[Web-trans] Одг: [gnu.org #210567] Serbian translation of the GNU Free Software Foundation

[Страхиња Радић]

Дана 2004.09.16 22:07, Luis Francisco Araujo via RT је написао:
> > address@hidden - Thu Sep 16 11:07:56 2004]:
> > 
> > Serbian word "zadžbina" (or cyrilic "задужбина") is quite
> > nonadecvate translation of the English word  
> > "foundation". The word "zadužbina" (or "задужбина") in the Serbian  
> > language mean the type of the great present, or donation, (typicaly  
> > building) for many later generations of poeple (for example church, or  
> > monastery, or scool, or university). For difference of foundation,  
> > zadužbina haven't any found. In Serbian language we haven't adecvate  
> > Serbian word for foundation, and by this reason we using word "fondacija"
> > (or cyrilic "фондација"). Correct Serbian translation of the "GNU
> > General  Public Licence of Free Software Foundation" is "GNU Opšta
> > javna licenca  Fondacije za Slobodan Softver", (or cyrilic "GNU
> > Општа јавна лиценца  Фондације за Слободан Софтвер").

        This is not true. A few years ago, I actually defended your opinion in
the discussion with Millosh Ranchich, a student of philology, who defended the
variant ``задужбина''. He stated that many dictionaries, among them the Great
dictionary of the Serbian Academy of sciences and arts, list also the other
meanings of the word ``задужбина'', one of them being ``charity'', and, since
FSF is a charity, I decided to use the real Serbian word, and not the foreign
word ``фондација'' (from Latin ``fondatio''). After a lenghty discussion with
him, I was convinced that ``задужбина'' is better. All the variants of
translations are first thoroughly discussed in the ``Serbian GNOME'' and ``Nase
pismo'' mailing lists, so each word is chosen with extreme care.

> > English phonetic trasncribtion of Serbian "Uniks" (or cyrilic
> > "Уникс") is uniks, but not juniks. If we wish read word UNIX
> > correctly, we  
> > must write it as JUNIKS (or cyrilic "ЈУНИКС"). Also,
> > we traditionaly write  
> > UNIX, and Linux in original English form.

        As the Serbian speakers say ``унификовати'' (unify) and ``универзалан''
(universal), and not ``јунификовати'' and ``јуниверзалан'', I, and many others
from Serbian computing society ``Uliks'' and Serbian GNOME Translation Project
think that the better variant for the translation of ``UNIX'' is ``Уникс'', and
``Гном'' for ``GNOME''. The same case is for ``Microsoft'': we say
``Микрософт'' rather than ``Мајкрософт'', just like the Serbian speakers say
``микроскоп'', and not ``мајкроскоуп'' for ``microscope''. Also, it is not true
that we ``traditionally'' write the names of programs and companies in the
exact manner as foreigners. The tradition of doing so is not common for all
Serbian speakers. It is very young, dating from the 80's, and not all of us
were born after that date. On the other hand, *all* Serbian speakers can
understand the variants being used here.

        Back to the topic, the main purpose of translating GNU's and FSF's web
site to any non-english language is to enable *all* speakers of that language
to better understand the goals of the FSF. As not all speakers are ``into'' the
``trends'' of globalization (among them the negative influence of the English
language), we used the solution that is the most adequate one. After all, the
main purpose of *any* translation is to have as few words from the language
being translated *from* and as many words from the language being translated
*to* as possible. Otherwise, if the users can understand the language being
translated *from*, why translate at all? Thus, we make the translation for
users not being able to understand English, as that translation has the largest
set of people being able to understand it: both the English-speaking ones and
the non-English-speaking ones.

        Sincerely,
        Strahinya Radich

P.S.: ***To webmasters***: please mark this ticket as ``solved''.