Re: translation of the word factory...

[Malcolm Tredinnick <malcolm commsecure com au>]

On Wed, 2003-09-03 at 20:51, Keld Jørn Simonsen wrote:
> On Wed, Sep 03, 2003 at 07:47:32PM +1000, Malcolm Tredinnick wrote:
> > 
> > So the "producing factory" sense is correct here.
> > 
> > However, that does not get around the issue, as has been noted, that
> > this is a highly technical term. Factory objects and classes and
> > functions are not really in common use outside computer science. So if
> > we are exposing the term to users in more places than just the --help
> > string of gnome-terminal and a couple of error messages, there is a bug
> > report or two required for some future GNOME releases.
> 
> What about using the word "fabrication"? this may go down better in
> some languages, and is generally understood.

You could translate it as "fabricator" in another language, I suppose
(it has to be a noun, "fabrication" is a verb). It should stay as
factory in English, though, since that is really the common term for the
object.

Practically speaking, if a native English speaker does not know what a
factory server is and cannot work it out from those words, then messing
around with the words is not going to help them (since at least by using
"factory", they can look up a computer science text to get some
examples).

In other languages, I can appreciate the difficulties and only wish you
luck, since my mastery of things that are not Australian is mediocre at
best.

OK, I have no idea how I got sucked into this -- I am not a translator;
this is not my problem. I am bowing out now, since I only intended to
just post the "here is what it means" mail. :-)

Cheers,
Malcolm