[Wikipedia-l] Foreign language articles

Fri Aug 29 11:42:16 UTC 2003

on 8/28/03 8:55 PM, Merritt L. Perkins at mlperkins3 at juno.com wrote:

> . There are many things about Wikipedia that I do not know about because
> I don't know how to find out or where to look.

Try http://www.wikipedia.org

Richard Gtreves has told
> how to find out about
> Wikipedias in different languages. I was surprised that so much has been
> written in languages other than English.
> . There are many expressions and abbreviation that I do not understand
> and don't know where to find an explanation of them.

Perhaps you could try a good dictionary or encyclopedia. for abreviations
you might look at:
http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbreviation

> . Why should speakers of English be interested in encyclopedias in other
> languages?

Citizens of the United States are responsible for the administration of a
great empire and have to know everything.

> If you are studying another language and have learned what you can from
> language lessons you need some way to practice what you have learned.

Yes, editing on the Hindi wikipedia should bring you up to speed.

> Encyclopedias give you a variety of subjects to choose from and
> preferably are original articles and not translations..

If you're into reading enclopedias.

> Years ago I tape-recorded the language lessons from shortwave radio
> broadcasts from radio Beijing. They sent me the printed books to go with
> the lessons.. I have a Chinese English dictionary sent to me from China.
> How could I get the articles from the Chinese encyclopedia so that I can
> view them on the screen?

Try http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%A6%96%E9%A0%81

 I would like to have it read the text with a
> synthetic voice so that I could listen to it and have it point to words
> that it is reading . Is this asking too much?

Modern software allows you to do this, System X for the Macintosh can be set
up in Chinese and will do all that. (I think). Except for pointing to the
words, but perhaps there is some such software somewhere. If not someone
ought to write it.

 I would like to be able to
> print it out on paper.

As noted previously you will have to use a printer and supporting software
(that on System X will print Chinese).

> Long ago Chinese was written on strips of bamboo, the characters were
> written one line vertically downward. A hole new the top allowed a string
> to be used to tie them together. When writing on silk or paper they
> started in the upper right corner and wrote down. In 1956. the mainland
> government adopted simplified characters writing from left to right..
> I have two writing brushes but no ink stick. Today they use a ball-point
> pens.

Ink sticks are easily obtained though Chinese or Japanese merchants. And
perhaps through an artist supply store.

> How could I get the hardware and software needed to write languages other
> than English with a computer.?

The modern operating systems: Microsoft's XP and Apple's System X have this.
Just buy any modern personal computer and the operating system will come
bundled with it. You can set up the computer in any number of languages.

> I am dictating this with Dragon’s NaturallySpeaking 7 preferred. It is
> available in the five English dialects: US English, UK English,
> Australian English, Indian English, and Southeast Asian English. It is
> supposed to be able to read back what you said, and what it recorded on
> the screen. For some reason I can't get these features to work.

Perhaps it is relatively simple if you can see the screen. Have a sighted
person eyeball it and see if they can't figure it out.

> I suggest that when writing an article you should keep in mind that some
> of the readers may be learning the language and so explain some of the
> terms used. When an abbreviation is used the first time explain what it
> stands for in parentheses and perhaps add a footnote explaining what it
> means and a reference to an article on the subject...

You're preaching to the choir, but perhaps some hardheads will take note.

> Merritt L. Perkins

Thank you Merritt, Your posts have provided an excellent springboard for
discussion on the list. I'm sure this one will too.

Say hello to your cousin Lisa.

Fred Bauder

http://www.internet-encyclopedia.org