As a software engineer who cares deeply about testing, I sometimes find myself wishing that there was a way to run a binding moot court on a law before it got ratified.
If it is binding then it not really moot is it?
Lost in Translation: Writing treaties in two languages can lead to problems
41–46 of 46 posts
Re: Lost in Translation: Writing treaties in two languages can lead to problems
#42Made me think of the TNG episode with the Sheliak.
Re: Lost in Translation: Writing treaties in two languages can lead to problems
#43Earlier quoted context omitted.
You should have seen developers rigorously implement requirements. Just saying.
The way I see it, that's what a developer is: a tool for translating fuzzy requirements into rigid definitions. Sometimes they're just plain lazy about that task, but even when it's done well, they discover vagueness and incompleteness in the specifications. They use their judgment to fill that in, but they're often wrong, especially when they don't really know the domain. Programmers want rigid requirements, because…
Re: Lost in Translation: Writing treaties in two languages can lead to problems
#44Earlier quoted context omitted.
Which is my second point: citizens will have to follow and vote on the law of their country, including international treaties, without understanding them since they are not written in their language.
I imagine most voters do not read proposed bills in their own language as it stands, instead relying on reporters' summaries as they would for foreign language versions.
Re: Lost in Translation: Writing treaties in two languages can lead to problems
#45Earlier quoted context omitted.
The way I see it, that's what a developer is: a tool for translating fuzzy requirements into rigid definitions. Sometimes they're just plain lazy about that task, but even when it's done well, they discover vagueness and incompleteness in the specifications. They use their judgment to fill that in, but they're often wrong, especially when they don't really know the domain. Programmers want rigid requirements, because…
I was hinting toward frustrating programmers, testers and manager, who don't bother reading requirements (or think they know better) and proceed to code and test against own imagination. Despite requirements being unambiguous about this or that point.
Re: Lost in Translation: Writing treaties in two languages can lead to problems
#46The problems discussed in the article are not relevant anymore today: We can now have many professional translators work on the same documents. It's not like we have to copy treaties manually, go on a months-long journey by boat, horse or foot just to get a second opinion on a translation.
That's just 25 years before WW1.