Re: open translations database

[Stefan Rieken <StefanRieken SoftHome net>]

> Kaixo!
> 
> > > From: Stefan Rieken <StefanRieken@SoftHome.net>
> > > Date: 12 Oct 2000 16:55:26 -0100
>  
> >> The current translation of open source software suffers from a 
> >> lack of manpower. Thjs usually doesn't result in a lack of translations, 
> >> but in bad translations. Half of the time translation engines such as 
> >> Babelfish are being used.
> 
> Are you sure of that ?

I'm afraid I am. When I read the GNOME Users Guide, it stopped halfway being logical, and then it wasn't much more than a collection of terms and words thrown together in a Dutch-English mix. I've given other examples already.

> If a translator is foudn builty of doing such an horror in total disrespect
> for the users and the language he is supposed to help; then he must be
> put in a blacklist and their contributions must be refused for ever.

This are not translators doing this. This are developers. I suspect Helix Code is guity of using Babelfish at some point in the Dutch translation, and also Galeon. Helix Code's translation made the whole Preview Release 4 unusable because the window became too wide in several languages including Dutch. When this was translated by individuals, I think they would surely watch their result. But also the construction of some sentences provide evidence. Human translators know they translate software, not a book. Some translations are most clearly done in a "book" context.

> I simply cannot believe that someone could do such a thing!


Being a native English speaking person has got more in common with using Internet Explorer than you might think: some people don't realize that Visual Basic is a MSIE thingy, just as some people don't realise that it is better not to translate a program than to get it through Babelfish. You sometimes forget about the rest of the world a little bit.

Whoa, I just survived what would have been the 6th time Evolution would crash, this time including a complete X lockup. What is it with me today (this never happens, really! %)?

To make sure this mail gets finished I won't answer all of your points as well. I agree on most of them with all my heart. The only thing that I didn't agree on whas this "Unix terms are common to all Unices" piece. I think (as I explained in another mail already) that a lot of GUI terms belong to one GUI paradigm, and that it's important to use (also in English) single terms for GNOME (e.g. listbox or menubox, menuitem or menu item?).

Thanks for the notice about linuxi18n.org

I hope your input will be worthful somehow, I regret that I don't have all the time in the world myself. But I am positive on the reactions of Sun, so we'll see where we'll land.

Greets,

Stefan