[Localization] Problem: 2 translations for 1 string

[Markus Schlager]

Hi Alex,

On Thu, 20 Mar 2008, Alexander Todorov wrote:

> Markus Schlager wrote:
> |
> I don't have translation experience in other languages I know except my mother
> tongue so I wasn't sure is that an issue for the majority of languages. It
> seems
> that it is.
> 
> Also I still think this is a kind of context, e.g. meaning a verb "to copy"
> which defined by the menu items or the intended use of an application.
> 
> In all other languages, I know
> | (German, Czech,Italian,French), you'd have to translate these differently
> | depending on the context.
> |
> 
> Have you done that before? How did you deal with the problem of having
> different
> translations for the same msgid?

Unfortunately I don't have any experience neither with PO Edit nor with
GetText. I was involved with the German translation of Scratch
(<http://scratch,mit.edu>), but didn't have to deal with technical
details. Being teacher I only gave advices how to improve the localisation
for usage at school.

Primarily this is my part also with the translation of eToys now. For
didactic reasons we decided to follow rules similar to the localisation of
Scratch, e.g. infinitive within menu-items but imperative on
programming-tiles, capitalization being different as well.  In English,
infinitive and imperative are looking the same, in German (as in many
other languages) they don't.

The example with 'copy' this thread began with, is even more basic since 
there isn't any decision to be made by us: In one case 'copy' clearly 
means the noun (*a* copy of sth.) in the other case the verb (like 
copy&paste).

Hence I consider it being necessary to have the possibility to provide
different translations of the same msgid depending on the hints given in
the line starting with #: that shows up in the .po-file. That line signals
the context the msgid-String is used within. Otherwise you'll definitely
get stuck with bigger - maybe even open - projects as soon as a word has
several (maybe completely different) meanings. A msgid should be a unique
key - phrases of a spoken language don't be that - in *any* spoken
language. To get them somehow unique you'll have to specify their context
as well.

Hence IMHO, the key poedit uses to identify its definitions should be the 
combination of both lines: 'msgid ...' *and* '#: ...'. What it looks like 
*and* where it's used. 

> 
> I think we hit a very interesting problem.
> 

Yes, indeed. Sorry for that.

Markus
-----------------------------------------------
 Markus Schlager               m.slg(at)gmx.de