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business regions

English translation: geographical areas (for its business)

12:42 Nov 30, 2007
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Marketing - Manufacturing
English term or phrase: business regions
I don't understand what "business regions" means in this context - also, what does the word "which" refer to? The products or the exhibition??

Several new products and systems will be shown at the [international exhibition], which [company name] considers to be among its most important and influential business regions. These include [a description of the products and systems]...

Thanks!
Nesrin
United Kingdom
Local time: 15:58
Selected answer:geographical areas (for its business)
Explanation:
If this is the original text written by a native English speaker, then "region" can really only mean a geographical area. If this is a translated text, then it could feasibly mean business field or area, but that is only speculation.

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Note added at 2 days22 hrs (2007-12-03 11:29:52 GMT) Post-grading
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I have re-read the passage and the answers, and again concluded it (the sentence) is so poorly written and ambiguous that it is hard to believe it was written by a native speaker. As a native speaker myself (the only one on this page, it would seem), I repeat that if that is the case, "region" can mean nothing else but geographical location, and the use of "influential" does not suggest "which" refers to products and systems. A region or an exhibition could - theoretically- be influential, but not product/systems in any context I know. In a case like this I would definitely go to the source and clarify the meaning, as Bernhard points out. I re-visited this entry without looking at his added notes, so I added this paragraph completely independently of what he wrote until just prior to hitting the "post" button. Then I read his notes, and we seem to be in complete agreement.
Selected response from:

Woodstock (X)
Germany
Local time: 16:58
Grading comment
Thank you very much, Woodstock!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
3 +3areas of activity
Adele Oliveri
3 +1geographical areas (for its business)
Woodstock (X)
3the regions where this company conducts business
Bernhard Sulzer


Discussion entries: 5





  

Answers


7 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
areas of activity


Explanation:
the products and systems shown at the exhibition are the firm's most important areas of activity.

Adele Oliveri
Italy
Local time: 16:58
Native speaker of: Native in ItalianItalian
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you Adele, as you see, the sentence was very misunderstandable, so it's not your fault!!


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  V_Nedkov
2 hrs
  -> thank you V.!
agree  ARTES
6 hrs
  -> thank you ARTES!
neutral  Bernhard Sulzer: just a thought: I have a hard time understanding products/systems as "areas." Do you mean "the showing of these products/systems" is an important area of activity? But then "business region" would really sound odd.
12 hrs
  -> Thanks for your comment. I interpret the sentence to mean that "the production of those products and systems" is a very important area of business for the firm. I might be completely wrong, off course ;-)
agree  orientalhorizon: they are trying to refering to "business fields", or "business scope".
2 days 19 hrs
  -> thank you orientalhorizon! :-)
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
geographical areas (for its business)


Explanation:
If this is the original text written by a native English speaker, then "region" can really only mean a geographical area. If this is a translated text, then it could feasibly mean business field or area, but that is only speculation.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 days22 hrs (2007-12-03 11:29:52 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

I have re-read the passage and the answers, and again concluded it (the sentence) is so poorly written and ambiguous that it is hard to believe it was written by a native speaker. As a native speaker myself (the only one on this page, it would seem), I repeat that if that is the case, "region" can mean nothing else but geographical location, and the use of "influential" does not suggest "which" refers to products and systems. A region or an exhibition could - theoretically- be influential, but not product/systems in any context I know. In a case like this I would definitely go to the source and clarify the meaning, as Bernhard points out. I re-visited this entry without looking at his added notes, so I added this paragraph completely independently of what he wrote until just prior to hitting the "post" button. Then I read his notes, and we seem to be in complete agreement.

Woodstock (X)
Germany
Local time: 16:58
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thank you very much, Woodstock!
Notes to answerer
Asker: As far as I know it's been written by a native speaker.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Bernhard Sulzer: agree with your interpretation of "region"; see also my entry. :-)
9 hrs
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12 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
the regions where this company conducts business


Explanation:

I read it as the regions (in the geographical sense) where this company conducts business/sells its products.

The "which" then refers to "[international exhibition]". So, in that sense this place/region is one of the most important (in what sense important exactly I am not sure of, maybe as in "must do business there") and influential (where they can have a lot of impact) with their products.

It does sound odd, the whole thing. The "its" does not make it any easier. Replace it with "the" and I would say the region/place of the exhibition is really important and influential in terms of "what happens there has a huge effect on what happens everywhere else." "Therefore we can't ignore it."

On the other hand, if "areas/sectors" is substituted for regions, the "its" makes sense because then the "which" could refer to the products. But then products and systems become areas/sectors and the sentence is odd again. (IMO).

I agree with Woodstock's comments. But given your info (native speaker text), only the "spatial" meaning makes sense (to me anyway, but my native language is German).

Unless the term comes from a place where "region" is indeed used, not in the spatial sense, but as "business field/sector." (maybe somewhere in Germany used by an English native speaker who has been there too long? I don't really think so.)
Can you check with the client?
:-)


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 12 hrs (2007-12-01 00:59:00 GMT)
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make that "geographical" regions where this company conducts business

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Note added at 12 hrs (2007-12-01 01:07:51 GMT)
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When I say "I read it as the regions (in the geographical sense) where this company conducts business/sells its products" I guess it could also be "where this company, among other things, "promotes" its products, as at the exhibition.
One could even try to relate the "which" to the whole sentence before, but that this "activity of introducing products at the exhibition" becomes a "region" again, and only "area" would fit here.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 12 hrs (2007-12-01 01:13:43 GMT)
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typo corr. last sentence: ...but *then* this "activity of introducing...."...



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 days44 mins (2007-12-03 13:27:44 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

Thank you for your feedback, Nesrin. And yes, of course, Woodstock deserves the points.

Cheers!


Bernhard Sulzer
United States
Local time: 10:58
Native speaker of: German
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you very much Bernhard, for your very useful explanation. I hope it's alright with you that I give the points to Woodstock, as he was the first to suggest "region". :-)

Asker: I mean "the first to suggest GEOGRAPHICAL region"!

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