Re: German

Subject: Re: German
From: Bernd Hutschenreuther <Bernd -dot- Hutschenreuther -at- net-linx -dot- de>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Wed, 09 Oct 2002 11:15:50 +0200


Hi,

the translation also depends on the kind of document.

For example, when you translate programming manuals, or when you translate procedures, you should not translate the keywords, used by the interpreter or compiler.
In the example of DataOwner:

If it is a field in a database table and you want to translate it, you should keep the original word and add the translation, this means, give a glossary.

On the screen for the user, there should only be German words, usually, the screen labels should be translated.

Very often, you can omit the article. But the rules are difficult, indeed.
Usually, I would not mix German articles and English words, when the English word is not yet imported into the German Language.

Example:

Field Description
DataOwner Eigentümer der Daten.

In other cases, you can translate the word.

Example:
Der Eigentümer der Daten benötigt ein Passwort. - The data owner needs a password.
(Here it is the owner of the data, not the name of the database, or a field in the database ...
In this case, you cannot omit the article.)

Some years ago, after installing a new screen driver, my computer did not work properly, because a translator translated a keyword in a text used in an .ini file. The program searched for the English word.

So I think, communication is very important in such cases.

Note: When you translate for example online help, take care on the hyperlinks.

Best regards
and greetings from Dresden
Bernd Hutschenreuther

PS: If you want to know more about articles in German language, read "The awful German Language" by Mark Twain.
http://www.crossmyt.com/hc/linghebr/awfgrmlg.html#x1
You will understand, that there are no fixed rules for articles.



> 1. what should be the criteria to decide which terminologies to be
> retained
> in english?(e.g. DataOwner should be retained as same or should be
> converted
> to German)
>
> 2. If, We germanize the english terminologies, will all the terms take
> article "Das"?(e.g. Das DataOwner)
> How to decide the article?(As i spoke to 2 native german
> collegues"there is
> no fixed rule as such". what needs to be done in this case? )

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