Re: [tlug] Re: [mew-int 01432] A french page about Mew

[Godwin Stewart <gstewart@example.com>]

And Thus Spake Jonathan Q <jq@example.com> (on Tue, 27 May 2003 00:50:04
+0700):

> What to do with a bad case of Language Envy?  Why, make not using French
> illegal, of course!  Just what any reasonable person would do.  You can
> have a bilingual web site, certainly.  But if you want a monolingual
> website, it must be in French.

If only you knew how close to the truth you were!

I'm not French myself (you probably can guess that by looking at my name),
but I've been living in France for 20 years now - well, 19 years, 10 months
and 13 days - so I know what makes the average Frenchman tick.

Did you know that it is illegal to sell software in France which has not
been translated into French? Not just the printed documentation, but
everything: help files, menus, dialogs... the whole enchilada.

Did you know that, until very recently, if any official documents of yours
were in English (birth certificate, driving licence, medical files) you had
to have certified translations made for the French authorities, despite the
fact that knowledge of the English language has been mandatory for
employment in the French civil service?

Did you know that you can't photocopy those certified translations, and that
you need to pay the certified translator (who pays part of his fee back to
the government - surprise, surprise) for as many copies of the translation
as you need?

Did you know that non-French insurance companies are prohibited by law from
operating in France, whereas French insurance companies can operate outside
France no trouble?

Did you know that in order to teach foreign languages in schools you have to
be a French national?

Don't worry, I have plenty of anecdotes along these lines...

-- 
G. Stewart   --   gstewart@example.com -- gstewart@example.com
Registered Linux user #284683
---------------------------------------------------------------
Some days you are the bug; some days you are the
windshield.

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