Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2000 17:20:41 +0200 (CEST) From: Oliver Fromme <olli@dorifer.heim3.tu-clausthal.de> To: freebsd-chat@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: Internationalization Issues Message-ID: <200004121520.RAA65964@dorifer.heim3.tu-clausthal.de> In-Reply-To: <8d0ooh$qqu$1@atlantis.rz.tu-clausthal.de>
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In list.freebsd-chat James Howard <howardjp@wam.umd.edu> wrote:
> Is it enough to merely translate the help file? It is short enough I have
> attached it to the end. Or should I also translate the commands ("help",
> "edit", etc.)? What is the best way to support non-English speaking
> users? Any and all advice appreciated.
My opinion as a native German speaker...
Commands, menus etc. should not be translated. Each time I
have to use a program that contains German commands etc., it
rather adds to the confusion instead of reducing it. Apart
from that, translations are often inconsistent, and different
programs translate technical terms differently. Also, it makes
discussing problems on mailing lists and newsgroups (especially
international ones) much more difficult (``"Pref" menu? I've
got no such menu, do you possibly mean the "Voreinst" menu?'').
I think it's sufficient to translate the manual, and maybe
write some kind of glossary to explain the non-translated
terms.
Just my 0.02 Euro.
Regards
Oliver
PS: I've seen things like "Abzweigung fehlgeschlagen" and
even "Gabel defekt" as translations of "fork failed". :-)
--
Oliver Fromme, Leibnizstr. 18/61, 38678 Clausthal, Germany
(Info: finger userinfo:olli@dorifer.heim3.tu-clausthal.de)
"In jedem Stück Kohle wartet ein Diamant auf seine Geburt"
(Terry Pratchett)
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