Re: Bug#940624: Errors in the translatable messages

Paul Gevers <[email protected]> Wed, 18 Sep 2019 19:18:01 +0200
Newsgroups	gmane.linux.debian.internationalization.english
Message-ID	<[email protected]>
Dear debian-l10n-english members,

Yesterday, I received the following bug report about the templates of
dbconfig-common. I recall the templates have been reviewed on this list
in the past, could you please comment on the remarks by Maarten?

Paul

On 17-09-2019 23:20, [email protected] wrote:
> Package: dbconfig-common
> Version: 2.0.12
> Severity: minor
> 
> 
> 
> Dear Maintainer
> 
> 
> On 1 September 2019 I delivered an updated Dutch translation for
> dbconfig-common. This is my report on the errors that I found in the
> English source text.
> 
> This report uses 'the English source text' as an abstraction that
> refers to the strings that have been made translatable in the source
> code of dbconfig-common. It also uses 'paragraph' to refer to one of
> those strings.
> 
> I will use the error types that are listed in the following table.
> If you use a monospaced font, the table will be displayed neatly.
> 
> ===========================================================
> linguistic level             error types
> ===========================================================
> word level                   spelling error
>                              word choice error
> -----------------------------------------------------------
> sentence level               grammatical error
>                              phrasing error
> -----------------------------------------------------------
> paragraph level              coherence error
>                              clarity error
> -----------------------------------------------------------
> text level                   text level error
> ===========================================================
> 
> 
> SOURCE TEXT
> Alternatively the passwords can be permanently remembered in the
> debconf database (which is protected by Unix file permissions),
> though this is less secure and thus not the default setting.
> ERRORS
> - Word choice error: 'permanently remembered' ('stored').
> 
> SOURCE TEXT
> The ${pkg} package must have a database installed and configured
> before it can be used. This can be optionally handled with
> dbconfig-common.
> ERRORS
> - Phrasing error: 'This can be optionally handled with
> dbconfig-common.' (This can be done with dbconfig-common when
> desired.).
> 
> SOURCE TEXT
> If you are an advanced database administrator and know that you want
> to perform this configuration manually, or if your database has
> already been installed and configured, you should refuse this option.
> Details on what needs to be done should most likely be provided in
> /usr/share/doc/${pkg}.
> ERRORS
> - Phrasing error: 'know that you want' ('want').
> - Phrasing error: 'should most likely be provided in' ('is likely
> provided in').
> 
> SOURCE TEXT
> If you wish to reinstall the database for ${pkg}, you should select
> this option. If you do not wish to do so (if you are reconfiguring
> the package for unrelated reasons), you should not select this option.
> ERRORS
> - Clarity error: 'for unrelated reasons'.
> 
> SOURCE TEXT
> Warning: if you change the name of the database, the old database
> will not be removed. If you change the name of the user that connects
> to the database, the privileges of the original user will not be
> revoked.
> ERRORS
> - Word choice error: 'Warning' ('Warnings').
> - Grammatical error: 'if' (If).
> - Coherence error: 'If' (And if).
> 
> SOURCE TEXT
> Perform upgrade on database for ${pkg} with dbconfig-common?
> ERRORS
> - Phrasing error: 'Perform upgrade on' (Upgrade).
> 
> SOURCE TEXT
> According to the maintainer for this package, database upgrade
> operations need to be performed on ${pkg}. Typically, this is due to
> changes in how a new upstream version of the package needs to store
> its data.
> ERRORS
> - Word choice error: 'for this package' (of this package).
> - Phrasing error: 'database upgrade operations need to be performed
> on ${pkg}' (the ${pkg} database needs to be updated).
> - Phrasing error: 'needs to store' (stores).
> - Coherence error: 'its data' (the database).
> 
> SOURCE TEXT
> If you want to handle this process manually, you should refuse this
> option. Otherwise, you should choose this option. During the upgrade,
> a backup of the database will be made in
> /var/cache/dbconfig-common/backups, from which the database can be
> restored in the case of problems.
> ERRORS
> - Phrasing error: 'handle this process' (do this) {verbosity}.
> - Word choice error: 'from which' (with which).
> - Phrasing error: 'in the case of' (in case of) {not idiomatic}.
> 
> SOURCE TEXT
> If other database types are supported by ${pkg} but not shown here,
> the reason for their omission is that the corresponding
> dbconfig-<database type> packages are not installed. If you know that
> you want the package to use another supported database type, your
> best option is to back out of the dbconfig-common questions and opt
> out of dbconfig-common assistance for this package for now. Install
> your preferred dbconfig-<database type> option from the list in the
> package dependencies, and then "dpkg-reconfigure ${pkg}" to select it.
> ERRORS
> - Phrasing error: 'know that you want' (want).
> - Phrasing error: 'back out of the dbconfig-common questions' (back
> out of your answers to the dbconfig-common questions).
> - Phrasing error: 'Install your preferred dbconfig-<database type>
> option' (Install your preferred dbconfig-<database type>).
> 
> SOURCE TEXT
> If you no longer have need of the data being stored by ${pkg}, you
> should choose this option. If you want to keep this data, or if you
> would rather handle this process manually, you should refuse this
> option. Either way, it won't affect your other databases.
> ERRORS
> - Phrasing error: 'have need of' (need).
> - Coherence error: 'If you want to keep this data' (But if you want
> to keep this data).
> 
> SOURCE TEXT
> The underlying database for ${pkg} needs to be upgraded as part of
> the installation process. Just in case, the database can be backed up
> before this is done, so that if something goes wrong, you can revert
> to the previous package version and repopulate the database.
> ERRORS
> - Phrasing error: 'Just in case' () {colloquial}.
> - Phrasing error: 'before this is done' (beforehand) {verbosity}.
> - Phrasing error: 'Just in case, the [...], so that if something goes
> wrong' (The [...], so that if something goes wrong) {repetition of a
> point}.
> - Word choice error: 'repopulate' (restore).
> 
> SOURCE TEXT FRAGMENT (3 times)
> This will usually also impact your ability to install other packages
> until the installation failure is resolved.
> ERRORS
> - Word choice error: 'failure' (problem).
> 
> SOURCE TEXT FRAGMENT (4 times)
> retry - Prompts once more with all the configuration questions
> (including ones you may have missed due to the debconf priority
> setting) and makes another attempt at performing the operation.
> ERRORS
> - Phrasing error: 'Prompts once more with all the configuration
> questions' (Prompts the user to answer each configuration question
> again).
> - Phrasing error: 'makes another attempt at performing the operation'
> (attempts the operation once more) {verbosity}.
> 
> SOURCE TEXT FRAGMENT (3 times)
> This is normally useful only if you have solved the underlying
> problem since the time the error occurred.
> ERRORS
> - Phrasing error: 'since the time' (after).
> 
> SOURCE TEXT
> Configuring the database for ${pkg} requires the package ${dbpackage}
> to be installed and configured first, which is not something that can
> be checked for automatically.
> ERRORS
> - Phrasing error: 'checked for' (checked).
> 
> SOURCE TEXT
> Please select the remote hostname to use, or select "new host" to
> enter a new host.
> ERRORS
> - Phrasing error: 'the remote hostname to use' (the name of the
> remote server to use).
> 
> SOURCE TEXT
> Please specify the port the ${dbvendor} database on the remote host
> is running on.
> ERRORS
> - Phrasing error: 'the port the ${dbvendor} database on the remote
> host is running on' (the port the ${dbvendor} database server on the
> remote host uses).
> 
> SOURCE TEXT
> Please provide a ${dbvendor} username for ${pkg} to register with the
> database server. A ${dbvendor} user is not necessarily the same as a
> system login, especially if the database is on a remote server.
> ERRORS
> - Coherence error: 'user' (username).
> - Phrasing error: 'system login' (system username).
> 
> SOURCE TEXT
> This is the user which will own the database, tables, and other
> objects to be created by this installation. This user will have
> complete freedom to insert, change, or delete data in the database.
> ERRORS
> - Text level error: 'username' in the previous paragraph is not
> coherent with 'user' in this paragraph.
> - Grammatical error: 'the user which' (the user who).
> 
> SOURCE TEXT
> Advanced usage: if you need to define the domain that the user will
> log in from, you can write "username@domain".
> ERRORS
> - Word choice error: 'define' (specify).
> 
> SOURCE TEXT
> Please provide a path where the ${dbvendor} database file for ${pkg}
> should be installed into.
> ERRORS
> - Clarity error: A path refers to a file or directory that needs to
> be addressed. The source text is about a file. Therefore, the path of
> the file could be meant. However, 'where' refers to a location and
> 'into' refers to a motion from outside to inside. Therefore, the path
> of a directory (also known as folder) where the file should be
> installed could also be meant.
> 
> SOURCE TEXT
> By default, ${pkg} will be configured to use a MySQL server through a
> local Unix socket (this provides the best performance). To connect
> with a different method, or to a different server entirely, select
> the appropriate option from the choices here.
> ERRORS
> - Word choice error: 'choices' (options).
> - Phrasing error: 'select the appropriate option from the choices
> here' (please select the appropriate option) {verbosity}.
> 
> SOURCE TEXT
> MySQL application password for ${pkg}:
> ERRORS
> - Clarity error: 'application' can refer to 'MySQL' itself and to
> some unknown application that has its password set with MySQL.
> 
> SOURCE TEXT
> Please provide the name of the account with which this package should
> perform administrative actions. This user is the one with the power
> to create new database users.
> ERRORS
> - Phrasing error: 'This user is the one with' (This is the user with)
> {verbosity}.
> - Coherence error: an account's name is not a user. {This error is
> extremely hard to deal with by translators.}
> - Word choice error: 'create' (register).
> 
> SOURCE TEXT
> For MySQL, this is almost always "root". Note that this is not the
> same as the Unix login "root".
> ERRORS
> - Word choice error: 'login' (username).
> 
> SOURCE TEXT
> Please provide the password for the administrative account
> "${dbadmin}" with which this package should create its MySQL database
> and user.
> ERRORS
> - Clarity error: 'user' can refer to 'MySQL user' and to 'package
> user'.
> 
> SOURCE TEXT
> Database user accounts can be configured to use a variety of plugins
> for authentication with MySQL. If the server default won't work with
> this application, it is necessary to specify one that will. Please
> select one from the list of available plugins. Leaving the selection
> set to its original value should work unless a remote server is using
> unpredictable defaults, but other options may not be supported by
> ${pkg}. If problems arise, the package's documentation should give
> hints; see /usr/share/doc/${pkg}/.
> ERRORS
> - Phrasing error: 'Database user accounts can be configured to use a
> variety of plugins for authentication with MySQL.' (Database user
> accounts can be configured to use a plugin for authentication with
> MySQL. This plugin can be chosen from a variety of plugins.).
> {Database user accounts are unlikely able to concurrently use more
> than one authentication method.}.
> - Word choice error: 'unpredictable' (unusual).
> - Coherence error: 'Leaving the selection set to its original value
> should work unless a remote server is using unpredictable defaults,
> but other options may not be supported by ${pkg}.' (Leaving the
> selection set to its original value should work unless a remote
> server is using unusual defaults. One or more of the other options
> may not be supported by ${pkg}.).
> - Word choice error: 'hints' (useful information).
> - Phrasing error: 'If problems arise, the package's documentation
> should give hints; see /usr/share/doc/${pkg}/.' (If problems arise,
> the package's documentation may provide useful information. This
> documentation should be in /usr/share/doc/${pkg}/.) {If problems
> arise, the documentation does not change in response.}.
> 
> SOURCE TEXT
> Your options are:
>  * default - use the default determined by the server.
>  * mysql_native_password - no MySQL authentication plugin is used.
>  * sha256_password - a more secure password encryption algorithm.
>  * caching_sha2_password - SHA2 plus an in-memory authentication
>    cache.
> ERRORS
> - Text level error: Because of the previous paragraph, this paragraph
> must be a list of available plugins. However, only the first item in
> this list seems to be a plugin.
> - Clarity error: 'more secure' {More secure than what? More secure
> than the default determined by the server? If so, then how much more
> secure is SHA-256 when the server determines SHA-512?}.
> - Spelling error: 'SHA2' (SHA-2).
> 
> SOURCE TEXT
> TCP/IP + SSL
> ERRORS
> - Word choice error: '+' (and).
> 
> SOURCE TEXT
> PostgreSQL application password for ${pkg}:
> ERRORS
> - Phrasing error: 'PostgreSQL application password' (PostgreSQL
> password) {Because PostgreSQL is a database management system, that
> system will manage passwords for access to the database.}.
> 
> SOURCE TEXT
> If you are using "ident" authentication, the supplied password will
> not be used and can be left blank. Otherwise, PostgreSQL access may
> need to be reconfigured to allow password-authenticated access.
> ERRORS
> - Word choice error: 'left blank' (left out).
> 
> SOURCE TEXT
> PostgreSQL servers provide several different mechanisms for
> authenticating connections. Please select what method the
> administrative user should use when connecting to the server.
> ERRORS
> - Phrasing error: 'several different' (various) {verbosity}.
> - Phrasing error: 'administrative user' (administrator) {verbosity}.
> 
> SOURCE TEXT
> PostgreSQL servers provide several different mechanisms for
> authenticating connections. Please select what method the database
> user should use when connecting to the server.
> ERRORS
> - Phrasing error: 'several different' (various) {verbosity}.
> 
> SOURCE TEXT
> Empty passwords unsupported with PostgreSQL
> ERRORS
> - Phrasing error: 'unsupported with' (are not supported by).
> 
> 
> DISCUSSION
> Statistics:
> - Spelling errors: 1
> - Word choice errors: 16
> - Grammatical errors: 2
> - Phrasing errors: 39
> - Coherence errors: 6
> - Clarity errors: 5
> - Text level errors: 2
> - Total number of errors: 71
> - Total number of paragraphs: 110
> - Number of unused paragraphs: 8
> - Number of (used) paragraphs: 110 - 8 = 102
> - Average number of errors per paragraph: 71 / 102 = 0.70
> 
> I am not a native speaker of English. A native speaker may be able to
> find more errors, in particular idiomatic errors.
> 
> Most paragraphs contain only one or two sentences.
> 
> Because of the average number of errors per paragraph and the
> average length of the paragraphs, I mark the English source text as
> unsatisfactory.
> 
> English is the largest language by number of speakers, and the third
> most-spoken native language in the world, after Standard Chinese and
> Spanish. (source: Wikipedia)
> 
> According to Debian's Bug Tracking System, dbconfig-common has been
> translated in German, French, Italian, Dutch, Brazilian Portuguese,
> Turkish and Russian. Standard Chinese and Spanish are not in this
> list, thus the English source text is particularly important.
> 
> 
> CONCLUSION
> 71 errors were found in the English source text of dbconfig-common.
> I mark the text as unsatisfactory.
> 
> I recommend that:
> 1. You correct the English source text.
> 2. You have the result proofread according to the Debian Developer's
> Reference.
> 3. You ask the translators for new translations.
> 4. You update the package.
> 
> 
> Kind regards
> 
> Maarten
> member of the Dutch translation team
signature.asc (application/pgp-signature, 488 B)