[mintplant]

I need to keep in practice with my French, so I've translated the README below. Let me know if I got anything wrong.

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The French Civil Code, in Git

Introduction

Here is a little hack, the result of an afternoon of code: the Civil Code in Git.

If one considers the law as a set of texts modified by the various assemblies of the state, one can consider them as a set of text files created collaboratively.

The members of government, and the various assemblies, work in collaboration on these files, which, once voted for, are written into the Code (here the Civil Code).

But there is another category of people who, for fifty years now, have worked on text files collaboratively, and excel at it: developers. They have created extremely effective collaboration and tracking tools for working on source code. The most popular to date is Git.

Git not only allows you to view the source at a time T (snapshot) but above all to easily visualize the changes in the source (commits). In the analogy to the Civil Code, this permits the tracking of the changes made by a law.

Combine all of this with the Open Source philosophy, and the second part of the analogy is made: the modification of source code in an open and public fashion.

Finally, the Civil Code is a part of the source code of France. And source code belongs in source control. Period.

Example

Here is for example the commit which authorizes marriage for all: https://github.com/steeve/france.code-civil/commit/b805ecf05...

This is more readable than, for example (cf http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/14/ta/ta0120.asp):

"At article 165 of the same code, the word: 'before' is replaced by the words: 'during a republican ceremony by'."

Technical Note

Git dates are based on the Unix epoch (01/01/1970), changes before these dates are all dated 01/01/1970, with incremental seconds; the commit message gives the correct date.

LICENSE

All files are licensed under Creative Commons (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

[nmc]

As a native French speaker: very good translation.

One small point: I do not understand why you added "it" to the last sentence of the introduction. Your translation of that particular sentence feels weird to me, why not simply:

"And source code belongs in source control."

Also, maybe "différentes" (in the third sentence) could have been translated to "various"?

* * *

Aside, note that the original text itself has several errors. Many accents are missing, some letters or words are missing or doubled. I may submit a PR to correct them.

Moreover, the text includes many English words (not all of which are common in French). It even includes a barbarism: "tracker", from English "track" and French common verbal suffix "-er", supposedly a verb supposed to mean "to track" — a shame, since French has the verb "traquer" to express the same thing.

[mintplant]

One small point: I do not understand why you added "it" to the last sentence of the introduction. Your translation of that particular sentence feels weird to me, why not simply:

"And source code belongs in source control."

You're right, of course. That was left over when I switched from "it goes in" to "it belongs in". Fixed!

For "les différentes assemblées", would you say "various assembliess" or "the various assemblies" in this context?

[nmc]

In this context, I would definitely say "the various assemblies" since the author is obviously designating the various assemblies working on the Civil Code, not a random ensemble of assemblies.

[torrent-of-ions]

I'm really pleased that I was able to read all of the README despite not having read French for probably a year or more. I guess it was written in a very easy/academic style.

[mintplant]

I had the same thought. Perhaps it's also because of the closeness of many terms here to their English equivalents ("collaboration", "code source", "commits", "assemblées", etc).

[nmc]

"commits" and many other words in the text are actually not French.

[mintplant]

Ah, I assumed it was a loanword due to git's English-speaking origins. Didn't realize there was a 'native' French equivalent ("les validations"?).

[nmc]

Despite "message de validation" being the commonly accepted translation for "commit message", normally you should use "modification" to mean "commit".

Many French git users still say "commit" though, me included, but it is definitely not a French word.

[markvdb]

Don't forget to send them a pull request for a README.en.md!

[maelito]

You should commit your translation

[mintplant]

I can submit a pull request if one would be welcome. I'm not sure, though, as the rest of the repo is in French.

There's a Markdown version here, if someone wants it: https://gist.github.com/spinda/282452390bf6d6fbcc5b

[masklinn]

Well the rest of the repository is the french civil code so it makes sense for it to be in french, I'm guessing the readme being bilingual would be acceptable (though obviously judging of that is the repo owner's prerogative)