ubuntu-manual team mailing list archive

[Kevin Godby <godbyk@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hello, Hannie.

On Tue, May 28, 2013 at 8:42 AM, Hannie Dumoleyn
<lafeber-dumoleyn2@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> There is no need to adjust English language expressions so that non-native
> speakers understand. It is my duty as a translator to find out what a less
> common expression means. I already felt stupid that I sent this question to
> the mailing list.

Actually, we should try to avoid idioms in the English manual because
the manual hasn't been translated to all languages yet.  If the manual
hasn't been translated to a person's native language yet but they
speak a little English, they should still be able to read our manual.

Avoiding idioms not only helps the translators but the large number of
non-native English speakers.

—Kevin