Am currently at the Google translate workshop at Ashesi University in Labone Accra. its supposed to be a two day workshop day 1 covering Ga and day 2 Ewe both local languages of the Ghanaian Community.
So am in the first day of the workshop and its very interesting what am looking at here. I have always wanted to see how literate and illiterate people in terms of computing would behave when they have come together to do things. you know, like there is a project and the non technical people have ideas needed for the technical people to complete their tasks right. so here it is I have seen it and it did not take a travel over the seven seas. lol
Ok, to my experience; am seated here with another guy doing the translation thing, he is good at the language so we get a word or phrase together from the google translate console found here ggogle.com/transconsloe] and work it out. there is another man who has is supposed to be the language supervisor since he is good at the language. now here is the problem being faced here;
Words and phrases are being translated without the clear understanding and history of it and this is causing a lot of stir ups. its actually very simple. am not good in the Ga language though am a Ghanaian and just by working with this guy next to me I have realized a few interesting words and phrases some of which I never could have figured out in a million years if I was to meet it alive and kicking. :-D. The situation is this; words like windows, homepage, Home, etŋ all related to the web and computers and the suggestions being made are surprising. everyone seems to have a different definition of things related to ŋomputer which proves that they do not really understand computers and just as my first post on this particular blog stated; people know computers but don't understand it so such things become difficult. its very simple "Windows" as in the frames you see on your screen is defined as its name due to its relationship to the aŋtuall windows object. therefore translating such a word should maintain same meaning so in Ga it should be "Saŋflɛ" in this way its able to keep its shortness and direŋt meanings. Am a programmer and its very important when words are kept short, it makes the work easy and makes our users not skip "IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS"
My graŋe is that this very translation exercise does not end here. It goes all the way to whenever so I can always go back to change a few words. and then for the words that were not changed and were maintained with english names I ŋould also go baŋk to "independice" them like Dr. Nkrumah did to Ghana. :-D lol...
At the end of it all here is my official comment:
In next events such as this is, I suggest we get language speakers (professionals) who are related a bit to computers or something. else if we are gonna use people who aren't "Technically Inclined Enough" then we should adapt the idea of having the technical people give a clear definition of a phrase, word, sentence, blah blah blah before the language experts give a meaning to it. Take a word like "Spam" which simply means fat in meat (or similar) is used in place of junk mail. translating such a word we do not neccessarily need to translate it "AS Is" there has to be a bit of change in it so I will suggest a word familiar to "Something Unwanted" what we are looking for is short and meaningful words since am more of a fante speaker than ga I will give a suggestion for a Fante suggested word which is "Bozzi" meaning a "Fibroid" who wants a fibroid in their stomachs at anytime? well just as no one wants spams in their mail boxes.
Here is what we need to know, realize and understand; Google has given us the liberty to suggest what words to use in this database and for us to use in the end. we should use words that will make s happy not what will please them. its that simple. some of y'all after reading this may have your comments but thats what makes us different and I want to see how different you are so make it known down there as a comment. back to the case; we should define things as we want them not how others want them, we are setting the rules so lets set it right at the same time too. I love the Akan translation: Google Home -> Google Fiee, etc its just cool. lets do the same "Gas" lets do it! "Gambatte! Ja mata! (Japanese, now flexing my other language abilities) lol :D
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