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Dutch to English translations [PRO] Bus/Financial - Business/Commerce (general) / tax advice to low incomes
Dutch term or phrase:opdrachtgever
Een bedrijf geeft goedkope belastingadviezen aan mensen met lage inkomens, bijvoorbeeld mensen die in schuldhulpverlening zitten, uitkeringsgerechtigden, etc., via gemeenten. De gemeente is de opdrachtgever en de uitkeringsgerechtigde is de cliënt. Hoe zou ik in dit geval 'opdrachtgever' het beste kunnen vertalen? Tot nu toe heb ik alleen maar 'principal' gevonden, maar dat is naar mijn mening niet helemaal de juiste term.
Overheid wordt door NL ogen gezien als iets algemeens. In het EN zou het dan een meervoud moeten zijn: commissionerS. Botsing: hee, kan niet want het is maar één rechtspersoon. Echter "local authority" is geen EN algemeenheid, maar een gedefineerd lichaam. Hiermee vervalt de meervouds-s en kan men best "commissioner" gebruiken.
The last word on this, hopefully. I trust, Michael, that this link to an NHS report will convince you that the term 'commissioner', meaning 'someone who commissions services', is perfectly good english.
And why would something be listed in the OED if it hasn't a common use in the English language? There is no hierarchical order in their listings either, just a listing of the accepted meanings of the word or phrase. No further rants required.
• a person appointed to a role on or by a commission • One appointed or deputed by commission to carry out some specified work, such as a judicial or other investigation, the negotiation of a treaty, peace, etc.; • A member of a permanently constituted commission or government board; esp. in the titles of such boards, • The representative of the supreme authority in a district, governmental department, etc.; now the recognized title of officials at the head of various branches of the public service, etc. • a representative of the supreme authority in an area • the head of the Metropolitan Police in London • [North American] a person appointed to regulate a particular sport • an official formerly appointed by commission of the Lord Chancellor to administer the estate of a bankrupt. • An agent, steward, factor. • One who commits a crime, etc. Obs. • One who commissions. ---------------* The 6th entry in the OED is indeed 'One who commissions.' However, there is a reason it is only mentioned last: it is not common usage in English to use only the word 'commissioner' if you mean one party instructing another party to perform work or a task. [rant mode off]
You could also use the 'synonyms' to 'instruct', to 'contract', or to 'order', depending on the context. However, in English you cannot simply use the word 'commissioner' on its own if you want it to mean 'commissioning/instructing/contracting party'. A 'commissioner' has a very specific set of meanings in English, as I mentioned above.
(1a) order or authorize the production of (something): 'The chief executive of Bradford Vision - the group which commissioned Lord Ouseley's report on race relations in the city - has suddenly quit his job after only six months.'
(1b) [with object and infinitive] order or authorize (a person or organization) to do or produce something: 'She's commissioned the Bureau of Statistics to do a study of both male and female violence which will report in a couple of years' time.'
(2) bring (something newly produced) into working condition: 'we had a few hiccups getting the heating equipment commissioned'
(3) appoint (someone) to the rank of officer in an army, navy, or air force: 'he was commissioned into the Royal Fusiliers'
(2) a group of people entrusted by a government or otherofficial body with authority to do something: 'Chairman Tony Hams said the authority had accepted the commission's finding and had already put in place new systems within the planning system to bring it up to scratch.'
(3) a sum, typically a set percentage of the value involved, paid to an agent in a commercial transaction: 'foreign banks may charge a commission'
(4) a warrant conferring the rank of officer in an army, navy, or air force: 'He went from being a lieutenant in the Soviet ‘Red’ Army to earning a commission in the U.S. Air Force, and has never looked back.'
(5) [mass noun] the action of committing a crime or offence: 'The suspension was prompted by what the SCPO saw as a risk of presumed future commission of criminal offences.'
(1a) an instruction, command, or role given to a person or group: 'During World War I, veterinarians won commissions to manage the large population of horses used by the military.'
(1b) an order for something, especially a work of art, to beproduced specially: 'This has given the company a solid base on which to expand - selling silver goods wholesale to some of Europe's most prestigious jewellers and undertaking all manner of commissions.'
(1c) a work produced in response to a commission: 'The firm, which specialises in bespoke commissions in stainless steel and solid timber, will celebrate its first birthday in June.'
In answer to your question 'is "to commission" also used in the context of "advisory services", and within this setting, and in what contexts exactly is "to commission" used?' – yes, commission is also used in the context of providing advisory services. Instead of trying to explain it myself, let me resort to my trusty friend, the ODP (Oxford Dictionaries Pro):
Barend, I think it concerns making things clear. If you use a stand alone word such as commissioner, then it may need validating by accompanying text. By writing Commissioning Party, you make it absolutely clear, it needs no further accompanying qualifiers to make it clear.
Another thing is: in contracts and deeds, formal, definite and concise language is used, thus, for instance by using Commissioning Party instead of only Commissioner which would be misleading if placed at the beginning of a document and not explained.
Often after the introduction of the various parties, if the wording is long and formal, a note is placed immediately, saying: Hereinafter to be referred to as... From this point forward, to be called... To be known by...
or similar wording, so the name of the firm bidding for the tender changes to the CLIENT, even to the Commissioning Party being changed to the Principal, (hereinafter to be called the Principal), which is not a term specific to the building trade, it is what it says, the ''FIRST'' (where there is more than one party) the principal, the instructing entity/body/person/authority, whosoever or whatever it is.
This is not to do with the 'Commissioner' controversy, but I am just curious to know, now that native speakers are involved in this discussion, in which contexts exactly 'to commission' is used.
We have a company here that gives advice on tax matters This company gives this advice to benefits claimants 'in opdracht van een gemeente'
so the local authority asks or orders this company to give advice to benefits claimants on tax matters
the activity concerns 'advisory services'
I find in Longman
commission - to appoint someone/formally ask someone to do a piece of work for you, for example to write a report or to produce some artistic or scientific work
my question:
is 'to commission' also used in the context of 'advisory services', and within this setting, and in what contexts exactly is 'to commission' used
I am also a native speaker and doubt that this is correct. I would be willing to change my mind though if someone could provide a good UK or US reference where 'commissioner' is used as such.
I had to translate a text recently, a valuation report. I did not know how to translate 'opdrachtgever' and the revisor I work with, a native speaker, suggested the term "commissioner". I am not a native speaker and will therefore not enter into this discussion. I was just answering Toiny based on my own experience.
Commissioning a work of art doesn't make you a commissioner. That's just not correct English. Although 'commissioner' also means 'one who commissions' (6th entry in the OED), this is not how we use the term in English.
Michael, I don't disagree with the many meanings and various contexts for the use of the word commissioner, but it is also possible to use it in the context of this question. I have worked with many commissioners of art projects, which in Dutch would translate as 'opdrachtgevers'. You could be neutral on the issue, but I don't think you can disagree with this use of the word.
1. a person appointed to a role on or by a commission: ‘The health commissioner's role was envisaged as negotiating and mediating complaints and grievances of patients and heightening professional understanding of patients' rights.’
2. a representative of the supreme authority in an area: ‘The high court has ordered that deputy commissioners and local authorities should not permit land conversion and construction without sanction of the metropolitan planning authorities.’
3. the head of the Metropolitan Police in London: ‘The commissioner of London's Metropolitan police force says more than 30 per cent of robberies and muggings involve mobile phones.’
4. [North American] a person appointed to regulate a particular sport: ‘Then, on his way to his office at Milwaukee's County Stadium, the baseball commissioner stopped to do a family errand.’
Used on its own, the word ‘commissioner’ does not mean ‘ opdrachtgever’, but is more akin to ‘commissaris’, as in regeringscommissaris (government commissioner), etc.
Dear Michael. A commissioner commissions. Het is een opdrachtgever, iemand die een ander opdracht geeft voor een taak, eenstuk werk, noem maar op. In het voobeeld van Barend; "The local authority is the commissioner for the artwork." Commissioner werkt best in dit verband.
peer agreement (net): +1