Re: Emacs localization (Re: Why emacs have not native language menu)

[Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>]

> From: Jean-Christophe Helary <fusion@mx6.tiki.ne.jp>
> Date: Tue, 24 Jul 2007 23:50:25 +0900
> 
> I am already a member of the translation effort to French (along with  
> other localization projects) but I find translating the manual of a  
> non localized application a waste of time in general

I really fail to see why.  Most of the manual is text explaining
things, not names of functions or menu items.  having the text in the
language one understands would be a great help for people whose
command of the English language is poor.

Here's a typical example:

       You can exit Rmail with `q' (`rmail-quit'); this expunges and saves
    the Rmail file, then buries the Rmail buffer as well as its summary
    buffer, if present (*note Rmail Summary::).  But there is no need to
    "exit" formally.  If you switch from Rmail to editing in other buffers,
    and never switch back, you have exited.  Just make sure to save the
    Rmail file eventually (like any other file you have changed).  `C-x s'
    is a suitable way to do this (*note Save Commands::).  The Rmail
    command `b', `rmail-bury', buries the Rmail buffer and its summary
    buffer without expunging and saving the Rmail file.

There are 2 command names here that should not be translated, but
other than that, I can easily imagine someone whose English is not so
good scratching her head (``expunge''? ``bury''? ``eventually''?)
trying to figure out what the heck does this paragraph tell.