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Glossary entry

French term or phrase:

à moindre frais

English translation:

at minimal cost

Added to glossary by Louisa Tchaicha
Apr 29, 2013 14:00
11 yrs ago
1 viewer *
French term

à moindre frais

French to English Tech/Engineering Computers: Software programming
Hello,

"Il est supposé pour cela que le choix de la stratégie de synchronisation intervient au moment du « fork » initial du program X et non pas en deux étapes comme nous l'avons déjà vu. Il existe d'autres schémas possibles mais il ne s'agit pas ici de trouver le plus satisfaisant mais d'illustrer la manière d'utiliser à moindre frais les revendications.

I don't understand "à moindre frais" here and would appreciate your help

Thank you
Proposed translations (English)
3 +2 at minimal cost
3 +3 more cost-effectively
4 +1 at a lower cost
5 -1 at lesser cost
4 for less
5 -2 cheaply
3 in the most practical/non complicated/simplest/pragmatic way

Discussion

Germaine Apr 30, 2013:
Pas de chance... Bien que j'aurais tendance à aller vers "most practical/pragmatic way" à cause de l'opposition "PAS... le schéma plus satisfaisant" (which would be optimal/cost-effective) vs "la manière d'utiliser à moindres frais", il se peut très bien qu'on parle de coûts d'intégration/d'utilisation. Pour faire votre choix, vous devez lire les conclusions de ce qui est proposé: est-ce que le résultat est plus direct, plus performant (ou moins demandant) au niveau du système (des processus), ou est-ce que le résultat réduit les coûts de mise en oeuvre et d'utilisation?
veratek Apr 30, 2013:
Louisa I don't really understand what they meant by "utiliser les revendications." What do you think they mean by this?
Louisa Tchaicha (asker) Apr 30, 2013:
@Germaine Here is one of the claims (revendications)
"Produit logiciel d’ordinateur selon la revendication A, caractérisé en ce qu’il comporte une interface utilisateur adaptée pour permettre à un utilisateur de définir des cas de sortie et les branchements associés, et des propriétés à prouver."
Germaine Apr 29, 2013:
Louisa, If the document is about programming and if you feel that "à moindres frais" does not relate to costs (c'est ce que j'ai présumé), it would help to get a little more context, would it be only knowing what are "les revendications".
Dans un contexte de programmation, "à moindres frais" peut aussi s'entendre dans le sens d'une moindre sollicitation des ressources ou de l'allégement d'un processus.
Louisa Tchaicha (asker) Apr 29, 2013:
@Germaine thank you
Germaine Apr 29, 2013:
Louisa, I understand it as : il ne s'agit pas de trouver le schéma le plus satisfaisant [optimal], mais la manière d'utiliser le plus simplement possible les revendications.
À mon avis, à moindres frais = sans y mettre trop de travail, d'une façon simple et rapide.

Proposed translations

+2
2 hrs
Selected

at minimal cost

This is the simplest translation that I can think of for this phrase, whether cost or frais are supposed to be in the proper sense or the figurative sens.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2013-04-29 16:51:43 GMT)
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figurative sense (of course)

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 days21 hrs (2013-05-02 11:57:41 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

You're welcome, Louisa. Thank you.
Note from asker:
Thank you
I selected it your answer Mike, but for some reason the Kudoz system isn't working??
Ah there you go :)
Peer comment(s):
agree Tony M
37 mins
Merci
agree Yolanda Broad
4 days
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thank you everyone for your help :)"
-2
50 mins

cheaply

Imho
Note from asker:
Thank you
Peer comment(s):
disagree Kim Metzger : http://translate.google.com/#fr/en/à moindre frais
49 mins
disagree SafeTex : Cheap can also has negative connotations unlike some of the other suggestions
5 hrs
Something went wrong...
+1
13 hrs

at a lower cost

Hello,

There is a difference between "au moindre frais" et "à moindre frais"

au moindre frais = at the lowest cost (superlative)

à moindre frais = at a lower cost

My guess is indeed that they are talking about money here; that is to say, on how to illustrate "les revendications" in a more affordable way.



I hope this helps.
Note from asker:
Thank you
Peer comment(s):
agree papier : missing the context needed up to this moment, I agree with your answer.
12 mins
Thank you, helena! I appreciate it.
neutral Germaine : Just a note: "frais" is always plural. So: à moindres frais/aux moindres frais.
10 hrs
I think you are indeed right, Germaine. I appreciate it. I believe it's often misspelled by native French speakers (I fell prey lol).
Something went wrong...
-1
16 hrs

at lesser cost

Une suggestion
Note from asker:
Thank you
Peer comment(s):
disagree B D Finch : "Lesser" is not just rather archaic, but is also the comparative form of the adjective. The source text doesn't seem to be making a comparison. Confidence level 5 is for certainties, rather than suggestions.
2 hrs
Something went wrong...
18 hrs

in the most practical/non complicated/simplest/pragmatic way

I was wondering if they didn't mean something like this:

in the most practical/non complicated/simplest/pragmatic way

less convoluted?

....
I don't really understand what they meant by "utiliser les revendications"
Note from asker:
Thank you
Something went wrong...
+3
18 hrs

more cost-effectively

A suggestion.

If the sense is figurative, 'more efficiently' might be an alternative.

Is is possible that the 'revendications' have the sense of 'recommendations' or 'proposals' rather than claims here?
Note from asker:
Thank you
Peer comment(s):
agree B D Finch : I think you are on the right track re "revendications", but I'd translate it as "demands".
53 mins
Ah, yes, that would make sense.
agree Yolanda Broad
9 hrs
Thank you!
agree Paula Dieli
1 day 6 hrs
Something went wrong...
2 days 21 hrs

for less

"à moindre frais" is standard (in F translation) for En "for less", such as in "dress for less", "buy for less", etc.

Hence "utiliser les revendications à moindre frais" "to use the claims for less".
Note from asker:
Thank you
Something went wrong...
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