Lost in translation- language barrier

There have been a couple posts recently where something clearly seems lost in translation. As in, they are worded so oddly that it does NOT even sound like someone who has some familiarity with another language , muddling through, but as if its computer generated--those things can get odd.

Any idea where this may be coming from?. Better yet, any idea how we can help these perhaps newbies who are having struggles with making the connection?

I am not picking on this person, but the last post as of today, in this thread, is an example
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1310492/

In another case it may have caused hurt feelings where truly none were intended whatsoever.

The user you are referring to, juliapeter007, (in case someone else posts after them and so is no longer the last post) just joined today so I suspect it may be as you said, someone totally lacking in 'layman's terms' in conveying a thought. Who knows.



This message was edited May 6, 2013 3:08 PM

We used to have an "Internationalizing DG" forum for discussing ways to make the website more user-friendly to non-English-speakers and non-Americans. Is anyone at DG actively looking into that subject these days?

Sallyg, I agree that post you pointed out must be a computer-generated translation. My DH and his European and South American pen-friends communicate in that way, and the results are sometimes bizarre. It's too bad no location is shown on the post, or we might be able to unravel it by knowing the original language it was written in.

Oops, I crossed posts with Ca_Sue! The post didn't strike me as being from a spammer, as it didn't have a link to anything, nor try to promote anything, but who knows?

Yeah, I agree and edited my post! I reread that post several times, it sure it odd.

Having gone through the efforts and embarrassments of trying to learn English myself--(1951-1954)
the issue is more how words, verbs, and adjectives are placed in a sentence.
In different languages--they can be 1st--or last--or nor used a certain way at all to describe things
like we do, or the words used to describe something here. This can be alien to a newcomer.
So--they use an English word they know that best approximates what they want to say.
Often, this creates an awkward structure to their sentences...

May I try to "translate" what Juliette may have tried to say:

***********************************************************************************
Juliette wrote:
My spouse and i still find it tough to think that it will certainly absolutely take store, due to the fact there are widespread titles specific for you to civilizations, nationalities -- daylights, also areas -- which can be ingrained inside folks.

************************************************************************************
"take store"---is likely meant to "take root"--to grow here...

"widespread titles specific for you to civilizations, nationalities"--daylights:
most likely means :--widespread definitions (zones?) specific to locations (States/Areas?) and countries.

"which can be ingrained inside folks."......Which are common knowledge/understood,
or taken for granted by people.

---Many times throughout my life, when i have had to "decipher" what someone is trying to say--
I try to listen to WHAT they are trying to say--NOT how they are saying it.

I often tell people--"Learn to, or try to, listen with an accent"....

Gita

This has come up periodically for years:
internationalization, the discouragement of
posts in "foreign" languages because someone
who only speaks English might not understand
something else...

however it is obvious no one in management
is serious about this being a global site, although
in my humble opinion DG has MUCH unrealized potential.

Just sayin ... a forum for other languages could be useful
and considerate, and WHO KNOWS ? those who only
know English might learn something !

After all, international language of botant is Latin !

I think GIta did a great job of translating the particular post I mentioned. She quoted it in her post- so you can see how unusual the wording seems.
And I think everyone does a great job at accomodating posts which may be posted by non-native-English speakers. After all, even us native English speakers are well known to make grammar mistakes.

It's not that we're not serious about our international members - we have had members from around the globe since DG began, and Melody and I each count several of them as longtime dear friends here.

But we are based in America, and our admins are English-speaking, with a smattering of Spanish and French we can muddle through, and a working knowledge of botanical Latin.

If we had a large contingent of subscribing members whose primary language is something else, it would be much easier to make the case for adding staff that could communicate with them.

But "if you build it, they will come" is more likely to work in movies than in the real world, and we can't afford to add more employees on the off-chance their foreign language skills will become needed.