Electricity and Protecting the Grand Canyon Environment
https://www.ecolex.org/details/literature/glen-canyon-dam-op...

The operating authority should be reviewed, including the communication to higher authorities.
http://www.owa.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Dam-Safety-Revi...

A spokesman for the dam's operating authority, Seqwater, said the worsening algal bloom resulted from heat, sunshine and high nutrient levels.
https://www.gympietimes.com.au/news/dam-use-ban-flattens-imb...
Note from asker:
Thank you, Teresa. I like it!
Something went wrong...
2 hrs
Portuguese term (edited): empreendedor (in this context)

landowner / landholder

I would probably choose a more generic term for a lack of something more specific. "Developer" normally conveys the idea of "developing real estate on a speculative basis" (Dictionary.com) and somehow contradicts the legal definition of "empreendedor" as someone who also works for "the benefit of society [coletividade]". "Contractor", on the other had, is vague in the sense that it could simply be a party in a contract or someone "who works on an 'as needed' basis for a stipulated amount of money" or who "contracts to supply certain materials" or "do certain work for a stipulated sum". In my view, neither terminology captures the fact that an "empreendedor" is also the land owner. And landowner itself doesn't capture the idea that they are doing this for money! I can't think of a term that will encompass both ideas. Anyway, I posted a link to an article on land tenure on Wikipedia. Just food for thought.
Reference:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_tenure

Something went wrong...
+1
4 hrs

entrepreneur

Na minha opinião, termo genérico se traduz por termo genérico.
Peer comment(s):
agree Teresa Freixinho
1 day 7 hrs
Obrigado, Teresa!
Something went wrong...
2 hrs
Portuguese term (edited): empreendedor (in this context)

project owner

empreendedor (in this context) => project owner

What is project owner? definition and meaning - BusinessDictionary.com
www.businessdictionary.com/definition/project-owner.html
Definition of project owner: Entity that initiates a project, finances it, contracts it out, and benefits from its output(s). Also called just owner.

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Note added at 2 days6 hrs (2017-09-05 21:35:28 GMT)
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FERC - Safety Signage at Hydropower Projects
https://www.ferc.gov/industries/hydropower/safety/guidelines...
The plan is kept current by the project owner and reviewed by Commission staff ...... A schematic of a hydroelectric dam with potentially hazardous features noted ...

Dorena Dam Hydro Electric Construction - Greenberry Industrial
https://greenberry.com/project/dorena-dam-hydro-electric-con...
Greenberry was hired by the project owner to furnish mechanical, piping, and structural services for the completion of this hydroelectric project
Something went wrong...
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