[Xfce-i18n] [de][Patch] xfce4-web-browser mistranslation

Christian Dywan christian at twotoasts.de
Sun Sep 28 19:25:58 CEST 2008


Am Sun, 28 Sep 2008 13:42:31 +0200
schrieb Enrico Tröger <enrico.troeger at uvena.de>:

> On Sun, 28 Sep 2008 12:17:33 +0200, Christian Dywan
> <christian at twotoasts.de> wrote:
> 
> > Am Fri, 26 Sep 2008 19:23:24 +0200
> > schrieb Enrico Tröger <enrico.troeger at uvena.de>:
> > 
> > > On Tue, 16 Sep 2008 20:40:36 +0200, Enrico Tröger
> > > <enrico.troeger at uvena.de> wrote:
> > > 
> > > > On Fri, 12 Sep 2008 23:39:32 +0200, Christian Dywan
> > > > <christian at twotoasts.de> wrote:
> > > > 
> > > > Hi,
> > > > 
> > > > > there's a mistranslation that has bugged me for quite some
> > > > > time now and I always forgot to report it. The string
> > > > > 
> > > > > #: ../modules/menu/menu-data/xfce4-web-browser.desktop.in.h:2
> > > > > msgid "Web Browser"
> > > > > msgstr "Mozilla (Web-Browser)"
> > > > > 
> > > > > should not refer to Mozilla here. Instead the term should be
> > > > > translated and Mozilla should not be mentioned at all. If you
> > > > > dislike translating the term, I will accept that as long the
> > > > > application name is gone.
> > > > 
> > > > I completely agree to remove 'Mozilla' from the translation as
> > > > there was never a direct relation between Mozilla and a web
> > > > browser (and because now we have a much better one :D ). But I
> > > > don't think we need to change the translation 'Web-Browser'.
> > > > Yes, it isn't a German word but there is also no German word
> > > > which could describe it in a sane way. So, I'd suggest to remove
> > > > Mozilla and keep 'Web-Browser'.
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > > #: ../modules/menu/menu-data/xfce4-terminal.desktop.in.h:1
> > > > > msgid "Terminal"
> > > > > msgstr "Terminal"
> > > > > 
> > > > > That one irritates me a bit - before looking into the file I
> > > > > thought it was referring to the program "Terminal", but it's a
> > > > > preference, so it should say "Konsole", shouldn't it?
> > > > 
> > > > I don't think so, 'Konsole' would be even worse as it reminds
> > > > more to KDE's konsole. I'd say 'Terminal' is fine as it is the
> > > > name of the general application type 'terminal emulation' and
> > > > it fits the name of Xfce's default terminal emultion
> > > > application 'Terminal'. So, I'd say changing it would cause
> > > > even more confusion.
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > > I hope it's okay to leave editing the file to whoever can do
> > > > > it, since it's quite a minimal thing. If not, I can make a
> > > > > patch.
> > > > 
> > > > Attached is a patch which fixes the 'Mozilla' problem as
> > > > mentioned above and also translates the missing fuzzy and
> > > > untranslated strings. The patch also fixes some missing menu
> > > > accelerators.
> > > 
> > > 
> > > *ping*
> > 
> > Oops, forgot to actually reply. Thanks for the reminder.
> > 
> > > msgid "Web Browser"
> > > -msgstr "Mozilla (Web-Browser)"
> > > +msgstr "Web-Browser"
> > 
> > Like I said initially, I would personally translate it. For instance
> > with 'Netznavigator', but I leave it up to you.
> 
> To be honest, I hate 'Netznavigator'. Its meaning is so far away from
> what Web-Browser means. Of course, if you translate it literally it
> might fit but it is still not good.
> I'd like to keep it 'Web-Browser'.

Hm... why far away? What you are doing is navigating. What you are
navigating is the web. In fact, English uses the term navigating
as a synonym for browsing in the context. And languages like French and
Spanish use *only* navigating as a term (although Canadian French
curiously also uses "Fureteur" which means "Sneaker").
I honestly don't see why you find the translation wrong.

> 
> 
> > > #: ../modules/menu/menu-data/xfce4-terminal.desktop.in.h:1
> > > msgid "Terminal"
> > > msgstr "Terminal"
> > 
> > > > I don't think so, 'Konsole' would be even worse as it reminds
> > > > more to KDE's konsole. I'd say 'Terminal' is fine as it is the
> > > > name of
> > > the general application type 'terminal emulation' and it fits the
> > > > name of Xfce's default terminal emultion application 'Terminal'.
> > > > So, I'd say changing it would cause even more confusion.
> > 
> > Incidentally I've had access to a mac last week and tried to find a
> > command line - it turned out it had a "Terminal" and a "Konsole",
> > one of them was actually a log file viewer.
> > 
> > I don't use KDE but I see the problem with "konsole". What about
> > "Kommandozeile"? That would not conflict with any application name
> > as far as I can say and it's just as common as "Konsole".
> 
> I can live with "Kommandozeile" even I still don't understand why
> always everything has to be translated. Sometimes the English terms
> are just better, more unique and easier to understand.

Well, to me English terms usually have a number of drawbacks. Those
include the fact that non-English speakers don't understand them in
their true sense, but merely as an abstract term. Plus terms tend to be
used in ways that make no sense in English. Plus English has a
different rethoric towards metaphorical speech, for instance German
usually uses much more real, serious terms instead of associating
technical things with animals or references to insider jokes. Last but
not least, Germans trying to pronounce English terms is simply
horrible, and that includes people who are fluent speakers, in the
worst case leading to uncomprehension.
Incidentally all the same arguments apply if you ask me why I dislike
French words in English language.

> > > msgid "Cannot create backdrop list \"%s\""
> > > -msgstr "Liste mit Hintergrundbildern erstellen"
> > > +msgstr "Kann Datei »%s« für die Liste von Hintergrundbildern
> > > nicht erstellen"
> > 
> > I would tend to write "Liste der Hintergrundbilder" here as you did
> > in other places as well, but no strong opinion.
> 
> Er, yes of course and then it is actually German and not only an
> iteration of German words :).
> 
> 
> Attached is a complete new patch including the above mentioned
> changes. And for the interested there is also an interdiff of both
> patches.
> 
> Regards,
> Enrico
> 



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