[Freeciv-Dev] Re: [freeciv-data] Translation of Freeciv motto

[Daniel Burrows <Daniel_Burrows@xxxxxxxxx>]

On Sat, Jul 15, 2000 at 05:01:13PM -0400, Jeff Mallatt <jjm@xxxxxxxxxxxx> was 
heard to say:
> At 2000/07/15 14:55 , Mathias Hasselmann wrote:
> >The motto of Freeciv "'Cause civilization(s) should be free!"
> >contains a little trick which only works in the English
> >language: Civilization *and* civilizations should be free!
> 
> "'Cause civilization(s) should be free!" is *not* the standard motto.  The
> standard motto is "'Cause civilization should be free!" -- without the
> "(s)".  So, there is no "English language trick".

  I believe that his point was that the German word for Civilization (the
product) is Civilization, whereas the German word for civilization (the thing)
is Zivilisation.  In English, the phrase "Civilization should be free" is
a pun; in German, this doesn't work because the two words translate
differently.  (I'm not sure this is a good reason not to translate it, myself;
it's a pretty feeble pun, but..)

  Daniel

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