Impossible to properly translate ubiquity due to usage of $medium variable

[Andrej Znidarsic]

Binary package hint: ubiquity

The problem relates to translation of this string in 10.10 in 11.04: "You can try ${RELEASE} without making any changes to your computer, directly from this ${MEDIUM}."

In Slovanian ${MEDIUM} is translated as "USB disk" (in case of a USB install), but if the sentence is to be correct "USB diska" (note a) must be used. Unfortunately it's impossible to turn the sentence around and make it sound right in this particular example.

There are many other languages who are influenced by this.

In addition this is the first string below the buttons Try Ubuntu and Install Ubuntu, so it determines the first impression of percieved language quality (in this case the quality would be percieved as very low).

My suggestion is to create two strings in one $MEDIUM can be replaced with "USB disk" in another it could be replaced with "CD disk". This would enable gramatically correct translation of this string.

[Milo Casagrande (milo)]

Just a note: for the Italian translation, we put the $MEDIUM part between brackets since we have the same problem. We translated the string as if it was written in this way:

You can try ${RELEASE} without making any changes to your computer, directly from this [device|drive] (${MEDIUM}).

Don't know if it is possible with your language.

I understand your problem, and I would like to see a better solution for that string too.

[Dennis Baudys (thecondordb)]

We, the German translators, have done the same as Milo did. It's just a workaround. We have translated the string as if it was written in this way:

You can try ${RELEASE} directly from this storage medium (${MEDIUM}), without making any changes to your computer.

Sie können ${RELEASE} direkt von diesem Speichermedium (${MEDIUM}) ausprobieren, ohne dass etwas an Ihrem Rechner verändert wird.

I'd like to see this string split into two strings (one for USB and one for CD-ROM), too. At the moment, we can live with this workaround of using a 'general' word like 'storage medium' and then using brackets () to clarify which medium it is.

[Dennis Baudys (thecondordb)]

I changed the status to 'opinion' now. Andrej, if this the workaround with brackets () is not suitable for you (or others), we'll change the status to 'confirmed' instead.