The LT>EN Guy Oct 22, 2013:

It really seems to me that at this point you are splitting hairs. As your customer says, this is meaningless bulk anyway. I don't see why the concept of a "field[work] team", when used in the context of them doing fieldwork, would include the guys who stayed at home because they had the flu or overslept. The simple fact of them being on the fieldwork assignment necessarily implies that they are the part of the team who actually went on the assignment. Furthermore, I fail to see how your client's answer would lead to your conclusion that an ekspedicija "is a field survey conducted by a group of archaeologists instead of just one with assistants". I think your client is writing in everyday terms and not in legalese; therefore, by "atlieka" (s)he most likely simply means--quite plainly--"does". Given the above, I stand by my post of 02:05 21 Oct and "teams [on fieldwork assignments]". As you can see, Valters has suggested the exact same term. As I don't think he read my discussion entry (because his answer comes after it), that's two people already coming up with the same term...

Arturas Bakanauskas (asker) Oct 21, 2013:

second opinion I received this response: 'it is rather broad word, depending on the context of what the author means. But generally in archaeological texts you will find it meaning some archaeological work, nor just trips, excursions.'
But upon further reflection, I am seeing it more from the perspective of The LT>EN guy. The current context is 'Archeologinius žvalgomiusius tyrimus NordBalt trasoje Klaipėdos aplinkoje atliko 2 ekspedicijos pagal atskirus tyrimų projektus.' It seems to be that the term would better understood as a 'field team'. If trip were meant, then it would have to be 'tyriimai atlikti ekspedicijos metu'. However field team often means every member of an organisation's staff who works in the field and not the specific members sent on a specific assignment, although it can have this latter meaning on occasion. Any suggestions for a less ambiguous term?

Arturas Bakanauskas (asker) Oct 21, 2013:

first clarification From the specific client and referring to the original quote as that is currently on my desk:
iš esmės tai archeologų laisvos interpretacijos, nėra tikslaus apibrėžimo. Stengiausi tokias beprasmiškas frazes išnaikinti iš verčiamo teksto, bet matau, kad liko. Jei tik įmanoma, verskite "žvalgomieji tyrimai", nes šiuo atveju ekspedicija - tai ir yra žvalgomuosius tyrimus atliekanti žmonių grupė So this definition is a field survey conducted by a group of archaeologists instead of just one with assistants.

Arturas Bakanauskas (asker) Oct 21, 2013:

I can see that my understanding of ekspedicija may be erroneous, so I am asking a couple of experts for a more detailed explanation in Lithuanian. Oddly it is difficult to find explanations aside from standard dictionary entries in either language. I have been working on this question for years and I will keep on working on it until it is solved conclusively. The word pops up from time to time and the standard translation is expedition, so no one faults that, but it is clear to me that it is incorrect. When I get clarification, I will pass it on.

The LT>EN Guy Oct 21, 2013:

Well, the example that you yourself give is "Archeologinius žvalgomiusius tyrimus NordBalt trasoje Klaipėdos aplinkoje atliko 2 ekspedicijos pagal atskirus tyrimų projektus." Now, mind you, an activity cannot PERFORM field evaluations. Teams of people can, however. So, to me it is clear that the primary focus here is on the team and not on their trip. (Also, the trip part is already implied by the fact that they did FIELD evaluations.) If it were my call, I would say--depending on the wider context--either focus on the team exclusively or (a safer option anyway) use a phrase to bring out both aspects of "ekspedicija". I have suggested two of these, one in a previous discussion entry and one in my answer. At this hour, I would just go for one of them and move on. :-)

Arturas Bakanauskas (asker) Oct 21, 2013:

Dictionary The unabridged dictionary gives: 3. asmenų grupės kelionė mokslo, tyrimo reikalu; tokios kelionės dalyviai: Mokslinė ekspedìcija DŽ.

Arturas Bakanauskas (asker) Oct 21, 2013:

Mission looks to be even more serious, i.e. a long-term expedition, from what I noticed immediately with Google, like the British Archaeological Mission in Yemen. Usually the team or people aspect is not called for, rather the activity. For example, LII MTS ekspedicija tęsė 2006 m. pradėtus tyrimus. This is the Miesto tyrimų skyrius, but the site was in Gudulinė. Another example: Lietuvos istorijos instituto žvalgomoji archeologinė ekspedicija, lankiusi visus Šilutės rajono piliakalnius, vadovaujama tuometinio Archeologijos sektoriaus vedėjo. On this example, I probably translated it field survey - 2004 m. surengta pirmoji žvalgomoji ekspedicija. I am not getting much in the way of 'surengti komandą' on Google, so I am guessing that one does usually not surengti a team. More examples: Šį pilkapyną pirmą kartą dar 1950 m. aplankė LII žvalgomoji archeologinė ekspedicija (vad. Adolfas Tautavičius) ; 1996 m. čia buvo organizuota žvalgomoji ekspedicija po vėlyvuosius šių apylinkių piliakalnius –viso 11. Interesting, I have always viewed it as a trip, but I can see the team meaning ambiguity.

The LT>EN Guy Oct 21, 2013:

Oh I see. Now that makes sense. By a very long shot, missions? To be honest, though, I think that if your judgement is that it is essential to keep both the party and the trip senses, you will have to use a phrase in order to accommodate for that. E.g. "two teams on fieldwork assignments" or something of the sort...

Arturas Bakanauskas (asker) Oct 21, 2013:

Sorry, I combined two sentences to make the meaning clear concisely. It should be Archeologinius žvalgomiusius tyrimus NordBalt trasoje Klaipėdos aplinkoje atliko 2 ekspedicijos pagal atskirus tyrimų projektus. The 2 'expeditions' are conducting the field evaluations.

Arturas Bakanauskas (asker) Oct 21, 2013:

Because the field evaluations (not surveys for žvalgomieji tyrimai) are being conducted by two 'expeditions'. And field research (tyrimai) is a general indiscriminate term for surveys, evaluations, and excavations, so also not suitable. While 'team' might seem a better choice here, the meaning is not focused on the people, but on their activity, i.e. just like the meaning of expedition, but without the long trip part.

The LT>EN Guy Oct 21, 2013:

Field survey So why not simply "field survey"? They carried out two field surveys as part of their field research (žvalgomieji tyrimai).