Comments on: A translator’s view of localization http://ginstrom.com/scribbles/2009/10/22/a-translators-view-of-localization/ Random scribbling about programming, translation, and Japan Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:05:20 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Ryan Ginstrom http://ginstrom.com/scribbles/2009/10/22/a-translators-view-of-localization/comment-page-1/#comment-11511 Ryan Ginstrom Fri, 23 Oct 2009 06:04:14 +0000 http://ginstrom.com/scribbles/?p=1312#comment-11511 @Michael Very good point. Ideally, the UI and manual should be done at the same time and by the same person, because the manual helps with context for translating the UI, and the manual usually contains quotes of on-screen text (select this menu item, click that button). @Michael

Very good point. Ideally, the UI and manual should be done at the same time and by the same person, because the manual helps with context for translating the UI, and the manual usually contains quotes of on-screen text (select this menu item, click that button).

]]> By: Michael http://ginstrom.com/scribbles/2009/10/22/a-translators-view-of-localization/comment-page-1/#comment-11499 Michael Thu, 22 Oct 2009 19:22:35 +0000 http://ginstrom.com/scribbles/?p=1312#comment-11499 Working into an inflected language, I would go even further: While screen shots help a great deal, they do not explain the underlying software functions. Like when the string says "None" – none of what? And I have to know what, to get number and gender right. The same with variables. If I don't know the content variables can take on, how can I decide on the gender of the surrounding modifying words. Another lack-of-context problem: With English as the source, I often don't know whether it is verb or noun. Is “Copy” a copy of something or the verb “to copy”? Is “order” an order or the verb “to order”? “Cancel Order Transfer” – is that canceling the order transfer or transferring the cancel order? For a good portion of strings, I would like to be able to check the manual and read what the program is actually doing before committing to a particular translation. Without manual, even looking at screen shots, it would be guessing at best. So it's context, context, context – for correct grammar and for proper meaning. Working into an inflected language, I would go even further: While screen shots help a great deal, they do not explain the underlying software functions. Like when the string says “None” – none of what? And I have to know what, to get number and gender right. The same with variables. If I don’t know the content variables can take on, how can I decide on the gender of the surrounding modifying words. Another lack-of-context problem: With English as the source, I often don’t know whether it is verb or noun. Is “Copy” a copy of something or the verb “to copy”? Is “order” an order or the verb “to order”? “Cancel Order Transfer” – is that canceling the order transfer or transferring the cancel order? For a good portion of strings, I would like to be able to check the manual and read what the program is actually doing before committing to a particular translation. Without manual, even looking at screen shots, it would be guessing at best. So it’s context, context, context – for correct grammar and for proper meaning.

]]> By: Finding translations-- Random Neural Misfirings http://ginstrom.com/scribbles/2009/10/22/a-translators-view-of-localization/comment-page-1/#comment-11486 Finding translations-- Random Neural Misfirings Thu, 22 Oct 2009 02:08:54 +0000 http://ginstrom.com/scribbles/?p=1312#comment-11486 [...] See also the response by Ryan Ginstrom, a real-live programmer and translator.   No comments yet—be the [...] [...] See also the response by Ryan Ginstrom, a real-live programmer and translator.   No comments yet—be the [...]

]]> By: Adam Rice http://ginstrom.com/scribbles/2009/10/22/a-translators-view-of-localization/comment-page-1/#comment-11485 Adam Rice Thu, 22 Oct 2009 02:07:08 +0000 http://ginstrom.com/scribbles/?p=1312#comment-11485 Great minds think alike.. I wrote a response to that entry myself. Great minds think alike.. I wrote a response to that entry myself.

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