[TrueGeek]

This is surprising. You really think someone as big as EasyJet would get that right.

We're doing a translation now into Japanese and the translator is actually taking the time to look at screenshots and use the app to see the text in context. It makes a huge difference.

As you've pointed out, it's one thing to see the string "open" in a XLF file, it's quite another to realize it's intent. This requires setting up demo environments for each translator though.

[Pinus]

Heck, Microsoft got it wrong — Swedish versions of Windows used to have a folder called "Vanliga filer" (Ordinary files). This was, of course, the "Common files" folder, but the translator, probably having no context, picked the wrong meaning of "common", and chose a Swedish word which does not have the "shared" meaning.

[el-salvador]

In El Salvador (our TLD is "sv") we sometimes get apps or websites in Swedish because "sv" is used as a language abbreviation for Svenska/Swedish. Spotify was like that for months when it launched here.

[Lex-2008]

Another data point:

When Windows 10 just came out, many of apps in start menu had a label next to them, which in Russian version said "Создать" (~Create). It took me some time to figure out that it's a poor translation of "New" (~Recently added). Proper Russian translation would be "Новое".

[r00fus]

The problem isn't the translation, per-se, it's that translation isn't tested (or tested thoroughly enough).

Amazing Microsoft can sell a whole other version of Windows and mess something like that up.

Everything that impacts the user experience needs to be tested.

[seszett]

> You really think someone as big as EasyJet would get that right.

Well even Apple has a wrong translation on the iOS keyboard in French. The "Return" key is translated as "Retour" (generally meaning "Back" rather than "Carriage return") instead of "Entrée".

It might have changed in the last years though, I don't know.

[zapzupnz]

That’s not a mistake.

The English term ‘Return’ refers to a carriage return (on a typewriter, it means to move the carriage back when you’ve reached the edge of the paper).

The French translation of “carriage return” is “retour chariot”, hence the ‘Retour’ key on French keyboards.

In Apple terminology, the Enter key is a completely separate key on the number pad with a different function and has no equivalent on iOS’ on-screen keyboard.

Therefore, the ‘Retour’ translation is appropriate for Apple’s software ecosystem.

[seszett]

> hence the ‘Retour’ key on French keyboards.

But as far as I know there has never been a key called "Retour" on French keyboards. Both Return and Enter are called "Entrée" in French by everyone I know, maybe because Apple's keyboards don't have any text on them, while PC keyboards do have "Entrée" written at this location[0].

Retour is only ever used to mean "Back", and Back is also translated as "Retour" on iOS. Which means in some cases (like in the Mail app) you have two different "Retour" buttons, one that inserts a newline while the other one cancels what you're doing.

I'm certainly not the only person to have a problem with it because I'm the one having to explain why the keyboard says "retour" to iPhone users, even though I mostly use Android phones.

[0]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b9/KB_Franc...

[zapzupnz]

> Both Return and Enter are called "Entrée" in French by everyone I know

Most likely because everyone you know has learnt learnt that PCs. On PCs, they're the same button. In Apple's ecosystem, they're completely different buttons that do entirely different things.

> But as far as I know there has never been a key called "Retour" on French keyboards

On Apple keyboards, it has always been referred to in the operating system and documentation as the "touche Retour". Though you're right, there isn't a symbol on the keyboard in Europe in order to sell the same model for the whole region.

> Back is also translated as "Retour" on iOS. Which means in some cases (like in the Mail app) you have two different "Retour" buttons, one that inserts a newline while the other one cancels what you're doing.

The latter is actually a UI error in most cases. Apple's HIG demands that "< Back" buttons actually have a label to say what you're going back to.

But yeah, they have a hard time following their own advice.

> I'm the one having to explain why the keyboard says "retour" to iPhone users

Now you can explain: it's just Apple terminology dating back to the 1980s. :-)

[kalium-xyz]

The secret is that you cant verbatim translate into Japanese as well, which forces more attention (also its a bigger economy)