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

List:       kde-i18n-doc
Subject:    Re: Context information needed for isolated words
From:       Johan Ouwerkerk <jm.ouwerkerk () gmail ! com>
Date:       2020-05-02 11:11:55
Message-ID: CAAcD2iqcjXZQw6nNQUPSxAei29rvcph6S+hPuaweXi=y9baQ4g () mail ! gmail ! com
[Download RAW message or body]

On Sat, May 2, 2020 at 12:36 PM Eloy Cuadra <ecuadra@eloihr.net> wrote:
> 
> Hi,
> 
> There is a widespread problem across many text strings to be translated: some \
> isolated words are gender invariable in English, but not in many languages. 
> For example, let's consider this case of a cascade menu:
> 
> New
> 
> Folder
> 
> File
> 

What prevents you from arbitrarily re-naming a particular top level
entry? E.g. if you see "New", why not translate it as though it were
"Create" if that makes your translation work more naturally?

I understand you'd want to stick as close as possible to the upstream
default, but languages being languages no doubt someone will point out
that verbs, too, could be conjugated differently depending on the
object. Or aspect, time, mood, actor, tense, whether or not it is
reflexive, medium, or otherwise. It could be that the verb might
change completely: i.e that creating a new folder somehow requires a
different translation of "create" than creating a new file would.
Which might mean that "New > File" is much more appropriate as a
starting point for *those* languages, because it avoids all the
verb-related pitfalls.

English cares very little for any of that, so trying to account for it
in English might only serve to render it clumsy and awkward.
Conversely there are features which English is very particular about
like articles which many other languages don't bother with at all.

All in all I think it is just easier if translation teams took some
liberties to get the point across rather than hoping for English to
become more like their native language. In particular this avoids most
of the need for complicated rules about "what words to use when".

Regards,

 - Johan


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