[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread] 

List:       kde-i18n-doc
Subject:    Re: Improving KDE with translators
From:       "Erik K. Pedersen" <erik () binghamton ! edu>
Date:       2004-08-19 14:19:23
Message-ID: 200408191019.23969.erik () binghamton ! edu
[Download RAW message or body]

Torsdag 19 august 2004 09:47 skrev Gérard Delafond:

> Big debate.
> Tell the developers some parts of their job gets crap because of
> translators, I think you won't make them happy !

Oh I actually think the translated strings are often better than the original 
English strings

> Do you help people when you translate "Open" by "Close" ?

Of course not and you obviously do  not do that.

> What you say looks a bit frightening.
> You mean that most of the translation teams don't run the apps ?
> My experience is that "blind translations" is the best way to be wrong.
> Example : how do you translate "Display options" ?
> Are there some options about display, or will you display some options ?
>
> I think it is important KDE teams knows how translations are done.
>
> I asked some time ago there would be a warning in documentations about the
> possibility of mistakes in the translation.
> I think the problem is more severe : there should be a warning in all KDE.
> For example, when choosing a language, there sould be a label or a message
> box saying : "KDE is written in English - Nobody knows if the translation
> you are about to use is good - Continue - Cancel".

Come on, this is ridiculous.

> My aim is not to devaluate the very difficult job of KDE translators. This
> job is VERY useful, and I am happy developers do so much for us (developing
> Kbabel, maintaining i18.kde.org, etc.)
>
> But everybody should know they are using a translation nobody tested, and
> should be given a way to revert it easily.
>
> I am getting a new idea : as it is impossible for developers to know if the
> translations are good, there should be some criteria to classify the
> "possibly good" and "possibly bad" translations, and showing it somewhere.
>
> The reason why I asked people would make some screenshots of their
> translated apps in the docs is this way, I am sure they had a mean to chek
> their translation is correct. Perhaps after making the screenshots, there
> will still be some errors, but much less.
>
> Hope you won't be sad, I am not attacking anybody, I am only looking for
> some methods to improve the global quiality of KDE.

The translations get tested in use by lots of people. I get feedback all the 
time. I use the applications myself and sometimes notice mistakes. I would 
actually claim that the Danish strings are often better than the English 
strings because I speak Danish and the developers do  not always speak 
English

Erik

[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread]