Re: Bug#239456: gettext: Fixes to funny grammar and wording in ABOUT-NLS (fwd)

[Bruno Haible]

Wesley J. Landaker <address@hidden> wrote:
> The other day I was reading the ABOUT-NLS document that is part of the
> gettext documentation (/usr/share/gettext/ABOUT-NLS). I am a native
> English speaker and noticed a few very awkward parts in the text where
> either the grammar was wrong (and hence, confusing), or where the wording
> was strange.
>
> I tried to change as little as possible, only fixing things where they
> really needed to be fixed.

Thanks, I've applied the appended changes, most of them exactly as you
suggested.

> I also reformatted text in paragraphs I modified

Reformatting the text is not needed; the maintainer can do this himself.
If you do it, it makes it harder to see what you changed.

Bruno


diff -u -r1.9 nls.texi
--- nls.texi    17 Jan 2004 15:52:32 -0000      1.9
+++ nls.texi    23 Mar 2004 11:44:01 -0000
@@ -5,8 +5,8 @@
 
 Free software is going international!  The Free Translation Project is
 a way to get maintainers of free software, translators, and users all
-together, so that will gradually become able to speak many languages.
-A few packages already provide translations for their messages.
+together, so that free software will gradually become able to speak many
+languages.  A few packages already provide translations for their messages.
 
 If you found this @file{ABOUT-NLS} file inside a distribution, you
 may assume that the distributed package does use GNU @code{gettext}
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 Installers will find here some useful hints.  These notes also explain
 how users should proceed for getting the programs to use the available
 translations.  They tell how people wanting to contribute and work
-at translations should contact the appropriate team.
+on translations can contact the appropriate team.
 
 When reporting bugs in the @file{intl/} directory or bugs which may
 be related to internationalization, you should tell about the version
@@ -71,8 +71,8 @@
 
 By default, this package will be installed to allow translation of
 messages.  It will automatically detect whether the system already
-provides the GNU @code{gettext} functions.  If not, the GNU
address@hidden own library will be used.  This library is wholly
+provides the GNU @code{gettext} functions.  If not, the included GNU
address@hidden library will be used.  This library is wholly
 contained within this package, usually in the @file{intl/} subdirectory,
 so prior installation of the GNU @code{gettext} package is @emph{not}
 required.  Installers may use special options at configuration time for
@@ -84,14 +84,14 @@
 @end example
 
 @noindent
-will respectively bypass any pre-existing @code{gettext} to use the
+will, respectively, bypass any pre-existing @code{gettext} to use the
 internationalizing routines provided within this package, or else,
 @emph{totally} disable translation of messages.
 
 When you already have GNU @code{gettext} installed on your system and
 run configure without an option for your new package, @code{configure}
 will probably detect the previously built and installed @file{libintl.a}
-file and will decide to use this.  This might be not what is desirable.
+file and will decide to use this.  This might not be desirable.
 You should use the more recent version of the GNU @code{gettext}
 library.  I.e. if the file @file{intl/VERSION} shows that the library
 which comes with this package is more recent, you should use
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@
 emulation of @code{gettext} on top of @code{catgets} could not provide
 all the extensions of the GNU @code{gettext} library.
 
-Internationalized packages have usually many @file{po/@var{ll}.po}
+Internationalized packages usually have many @file{po/@var{ll}.po}
 files, where @var{ll} gives an @w{ISO 639} two-letter code
 identifying the language.  Unless translations have been forbidden
 at @code{configure} time by using the @samp{--disable-nls} switch,