Thank you for your detailed response and clarification regarding the translation process and your approach within the AntennaPod project. @Yang
Yes, Hindi is a diverse language, but I would say translators should use a terminology which is already well-established instead of going for “trendy” words. This is because a word that is well-established will be understood by a large audience. Translator’s work, in my opinion, is to translate in a manner that is understood by the large audience.
Well, I truly respect your preference for “trendy” words over alternatives, but you see, English itself can be divided into two categories by native speakers. There’s the language used in everyday conversation and the language used in formal contexts, such as in writing. In cases like these, I believe we should prioritize formal English. Similarly, the same principle applies to Hindi.
Ah, personally, I don’t have any particular attachment to “Nuqta” (as I’m not a writer), but I must say, I’m hesitant to base my decisions solely on what’s trending in the media. Your argument appears to be a perfect example of “Bandwagon fallacy”. Just because something is commonly done doesn’t necessarily make it right. Let me offer an analogy to illustrate my point: Imagine if most people suddenly stopped wearing helmets while riding bikes. That doesn’t mean it’s safe to ride without one. Although it might be a bit exaggerated, but I hope you see what I’m trying to say.
Since I don’t use WhatsApp, I’m not very familiar with their translations. However, as you mentioned, I took a look at what Signal Messenger is using. Interestingly, they do use “मदद,” consistent with WhatsApp. Yet, it’s worth noting that Google is widely recognized by a majority of people both locally and internationally. Aligning our translations with theirs could greatly benefit users. As I mentioned earlier, our goal is to translate for the broader audience, not just for ourselves.
While I agree that we should avoid using words that suggest gender in our translations, this shouldn’t come at the expense of translation quality. However, when it comes to Hindi grammar, it’s important to acknowledge that we may not be able to completely avoid gendered language, as Hindi, unlike Sanskrit, only has two grammatical genders.
Apologies for using incorrect pronouns.
It’s great to hear about your efforts to learn Java to contribute to AntennaPod and other FOSS projects. Wishing you the best of luck on your journey!
Finally, I’d like to emphasize the importance of thoroughly reviewing each and every string in this project and making necessary corrections. At present, the translation quality of AntennaPod is quite poor. I hope you will take this into consideration.
Thanks!