[dave9t5]

dave9t5, you may talk one day to a metallurgist about your "not incorrect".   Talking about copper or a copper alloy with entirely different technological behavior and purpose? No teacher will confirm this as not "incorrect". Besides, copper is also used with nickel and aluminum, so it could mean that as well? Hardly. It has a reason to use the words "brass", "bronze" - or you prefer to talk about CW509L (60% copper, rest zinc)? It's helpful to use the right words. And speaking of it: We Europeans can call ourselves lucky to live in comparatively small countries/language regions.

 

Last week I met Scots, English, Americans, Maltese, Australians, Canadians and South-Africans. And all talking "English" as native speakers... no need to say more. 

 

And why am I talking this crap? I'm endlessly bored about the endless row of 50 mm lenses with manual focus. Apparently every backyard workshop in China wants to become a big player now (and sometimes those backyard workshop turn out to be the Foxcon of optics...)

Jo Jo,

 

Yes, you are talking crap again. 

 

I have a Master's Degree in Metallurgy and Materials Science.

 

And, I've lived in a Chinese-speaking country for 15 years. Chinese is pretty literal language.  

 

I'm merely pointing out an interesting idiosyncrasy that I see happen from time-to-time in technical translations from Chinese to English to explain the error in the description and I'm using simple non-engineering description for the benefit of the rest of the forum. 

 

If you go to a Chinese speaking country and order "chicken" they will be very confused because it incorrectly means you want a bird brought to you your table.  You must order "chicken meat".  Or cow meat or pig meat.  There is no equivalent words like beef or pork (maybe there are, but my Chinese is pretty basic).  If a Chinese person orders cow meat in English, it would odd but not incorrect.

 

Chinese language has no odd names for months or days, named after European false gods.  Mars' month is simply Month 3 and Thor's Day is simply Day 4.  That is odd to a European, but it is not incorrect.  


Thin noodles are thin noodles and thick noodles are thick noodles in Chinese.  They are not spaghetini or linguine.  


You said you spoke to an American?  Do you mean a Mexican? Or a Brazilian?  Or...?  Just like Europe, there are a lots of countries in "America".   As you say: "It's helpful to use the right words."


If a North North American writes alumiNUM instead of alumiNIUM is that not correct or not incorrect?  If they fail to specify aluminum ALLOY does that omission mean they are referring to commercially pure aluminum?  Do they mean 1100 or 1199? (oops, should it Al99,0Cu).  Because an aluminum can can hold beer does not mean it should not be called an aluminum alloy can.

 

Why do people from the USA put liquid gas in their cars?  Why do they park in the driveway and drive on the parkway?  

 

Is a hamburger a person who lives in a castle by a bend in the river?   Or is it a tasty meat product that contains (usually) no ham (pig meat)?  


I looked up the etymology for brass and bronze.  Brass comes from the old English word for....Bronze.  


The Chinese had a Bronze Age that predates the English language by 2000+ years.  Maybe it's not incorrect to them. 


Thank you for incorrecting my Engrish for me.