Re: DWN #49 2002 typo?
From: Peter Karlsson <peter@softwolves.pp.se>
Subject: Re: DWN #49 2002 typo?
Date: Sun, 5 Jan 2003 23:26:35 +0100 (CET)
> Tomohiro KUBOTA:
>
> > I hope more plain words without fear of misunderstanding are used.
> > Please don't use minor meaning of a word with multiple meanings.
>
> Isn't that why we are translating the pages to the different languages?
> To make sure people understand the pages without needing to know the
> finer aspects of the source language?
It is too simplification. Since I am (and none of members of Japanese
translation teams are) professional translator, we sometimes fail to
translate very difficult English.
IMO, translation is useful because:
- it omits labor and time from readers - it is like avoiding "reinvention
of wheels".
- many people would not read English because of such labor and time;
thus translation is a good way to advertise Debian to such many
people.
- of course there are many people who don't know the basic of English
and dictionaries cannot help them.
> I often look up words in my dictionary when I translate to make sure I
> get it right. I most often do, but sometimes I don't. I translate to
> make sure that the people that cannot read the English text well enough
> can understand the translation.
Sure, in this case, I should consult my dictionary. However, I am
sometimes unsure that such "lower meaning" of a word is used, because
I don't understand the reason why such lower meaning must be used
even when we have more plain words with the same meaning.
In this case, "advise" did have a meaning of "tell" or "inform" in
my dictionary but it was the last meaning in the list of meanings.
Since a dictionary lists meanings from more possible to less possible,
I think it is hardly possible the last meaning is used here. Furthermore,
there are more clear words like "tell" or "inform" to say the same thing.
In this case, we are lucky because I found the mistranslation. However,
such a mistranslation may be missed if the mistranslation is
self-consistent. To avoid this type of mistranslation, we have to
consult *every* words with dictionary. It is impossible.
I think English writers are *now* trying to write plain English,
because it is required in http://www.debian.org/devel/website/working .
However, I fear that English writers sometimes don't know which type
of clearness and simpleness translators need. Thus, I say now that
please use the most significant meaning of a word as far as possible.
---
Tomohiro KUBOTA <kubota@debian.org>
http://www.debian.or.jp/~kubota/
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