Re: discussing the QAC rule - acronyms

[Isam Bayazidi <ibayazidi at gmail dot com>]

I have a different point of view than you Munzir on this .. I am for
translitrating the product names for many reasons:
- in KDE, most (if not all), program names are made out of cool use of
the K with an english word (Ktouch, Klipper, Kontact etc..) and I
think that the arabic translation should deliver the coolness of the
names (although it is not related, but for me, some of the
Arabic-translated Disney movies are funnier than the english ones)
- Translitration is used for localized versions of many products.. for
example, when you log to microsoft.com site with the Arabic
localozation, you will see a translitration for almost all the product
names.
- Now, if the names are not registered trademarks that we should not
translitrate for legal reasons, we should feel free with it.
- I am all for using minimal amount of non-arabic letters in Arabic
localized interface. After all, too much embedded english - Arabic
text is far worse than a fully Arabic text.
- Use Latin letters only when needed. That's a rule of thumb for me. 

On Sat, 17 Jul 2004 00:06:29 +0300, Munzir Taha
<munzirtaha at newhorizons dot com dot sa> wrote:
> On Yaum al-Jumma 28 Jumaada al-Awal 1425 10:06 am, Mohammed Elzubeir wrote:
> 
> > There is no rulebook as to what is required to revert a QAC decision.
> > Perhaps there should be one. I would think that you would have to
> > convince everyone you are right to "change" a rule. Making a new one
> > should be easier.
> 
> It's not fair to convince everyone. It would be OK to convince the majority.
> Making a new rule should not be easier. It should also be made after the
> opinion of the majority. It's not logic to make a distinction here.
> 
> > As I am to the opposite. I am _extremely_ against what you are
> > suggesting.
> >
> > This "professional" is not a professional technical translator, is he?
> 
> Ok let's forget about our professional translator POV or United Nation or
> UNESCO stuff. Would you agree to look in M$, Apple, Macromedia, Adobe, and
> any famous name that produce localized software? Would you consider their
> professional technical translators view point? I don't know of any that
> trasliterate or transcribe or transeyes any of its product names!!
> 
> > > Transliteration will get the translators in problems regarding how is it
> > > pronounced and also space-fitting issues. The first will carry a lot of
> >
> > No. I don't see that as an issue. One word comes up, brief discussion,
> > agreement, it's written down and it no longer would be discussed. Well,
> > that is, until a Munzir comes up and disagrees with what everyone agreed
> > on again ;)
> 
> ;)
> 
> > Munzir, you are also confusing two issues. There is a difference between
> > product names and other acronyms (like protocol names, etc.) In the
> > first case, we say you MUST transliterate.
> 
> I am sure any translator who is met across SATAN, KTouch, NETBUEIGUI, ...
> would appreciate my suggestion and would understand why consistency would
> almost be impossible.
> 
> 
> > A translator has the option of whether to explain what it is by providing a
> > translated antonym between paranthesis (provided there is space --
> > depends on context)
> 
> How does the translator supposed to know about the context when he translates
> a lib that contains 2000 words scattered in all KDE parts?
> 
> 
> 
> --
> Munzir Taha  PGP Key available
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> 
> Telecommunications and Electronics Engineer
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-- 
Yours, 
Isam Bayazidi