Questions

By phanghor Flag: gr

Date 2008-04-18 06:57

Hi. I’m trying to translate two phrases into English that I can’t find anywhere. Please read the following stories.

John owns a company where all the employees wear special work clothes provided by the company. He has recently taken on a new employee, James. John wants James to sign a piece of paper saying that he has been given some work clothes, that he is responsible for them and that the company continues to own them. How would you say that
James has been …….. some work clothes. (the Greek verb is χρεώθηκε from χρεώνω)
James has signed a ………. (the Greek phrase is δελτίο χρέωσης or χρεωστικό)

Mary is in charge of an Accounts Department. She is supplied with a computer, a desk and 3 files (don’t laugh at the examples). One day, she decides to resign. Jane is the person who will take over. Mary and Jane have to sign a piece of paper saying that Mary hands Jane a computer, a desk and 3 files and that Jane receives a computer, a desk and 3 files. The aim is to prove that Jane has a properly equipped office and Mary has not taken anything for her own use. The Greek phrase for that piece of paper is πρωτόκολλο παράδοσης / παραλαβής. Is there anything in English?

Your ideas will help me a lot even if you don’t know the exact phrases (perhaps, there aren’t any).

By Roscoe

Date 2008-04-18 15:38

Hello, Phangor. This is my opinion on your query (but please take note that I am not an expert on business or legal matters):

1. My company allocates clothing and other equipment to us, but we never have to sign any papers. But I would say "James has been provided [with] some work clothes".

2. "James has signed a declaration". I am unsure that the Greek "χρέωσης or χρεωστικό" would be the right words to use in this case, because those words seem to mean more to do with payment and currency? Am I correct or not?

3. For Mary and Jane, they are signing another type of declaration, i.e. to declare that those pieces of equipment have been surrendered or handed over from one person to another. The Greek "πρωτόκολλο παράδοσης" would translate quite directly as "surrender protocol", where surrender means the handing-over of the equipment and protocol to mean a formal agreement or a rule of behaviour.

Maybe someone more astute than me could build on what I have just said?

Cheers.

Ρόσκο.
No matter how far apart we are, we can both see the same moon.

By Παύλος

Date 2008-04-18 23:16

Hi Phangor, here are some possible words
for the first case I would use "assigned" or "allocated". If you say "loaned", it implies that he has to pay a regular fee, but not necessarily eg books from the library are "loaned" but there is no fee. You are responsible for them and have to return them eventually. I suppose "loaned" is possible.

As for the piece of paper, one British word [not American] is a "chit" or "chitty" which is usually used for money but can be for other things.

As for Mary and Jane, a British business wouldn't be run that way. An official list of items belonging to a company is called an "inventory". New items must be added to the inventory, anything lost, stolen or thrown away must be deleted.

An inventory would also be used by a landlord for his tenants. The tenants are responsible for what is on the inventory. Eg if they break something or something is missing when they leave, it has to be paid for or the money is deducted from the deposit they pay at the beginning.

I hope this helps.

By phanghor Flag: gr

Date 2008-04-23 12:02

Thanks very much for your answers. They have straighened things out for me.