[Localization] Ecosystems and safety (was Re: Poor translators, poor translations [was Etoys])

[Edward Cherlin]

On Wed, Jul 9, 2008 at 9:39 AM,  <s.boutayeb at free.fr> wrote:
> Following the discussion between Bert and Bastien, let me share my toughts, as a
> professional translator dealing on a daily basis with original documents and
> their translations!

Thanks, Samy.

> What do we need a translators involved in a localization effort like the sugar
> UI or the xo-activities, in order to avoid to feel as a poor translator making a
> poor translation?
>
> 1/ Understanding the original texts:
> We need sufficient sources helping to understand the subject:
> - the strings and their context
> - the comments (accompanying the strings) of the developers
> - to RUN the applications/activities: that's why translators do need to "play"
> and experiment with the XOs. As for Etoys, our chance is that this environment
> has been made runnable in a few environments, for example in Debian. This is a
> valuable help for us translators. But I have to confess that Etoys is not
> especially the most easiest localization project.
> - a functioning questionning/answering system, either involving the - basically
> busy developers - or the user community
> The screenshots, the running activities, the help of the experts: that is what
> the translators need to understand correctly the original texts:

Indeed.

> 2/ Expressing the target texts:
> A language for special purposes, able to express new concepts in a general
> language without prior exposure with Information Technologies. This issue has to
> be addressed locally by the language community itself (see the case of
> Aymara/Quechua, Créyol, etc.) or by the localization teams.

I suggested a primitive translation memory in the form of the
Terminology file in Pootle. It needs a lot more work, and it would be
better to find or get created a genuine translation memory system
under GPL.

> Basically, we need a rich ecosystem for the translators... but as well for the
> developers, the educators, the documentation writers, etc. Our end users, that
> is the kids and their environment - family, teachers - will then have a rich
> toobox in their hands and finally construct their education in a rich ecosystem.

We are seeing the beginnings of a teachers' ecosystem on the OLPC Sur
list. We need space for a curriculum, lesson plan, and textbook
repository with translation functions, all in the Constructionist
rather than the Instructionist senses. We have a usable but by no
means perfect system for developers. The documentation process and
tools are in development right now.

What I see as most missing and most necessary is a safe space for
collaboration between students at different schools, even in different
countries. We all know that there are serious security issues in such
a proposal, so I have copied this to Ivan Krsti

> Consequeltly, "rich" translators with adequate tools are a must for a "rich
> feeling" user base.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Samy
> _______________________________________________
> Localization mailing list
> Localization at lists.laptop.org
> http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/localization
>



-- 
Edward Cherlin
End Poverty at a Profit by teaching children business
http://www.EarthTreasury.org/
"The best way to predict the future is to invent it."--Alan Kay