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List:       kde-i18n
Subject:    Re: FAQ?  Translation guidelines?
From:       Stephan Kulow <coolo () kde ! org>
Date:       1998-12-20 8:55:50
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Bjarni R. Einarsson wrote:
> 
> Hello all,
> 
> I'd like to ask your opinion about a couple of 'policy issues' that we've
> run into in the Icelandic application translation.  I apologize in advance
> if this is a FAQ, and propose that people reply in private if it is.
> 
> The first question is: what is the purpose of the K menu?  Should it be a
> list of programs, or a list of descriptions of programs?  Or is it just up
> to the person doing the translating?
> 
> I.e. should the primary entries (Name=) in the tree *describe* a program,
> just list it's name?  It appears to be used for short descriptions for the
> most part, with the occaisonal "kname".
> 
> The other issue is slightly more difficult, but is closely related.  Are we
> 'allowed' to translate application names?  And if we are, are there any
> rules about the new names?
> 
> Is the leading K a requirement, or even a recommendation?  (Note that "ark"
> has no leading K, giving precedent for dropping the letter altogether..)
> 
> I'm translating the .kdelnk files for the Icelandic team, and currently my
> rules have been as following:
> 
>         - Name= contains a short descriptive term (which could have been the
>           name of the application, if the author had been Icelandic..), such
>           as:
>                 "IRC client"
> 
>         - Content= contains a description suitable for newbies, preceded by
>           the applications real name, like this:
>                 "ksirc:  A program for accessing the IRC chat system".
> 
> Is this bad?
> Is this good?
> 
The Name tag should list a name, but this name should be not be the
command line, but a descriptive name like "IRC client". 
The Comment is the tooltip that appears. adding the real Name there is 
not the worst idea, but what you wrote above is quite good :)

kedit for example is nice as a binary name, that you have to type in
the terminal, but is not really easy to understand as name of a program,
so "Editor" or "Text Editor" is easier in that respect.

The beginning K is just a tradition and is about to change as there
aren't that many cool names with k left ;)

You're very free with the translation of Name (besides in the about
text - where it's important to name the application as it was named!).
For example ksame is "SameGame" in English, but "Probiere" in German,
because we (the author and I) wrote a game like ksame before and called
Probiere before (for every German reader it should be clear why :)

Greetings, Stephan

-- 
A big plus when your parents split up, is, that you don't
have to imagine them doing it again. * Mr. Rhodes

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