Translations

[nbache]

@nbache

I have to agree with tomse that using the infinitive for something that should be a command is rather weird to say the least.

Well, that's exactly the point, and the reason it was chosen to use infinitive back then: We didn't want to feel that we have to "shout" command at our Amigas to do things, or even worse, have the feeling that they shout commands at us ("Print this document, puny user!" ).

Rather, the labeling should be friendly advisors that if you want to print, this is the button/menu item which lets you print (infinitive in both cases).

There was an old document floating around somewhere back in the nineties, written by Dr. Peter Kittel, where he discussed some very good points about user-friendlyness, and using the infinitives were among his recommendations (which was part of the reason we started questioning the old ways back then, leading to the new standards). I wonder if it was part of the old NDKs?

Best regards,

Niels

[ggw]

My wife teaches German in high school (the other day translated a German emergency hospital bill for a colleague just back from holiday) and she suggests that this is totally about "the tone of the message" to the ear of the reader.

She has not lived in any other country than the USA and so is in no position to give further help.

To which I add that at least in American (CONTINUE) is indeed an imperative, but it is me, the user, commanding the Amiga to do something, not the other way around.

Though, I suppose, (Press any key) would fit the example in question, no?

I think brevity is valued more and more, so maybe the imperative will lose its way.... much like single curse words have.

[salass00]

Well, that's exactly the point, and the reason it was chosen to use infinitive back then: We didn't want to feel that we have to "shout" command at our Amigas to do things, or even worse, have the feeling that they shout commands at us ("Print this document, puny user!" ).

While I can't really speak for other languages at least in Swedish, which is my native language, using the infinitive in this way sounds completely retarded not to mention being an incorrect usage of language. As for the "shouting" that's your own problem that maybe you should seek some help with elsewhere.

[salass00]

Rather, the labeling should be friendly advisors that if you want to print, this is the button/menu item which lets you print (infinitive in both cases).

So you want to butcher language just so the computer can talk down to you as if you were a child?

[abalaban]

@Salass00 and nbache

Maybe the problem is that translations are highly language dependent (sic!) and something which works for one language can not be applied to another one. IMHO it's silly to try to edict rigid rules that should be applied to all languages (for example I'm don't agree with the rule "shortcuts should not be translated") there are many cultural specific things for each of them.
Let's take a common warning requester as an example, the one you could get when you are trying to quit with unsaved modification. In English you could have something like that:

"You have unsaved modifications to your
current document 'MyImportantDocument'.

Do you want to save them or to quit
without saving them?


Save Quit"

In French it would be

"Vous avez des modifications non
enregistrées dans votre document
'MyImportantDocument'.

Voulez-vous les enregistrer ou quitter
sans les enregistrer ?


Enregistrer Quitter"


In French it's quite natural to use the infinitive in the buttons because the question above just gave the two opportunities, you are just choosing between them.
Once you've agreed on that point, it seems natural to keep the same form everywhere for homogenisation shake.

And I'm also with Niels about the impression it gives, at least in French, to use the imperative: I would have the impression to speak to the computer. Which I'm not doing: I'm just seeking for an action I want to do.