Localization often occurs when the country is already using computers in a foreign language. Computer scientists and trainers are used to an English or French computer vocabulary. Localization therefore requires creating training materials based on the language used in the glossary, so that trainers and new users will start using the local language.

当一个国家已经在用外语使用计算机时常常需要本地化。计算机科学家和培训人员习惯于英语或法语的计算机词汇，因此本地化需要编写基于本地语言词汇表的培训材料，这样培训人员和新用户将会开始使用本地语言。

As it is difficult to engage linguists, preparatory work can be done first, such as looking for different translation options for each term.

找到语言学家参与工作比较困难，因此可以先做一些预备工作，例如查找每个术语不同的翻译方式。

After this, the work is mainly that of translators, who follow glossary guidelines and rules. There should be professional translators and computer scientists in the same team to assure linguistic and technical correctness of the terms used.

然后，就主要是跟从词汇表的指导和规则的翻译人员的工作。在同一支队伍里还应该有专业翻译家和计算机科学家确保使用属于在语言和技术方面的正确性。

Localization can increasingly be performed without too many technical resources, once the first layer of the work is done (fonts, language support, etc.). In the future, it will become easier, since almost all FOSS projects are adopting new tools and techniques to make it easier for non-experts to perform the work.

一旦最上一层的工作完成（字体，语言支持，等等），本地化的进行就越来越不需要太多的技术资源。将来，随着所有的自由／开源项目都采用了新工具和技术简化非专业人员的劳动，本地化工作将会更容易进行。

The skilled workers who can perform software localization are often already available, or can be trained locally or abroad. Regional software localization training and coordination centres could act as clearinghouses and colleges for individuals to improve their skills, and thereby produce new workers for the years ahead. Fortunately, only the programmers need to have specialized knowledge of FOSS. The other professionals can have previous experience with any type of software.

熟练的软件本地化工作者常常可以直接找到，或者能在本地或国外培训。地区级的软件本地化培训和协调中心可以作为知识的交换场所和个人提高技能的学校，因此可以在今后培养新的工作者。幸运的是，只有程序员需要自由／开源软件的专门知识，其他的工作者可以借鉴任何类型软件的经验。

Office space that is sufficient and appropriate for the work at hand is a must for any project where work is not distributed ad hoc around the world. For a professional localization effort, and especially for multilingual regional localization centres, a commercial space is best. This includes stable low-cost broadband connections to the Internet, LAN and development servers, sufficient client computers for each employee and three or four terminals for each tester.

任何一个不把工作无组织地分散在全世界的项目都需要足够和适合当前工作的办公空间。对于专业的本地化工作，特别是多语言的地区本地化中心，一个商务空间是最适合的。这包括稳定低价的宽带互联网接入，局域网和开发服务器，足够每一名工作人员使用的客户计算机和每个测试者的三到四台终端。

Active participation and cooperation from universities, especially linguists and translators of English, should be solicited. Publishing rights for scholars who make significant contributions to technical dictionaries and standards should be granted, as well as public recognition for student volunteers.

应当吸引来自大学，特别是英语语言学家和翻译的积极参与及合作。应当给对技术词典和标准作出重要贡献的学者发表成果的机会，也应当给学生志愿者以公众承认。

Typically, the following people need to be trained, organized and provided with the tools to succeed:

一般来说，成功的本地化需要培训、组织下列人员并给他们提供适当的工具：

Project managers ­ technical and translation.
Analysts and linguists.
FOSS programmers.
Translators and technical writers.
Testers.
Trainers.

• 项目经理——分别负责技术和翻译。
• 分析家和语言学家。
• 自由／开源软件程序员。
• 翻译和技术作家。
• 测试员。
• 培训员。

Project management for localization should be split into two jobs: (i) Technical Managers direct the actual editing of code to ensure proper language support; and (ii) Translation Managers coordinate the creative efforts of linguists, technical writers and trainers.

本地化的项目管理包括两部份工作：（一）技术经理指导提供正确语言支持的代码编写工作；（二）翻译经理协调语言学家，技术作家和培训人员的工作。

Analysts and linguists work together with project managers, sociologists and programme sponsors to identify the technical challenges to be overcome and the cultural-linguistic requirements to be met. Their work results in requirement specifications and a project description that the project manager uses to guide the project to completion. This roadmap guides the programmers in their work, and provides the benchmark against which the software will be tested. The analysts are also responsible for gathering, organizing and disseminating the technical standards and specifications required by the programmers to perform their work.

分析家和语言学家与项目经理、社会学家和软件提供者协作发现需要克服的技术困难以及需要满足的文化--语言要求。他们的工作提供了项目经理用来指导项目完成的需求说明和项目描述文件。这些文件指导程序员的工作，并提供了软件测试的对照标准。分析家也要负责搜集、整理和传播技术标准和程序员工作所需的技术要求。

Since both the operating system user interface and various application user interfaces should be localized, often several different types of programmers will be required. Enthusiasts can perform this work remotely with others worldwide, but only if the problem has been thoroughly documented by the analysts. Wherever possible, local programming staff should be used for this stage of the work. The lessons they learn, and write down for later reference, can be spread to others who are performing localization. They may also create the technical standards for that language if none exists. Compliance with such FOSS standards as "G11N, I18N, L10N" (please see Glossary) and others, will ensure that work proceeds quickly with the confidence that successive developers can continue to update and improve the software.

因为操作系统和不同程序的用户界面都需要本地化，一般需要几种不同类型的程序员。志愿者可以与世界各地的其他人远程协同工作，但前提是分析家完整地记录了文档。这阶段的工作应当在可行条件下尽量采用本地编程人员。他们学习和记录下来供今后参考的经验可以传给其他进行本地化工作的人。如果没有关于本地语言的现存标准，他们也可以自己创建。与“G11N，I18N，L10N”这样的自由／开源软件技术标准和其他兼容，将确保工作进展迅速，并保证后来的开发者能够更新和改进这些软件。

Translators and technical writers perform the lion's share of the work. All the error messages, buttons, menus, commands, help files and user guides must be translated. In consultation with linguists for consistency and accuracy, translators and technical writers compile technical dictionaries, often coining new technical words and phrases that enable future developers to communicate more effectively with their colleagues. Just as the technical standards for localization are vital to programmers, the technical dictionary used by the writers and translators is vital to the project's success.

翻译和技术作家负责最主要的工作。所有的出错信息，按钮，菜单，命令，帮助文件和用户指南都必须翻译。通过向语言学家咨询翻译的一致性和准确性，翻译和技术作家编写好技术词典，常常需要创造新的技术词汇和词组以使未来的开发者能够与同行更有效地交流。正如本地化的技术标准对程序员至关重要，技术作者和翻译使用的技术词典对项目的成功也具有同等的重要性。

Testers use the requirement specifications to check the complete work of both the programmers and technical writers. Their painstaking work identifies errors and inconsistencies to be corrected, and rechecked, before release to the users of the software. Additional apprentice testers, especially those who speak no English and who are computer novices, can provide excellent feedback for programmers and translators.

测试员按照需求说明检验程序员和技术作者的工作成果。他们繁重的工作能够在软件向用户发布之前发现需要修正和复查的错误和不一致情况。其他的见习测试者，特别是那些不说英语或者是电脑新手的人，能够为程序员和翻译提供出色的反馈信息。

Trainers introduce the localized software to the users. Often, local teachers who have been taught how to use the system give seminars, answer questions and mentor computer enthusiasts. Local businesses and governments may also hire trainers to educate their workforce. It is important to ensure that these software trainers are locally recruited and speak the native language, rather than being English speakers imported at great expense.

培训员把本地化的软件介绍给用户。通常，学会了如何使用系统的本地教师负责讲课，回答问题，并指导计算机爱好者。本地企业和政府也可能雇佣培训人员来教育他们的雇员。有必要确保这些培训人员都是在本地招募并且会讲当地语言，而不是花费高昂代价从外国输入的讲英语的人。

For both proprietary and free software, training on how the software works is essential. To teach local users how to operate the software, one needs:

无论私有软件还是自由软件，对其使用原理的培训都是必要的。要教本地用户学会使用软件，我们需要：

Training equipment and materials.
Classrooms.
Instructors.

• 培训设备和材料。
• 教室。
• 教师。

Most often, developers of the software ‘train the trainer’, who then instructs novices to make them advanced users. Training can be further divided between user training, system administrator training and developer training. Except for user training, which should be widespread, most specialized FOSS training takes place in educational institutions. Countries that have advanced quickly in FOSS localization have all devoted considerable resources to training and education. Without actual adoption of the software by a large segment of the population, the work of localization is an exercise in futility.

通常，软件的开发者“培训训练员”，这些训练员再去指导新手们，让他们成为高级用户。培训可以进一步细分为用户培训，系统管理员培训和开发者培训。除了用户培训应当广泛开展，大部分专门的自由／开源软件培训都在教育机构中进行。在自由／开源软件本地化中有明显进展的国家都在培训和教育中投入了大量资源。没有相当数量的人实际使用软件，本地化的工作就是做无用功。

Tools and equipment for FOSS development and localization are less expensive than those required for proprietary localization. Version control, project management, documentation change management, and development tool kits for programmers are all available either free of charge or at a low cost. To work on FOSS, experience shows that it is best to use free/open source tools.

自由／开源软件开发和本地化使用的软件和工具不像私有软件本地化所需要的那样昂贵。版本控制，计划管理，文档变化管理，以及程序员使用的开发工具包都是免费或者以低价提供的。经验表明对自由／开源软件的工作最好是使用自由／开源工具来进行。

All other equipment, including most development computers, should be up to date, in a secure environment. A separate budget should be set aside for libraries, references and language tools specific to the language to be localized. If these materials do not already exist, they must be created.

其他的设备，包括大部分开发计算机，应当是最新型的，并存放在安全的环境中。应当为图书馆、参考资料和本地化特定的语言工具设立单独的预算。如果没有这些材料，则必须进行编写。

Wherever possible, information on FOSS localization should be shared with the international FOSS development community so that the necessary tools do not have to be recreated by every team.

只要可能，应当与国际自由／开源软件社区共享自由／开源软件本地化的信息，这样各个开发团队可以避免重复开发那些必需的工具。