TRANSLATING IMPERIAL MEASURES / TRADUIRE LES MESURES NON MÉTRIQUES

It is preferable to translate precise imperial measures (which do not mean much to a French person) into metric measures :

- some 30 miles off the coast of Newport Beach (AM 88) : à quelque 50 km au large de Newport Beach

(1 statute mile = 1,6 km)

- just 400 yards from a pesticide factory (AM 85) : à 360 m à peine d'une usine de pesticides

(1 yard = 0,9 m)

NB - When dealing with computers, it is customary in French to keep English measures expressed in inches with regard to screen aspect ratio and diskette width :

- a 21-inch screen : un écran de 21 pouces (1 pouce = 2,54 cm)

- a 3 1/2-inch diskette : une disquette de 3 pouces et demi

However, in some cases, a non-literal translation might be welcome :

- I wish he were ten thousand miles away! : Je voudrais qu'il soit à l'autre bout du monde / à mille lieues d'ici

- He had only a few pennies left : Il ne lui restait que quelques sous

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