From owner-freebsd-doc@FreeBSD.ORG Mon Nov 24 20:47:39 2008 Return-Path: Delivered-To: doc@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 1468F106567B for ; Mon, 24 Nov 2008 20:47:39 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from sonic2000gr@gmail.com) Received: from nf-out-0910.google.com (nf-out-0910.google.com [64.233.182.189]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 887648FC16 for ; Mon, 24 Nov 2008 20:47:38 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from sonic2000gr@gmail.com) Received: by nf-out-0910.google.com with SMTP id h3so1087219nfh.33 for ; Mon, 24 Nov 2008 12:47:37 -0800 (PST) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=domainkey-signature:received:received:message-id:date:from :user-agent:mime-version:to:cc:subject:references:in-reply-to :content-type:content-transfer-encoding; bh=AWUVROUMHqrtAoM3SKpSg7EZZCxcKMcLJVwuxrq1b5k=; b=uaoCVG6WOITfD5aTqcJ01cgTDENBon3rbWMBaDhIAAG/AOfULTBIPMfEbqGPaeCAkh Xun/W1ILB/EFhqOI3kB085Dg6PjwdkC6auP1nwfxc0iz31EvZny+DFU7HztML45o442h LWiwj6sKCi80XYfY/64l9xdEuNZVKYHa0G3KI= DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; c=nofws; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=message-id:date:from:user-agent:mime-version:to:cc:subject :references:in-reply-to:content-type:content-transfer-encoding; b=nz5RBxmFhS5qY0HSzxt/WMYOvRCMpOJxH7MisLXDq0zmmq3ukktBQlBn1/RZ2RyXGV xVKNKc6AIEJKV9uU2ZlEK+qTjAuJVBapHs6DE6Hem+mm8d/cFUOkV9SX/KGinKm9GJIX VV4X7XN0zg32qn7VT3MhOZQ7big3JVV56ISns= Received: by 10.210.87.14 with SMTP id k14mr3968180ebb.159.1227559657165; Mon, 24 Nov 2008 12:47:37 -0800 (PST) Received: from atlantis.dyndns.org (athedsl-70133.home.otenet.gr [87.203.155.67]) by mx.google.com with ESMTPS id k5sm28087nfh.0.2008.11.24.12.47.33 (version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=RC4-MD5); Mon, 24 Nov 2008 12:47:35 -0800 (PST) Message-ID: <492B12E3.3000109@gmail.com> Date: Mon, 24 Nov 2008 22:47:31 +0200 From: Manolis Kiagias User-Agent: Thunderbird 2.0.0.17 (X11/20081011) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Tom Rhodes References: <492AE607.4020208@gmail.com> <20081124135107.06a8af26.trhodes@FreeBSD.org> <87abbp3q5o.fsf@kobe.laptop> <492B01C4.6090707@gmail.com> <20081124153358.7a539e67.trhodes@FreeBSD.org> In-Reply-To: <20081124153358.7a539e67.trhodes@FreeBSD.org> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Cc: pgj@FreeBSD.org, doc@FreeBSD.org, gabor@kovesdan.org, keramida@FreeBSD.org, remko@FreeBSD.org Subject: Re: A patch for the 'geom' chapter X-BeenThere: freebsd-doc@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Documentation project List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Mon, 24 Nov 2008 20:47:39 -0000 Tom Rhodes wrote: > While true, it does have a few flaws, including it can make > incorrect assumptions about the reader's sex This will not happen in Greek, when the reader is addressed in 'courtesy' plural (or whatever this may be called in English, which simply does not have this 'feature' ;) ) On the other hand I've seen Greek translations (in fact I just saw a few in some Linux project today) addressing the reader in *first* person, which is absolutely horrible. > , environment, > etc. and adds a little less professionalism. > > So I try to write all my documentation carefully to avoid > addressing the reader. Sometimes it would be easier, but that > doesn't really make it right. > True, the English version of the Handbook is mostly using passive voice, and for the most part it is not a problem > In translations, though, I think it should be up to the initial > teams. It could be very different for languages which I > do not speak, whether passive voice is incorrect. :) > > As Giorgos just said, passive voice in Greek can sound 'slightly bad'. Some verbs are simply not meant to be used passively and often whole sentences sound weird when attempting to keep the original's passive voice. I've come to recognize these and switch them. And yes, it is not difficult after so many thousand lines of translations ;)