tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Mar 14 04:41:00 1994

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providing translation

Well, there continues to be differing opinion as to the relative
merits of the policy of including the translation on all beginner
posts.  I believe I have something of a compromise solution.  To set
the stage, Guido#1 makes some apropos comments:

>Not having a translation available does help the learning process, but I
>think that would only work for someone like Krankor, who knows how to express
>himself well in tlhIngan Hol. For beginners, however, who are apt to make
>enough errors in their text that it might not be understood correctly,
>translations are more necessary. Maybe not necessarily in the same post, but
>just available somewhere. In this way, if they have a passage that no one
>seems to understand, one could look up the translation and the
>Beginner'sGrammarian would be able to explain to them how to express their
>desired meaning better.
>
>It would save bandwidth, because the readers of the KLBC wouldn't have to
>ask, "I can't make sense of this where you said..." Instead they could say,
>"Ok, I know what you meant here [because of the translation] but I think it
>would be better expressed like this:..."

I agree both with those who find value in being forced to work it
through for themselves, and with Guido's assessment of the
situation.  I also agree with the post (I lost who it was from) who
claimed that the current situation isn't a compromise at all.  Ok, I
have a compromise.

I'm going to flagrantly abuse my power as Grammarian and post
occasional things to the beginner conversation *without*
translation.  I think I can be counted on to post things which are
correct, comprehensible, and avoid controversial areas of grammar.
However, I will continue to support the rule that everybody else
*will* include the translation.  If they want, some other advanced people
can be given permission to ignore this requirement as well, on
request.  This will mean that, in general, beginner posts will have
translations, but there will still be a *few* kicking around that
people will have to work through for themselves.  Acceptible?

                    --Krankor

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