Samples
Fax machine localization
Translation sample (English/Czech): Xerox fax machine. This short sample illustrates use of external and internal tags preserved in the translation.
Translators and localizers nowadays often receive documents exported from DTP applications such as FrameMaker, PageMaker or Quark XPress. These exported documents contain <external tags> and <internal tags> in angled brackets. Both types of tags must be preserved in the final translation. Internal tags must also be reasonably well placed in the translation. Internal tag that appears near the end of an English sentence must often be moved to the beginning of a Czech translation, simply because Czech word order is often different from the English one.
More importantly, internal tags must be checked for compliance with the target language. Imagine an internal tag that, in English, is replaced by a plural form of the word "page":
This article has <x> <tr:pages>.
You understand that a foreign language creates plurals in a different way than, say, English. So you expect the translator to put a translation of the word "pages" there. But it might be impossible to do it correctly. Your target language may actually have not one, but two different plural forms for any specific noun, such as "page". In Czech, one plural form is used when there are 2, 3 or 4 items. The other plural form is used when there are 5 or more items. You translator is forced to choose either a form that is incorrect for 2 to 4 pages, or a form which is incorrect for any other number of pages except 2 to 4. So now you have a program that works for numbers 1-4, and fails for any other number.
Such problem may be negligible for your use case. It pays to have a translator who is conscientious enough to draw your attention to these problems.
| <ps "Copyright" 6>The Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 makes it unlawful for any person to use a computer or other electronic device, including FAX machines, to send any message unless such message clearly contains in a margin at the top or bottom of each transmitted page or on the first page of the transmission, the date and time it is sent and an identification of the business or other entity, or other individual sending the message and the telephone number of the sending machine or such business, other entity, or individual. | <ps "Copyright" 6>Zákon na ochranu telefonního spotřebitele (Telephone Consumer Protection Act) z roku 1991 říká, že je zakázáno posílat jakékoliv zprávy pomocí počítače nebo jiného elektronického zařízení, včetně faxů, pokud takové zprávy nemají na horním nebo dolním okraji každé odeslané zprávy nebo na první straně celého přenosu datum a čas odeslání a identifikaci firmy nebo jiné organizace nebo osoby, která zprávu odeslala, a telefonní číslo odesílacího zařízení . |
| (The telephone number provided may not be a 900 number or any other number for which charges exceed local or long-distance transmission charges.) | (Poskytnuté telefonní číslo nesmí být číslo typu 900 ani jiné číslo, za které se platí vyšší poplatek než je místní nebo dálkové hovorné.) |
| In order to program this information into your FAX machine refer to <:xr "<:ldq>Own number and name set<:rdq> on page<:hs>5-119" 1> and follow the steps provided. | Pro naprogramování těchto informací do vašeho faxového přístroje postupujte dle <:xr "<:ldq>Nastavit vlastní číslo a název<:rdq> na straně<:hs>5-119" 1> a postupujte podle kroků tam uvedených. |
