The social networking site Facebook, which has over 300,000 Vietnamese subscribers, recently released a Vietnamese version, with all the preparation for the version done by Vietnamese volunteers.
All the volunteers came to the work with a passion to create a virtual space for Vietnamese to relax after work, especially when the blogging site Yahoo!360o will be closed on July 13.
Do Quang Tu, a 25-year-old resident in Da Nang Province, shared his memories on the progress to create a Vietnamese version of Facebook: “Two years ago, Facebook tried the beta translating function in order to autochthonism [automatically translate] Facebook in accordance to the languages that subscribers prefer. However, Vietnam does not have any official translation group. All the translation has been carried out by the volunteer members.
“The volunteer translator needs to have an account in Facebook before translating. After logging in, visit the address http://www.facebook.com/translations/ to start the translation. All the translation versions by every translator will be posted online and be checked by the other Facebook subscribers. The best one is the most accurate, both in meaning and in context, and is voted for by Facebook subscribers.
“Currently the Vietnamese version of Facebook is complete but the translators still keep going on with their translating work for the new upgrades and new functions provided by the international Facebook network in the coming future,” Tu added.
At present, the translating group has 208 members.
Tu also noted that all the members in the group work under a motivation to create a version which makes it easy way for Vietnamese to approach Facebook.
Another positive impact of the translating is to create a friendly and strong virtual social network.
From being strangers, the subscribers after translating and editing each other’s versions, also create friendship among themselves. They will start to learn together, work together and share their emotions.
The overseas Vietnamese will learn the Vietnamese translation from the native Vietnamese and in return, they will explain the meaning of some long English phrase to Vietnamese residents.
As for this idea, Trang Nguyen, a Vietnamese Australian, said: “Everyday I log onto the Facebook to see the new translations updated by other subscribers and start editing and giving some comments. All of these translations are an interesting Vietnamese language course.”
The translation is not simply translation anymore, but also a passion of the young virtual generation.
Every sentence, after being translated and posted online, will be edited many times by many viewers. For example, the simplest text “Thanks for signing up on Facebook” at least has four translation versions.
