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Just wondering how big a factor translation issues really are....
1) Isn't it the translator's job to figure out how to most effectively restate what I've written for their target audience?
2) If a person doesn't understand English well enough to figure out the syntax of a "To do" introductory phrase... do they have any hope of understanding the actual procedure?
It is really worthwhile to contort and possibly make my English content less efficient/suitable for my core audience, to suit potential peripheral audiences?
And given that different languages can follow different syntaxes, how can you write to conform to what could be a variety of divergent grammatical rules?
Seems to me that the key is same as always: just write as clearly and simply as possible.
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+lynne -dot- wright=tiburoninc -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+lynne -dot- wright=tiburoninc -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf Of Peter Sturgeon
Sent: Tuesday, October 18, 2011 9:29 AM
To: becca_price -at- yahoo -dot- com; techwrl
Subject: RE: introducing steps
This thread ignores translation. Making the introductory phrase a complete grammatical sentence makes it easier for translators and non-native speakers of English to understand the procedure.
By starting with a infinitive phrase, every subsequent step is grammatically part of a potentially very long serial sentence.
By starting with a complete grammatical sentence, each step acts as an independent sentence.
Just sayin'
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> Date: Mon, 17 Oct 2011 17:47:31 -0700
> From: becca_price -at- yahoo -dot- com
> Subject: introducing steps
> To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
>
> I'm taking a class in technical writing. My teacher says never to introduce a series of steps with an infinitive (To install Sigil) but to use an independent clause ("To install Sigil, follow these steps:" or words to that effect. To me, the clause "follow these steps" is imlied by the fact that steps follow. Still, it's the teacher, so I have to follow her style.
>
> Is there a more graceful way to introduce steps? how do yo do it? I'm pretty much coming up dry.
>
> Thanks
>
> Becca
>
>
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