Re: Translation of program names

[Danilo Segan <dsegan gmx net>]

Дана петак, 31. октобар 2003. 13:03:46 CET, Murray Cumming Comneon com  
написа:
> Translating proper names, or parts of proper names, is insanity.
>
> I just don't want to see
>   Erscheinung Browser

Murray, I understand that, but I think you're biased because you *can*  
read Latin script, and you can read "Epiphany". If that name was  
"Спознаја", I think you wouldn't mind it being translated to  
"Epiphany", or at least transliterated to "Spoznaja". I don't really  
know why did American papers and officials write about 'KGB' (khey-jee- 
bee) at one time, when there's no such thing -- there was "КГБ" (and  
it's read entirely differently).

And mechanism that provides a translator with a chance to do that is  
same as for translation: it must be marked with gettext (that's why I  
said "translated" in quotes, not simply translated).

So yeah, it's insane when it's used in other languages, yet it is  
perfectly sane when it's used in English. Lets not abuse the policy of  
using English while developing Gnome for other causes, or trying to  
inforce use of English in translations too.

> Somebody even suggested translating the "GNOME" when it appears in
> application names, as if it meant "small dwarf-like creature".
> Completely nuts and completely useless.

Yeah, probably right. We don't want users to forget that GNOME is GNU  
Network Object Model Environment. Hey, it even says that on the start  
page at http://gnome.org/.

Whoops, it actually doesn't. :-P  Wait, it's not described on  
http://gnome.org/about/ either. Maybe it isn't important for users to  
know what GNOME stands for after all?

Since it was me who said that "translating" that was sane, it's because  
it is translated to Serbian like "Gnom" (came from French I believe,  
just without "e"), so it's easily recognized. This is transliteration  
from French, and not from English (it would be "Gnoum" if it was simply  
transliterated from English). Yeah, and it goes well with the logo of  
Gnome project (anyone seen that little footstep?). :-)

And advantages of this "translation" are numerous. I've already  
mentioned them in the previous mail, so I won't repeat them.


Cheers,
Danilo