RE: HM.applications-Translations

Hello Rex and Everyone,

<Rex> How should cultural modules be structured to accomplish this for
situations involving the kind of contextual information and
cross-cultural translations we have posited? </Rex>

The only way to deal with cross-cultural translations ("CultureML") is to take an ad hoc approach whereby we develop a set of standard forms that will need translation, a core cultural schema that can allow translational reckoning between two or more sets of individual cultural schemas.

Of course these modules will all fall under HumanMarkup, since it would not be wise, or manageable for that matter, to splinter the project into separate (read: completely divisible) modules. Each HumanML schema, be it XML or RDF, can be denoted by the particular type of referent that we are addressing, being it cultural, social, political, etc. All referent schemas should be linked to a core HumanMarkup framework so that all things are connected under the aegis of the HM specifications. Cultural translations will be a very important part of HumanMarkup, but of course it is one of many other areas of focus.

Harkening back to Len's prior discussions about "loose coupling" of various domains, the only effective solution is to provide forms that are translatable between each other. What does this particular greeting mean to this culture? What does a nod mean in Turkey versus China? Simply put, by encoding basic forms of cultural domains (dress, artifacts, gestures, etc) we can translate, via XSLT templates or some other method, what each item means among the communicants.

From another technical viewpoint, I proposed some time ago that XML SOAP be considered for translational interchange.

The HumanMarkup SOAP Request:
*****************************

<SOAP-ENV:Envelope>
<SOAP-ENV:Body>
    <xmlns:HumanML="http://www.humanmarkup.org/Christian" />
    <HumanML:GetWordMeaning>
    <Word>heaven</Word>
    </HumanML:GetWordMeaning>
</SOAP-ENV:Body>
</SOAP-ENV:Envelope>

The HumanMarkup SOAP Response:
******************************

<SOAP-ENV:Envelope>
<SOAP-ENV:Body>
    <xmlns:HumanML="http://www.humanmarkup.org/Buddhist" />
    <HumanML:GetWordMeaningResponse>
    <Meaning>nirvana</Meaning>
    </HumanML:GetWordMeaningResponse>
</SOAP-ENV:Body>
</SOAP-ENV:Envelope>

This simple and quite imperfect example is but one possible solution. Whatever technical platform we use for cross-cultural translations, we must start with good schemas that are extensible, broad, and continually refined. I have always considered that HumanMarkup will always be a work in progress and the continual refinement of cross-cultural communications will never be a job that can be ultimately completed in any traditional sense.

Cordially,

Joe Norris
jwnorris@humanmarkup.org

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