Aug 24, 2009 19:12
14 yrs ago
1 viewer *
Spanish term
la mitad de la cadena atrófica
Spanish to English
Other
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
Transcript of interview with manager in a multinational company, who is likening the corporate world to an ecosystem: "O sea, al final es... es un ecosistema, es un ecosistema con especies, con fenómenos, con relaciones y bueno... ahí hay arquetipos de especies, al final: hay depredadores, hay la mitad de la cadena atrófica y hay herbáceas, ¿no?, y que son con comidas." What is that about the "cadena"? Many thanks.
Proposed translations
(English)
| 4 +2 | the middle of / halfway up the food chain |
Martha Harrold (X)
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| 4 | decomposers |
NadineDudley
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| 3 | half of the atrophic chain |
Joseph Tein
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| 2 | the atrophic half of the chain |
Bubo Coroman (X)
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Proposed translations
+2
10 mins
Selected
the middle of / halfway up the food chain
Found references to cadena trofica as synoymn for cadena alimentaria, and I think that would fit here
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
philgoddard
: But this is cadena atrofica as opposed to trofica. Is that the same thing? I'm not disagreeing, just not sure. Also, doesn't "la mitad de la cadena" mean half the food chain?
9 mins
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Take your point - I didn't make it clear that I had found 'trofica' not 'atrofica' but had suspected this was meant from context. I think Deborah's answer below has better reasoning behind it!
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| agree |
MPGS
: bet it's a typo: trófica :)
21 mins
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Thanks
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| agree |
Anahí Seri
: I'm quite sure it's a typo, atrófica doesn't make sense
20 hrs
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thanks
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Selected automatically based on peer agreement."
27 mins
NadineDudley
Native in Spanish
&
English
Specializes in field
edu/health/misc- reliable and friendly
Native in: English 
, Spanish
Works in: English to Spanish, Spanish to English
decomposers
I believe it is referring to the carnivores, herbivores and decomposers, (all members of the food chain). So they are all part of the food chain. Hope this helps
26 mins
the atrophic half of the chain
understanding the "predators" (depredadores) to be the "trophic" half of the chain and the creatures that they eat to be the "atrophic" half, i.e. they don't eat their predators, although they must eat something. Ref.:
A community structure that involves the transfer of energy, trapped in food, from one species to another through predator-prey type relationships, is known in ecology as ***a trophic chain***.
http://books.google.es/books?id=K_USw9Iq8NEC&pg=PA184&lpg=PA...
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Note added at 31 mins (2009-08-24 19:44:40 GMT)
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"atrophic" means literally "without nourishment".
atrophy
[at′rəfē]
Etymology: Gk, a + trophe, without nourishment
http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/atrophy
A community structure that involves the transfer of energy, trapped in food, from one species to another through predator-prey type relationships, is known in ecology as ***a trophic chain***.
http://books.google.es/books?id=K_USw9Iq8NEC&pg=PA184&lpg=PA...
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Note added at 31 mins (2009-08-24 19:44:40 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
"atrophic" means literally "without nourishment".
atrophy
[at′rəfē]
Etymology: Gk, a + trophe, without nourishment
http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/atrophy
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
philgoddard
: I think Deborah's got the answer here - but is there a way of saying it that doesn't involve the use of atrophic, a technical term that most people won't understand?
7 mins
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thanks Phil! good idea -- maybe "the other half of the trophic chain" might be easier to understand! Have a nice afternoon. Deborah
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2 hrs
Joseph Tein
United States
United States
Native in English
United States
Multilingual. Very careful & precise.
Native in: English
Works in: Spanish to English, Italian to English
Related KudoZ points
:
20
half of the atrophic chain
I think this is a direct translation of the Spanish phrase ("la mitad de" = half of something). It still leaves us with an awkward expression - "atrophic chain" - as philgoddard comments.
I couldn't find an explanation of "atrophic chain" ... but it has to do with atrophy, meaning 'a wasting away', deterioration, diminution.
This makes me think that perhaps a suitable substitution would be 'decomposition' -- '...half of the chain of decomposition ... '
I'm not certain of this translation, but this suggestion may help.
I couldn't find an explanation of "atrophic chain" ... but it has to do with atrophy, meaning 'a wasting away', deterioration, diminution.
This makes me think that perhaps a suitable substitution would be 'decomposition' -- '...half of the chain of decomposition ... '
I'm not certain of this translation, but this suggestion may help.
Example sentence:
" From the 1970s, woodland managers worldwide have been encouraged to allow dead trees and woody debris to remain in woodlands which then becomes part of the chain of decomposition and renewal of, sometimes, ancient forests ... "
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