[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: [lojban] la .alis.

On Tue, Mar 30, 2010 at 02:35:30PM +0100, Michael Everson wrote:
> On 30 Mar 2010, at 11:32, Remo Dentato wrote:
> 
> > I think that an example of a page with lojban text composed according your proposal would be very beneficial for the discussion.
> 
> OK. I mocked this up quite quickly. [...]
> 
> Then, have a look at the Lojban:
> 
> http://www.evertype.com/books/alice-jbo-p.1.png

Thank you very much!

My impressions (if such comments makes a difference to you at this point):

Re. the left-hand page:
Reads like Lojban txt spk. It looks immediately familiar, but the lack of periods before .i makes it look a bit like run-on sentences. Acceptable, but hardly an example of Fine Typography.

Re. the right-hand page:
First impression: the “I” at the beginning of sentences stick out like a sore thumb! It reminds me of what happens when I type up a Norwegian text in MS Word, and the silly auto-correct “feature” turns the preposition “i” into upper-case. The other sentence-initial capitals, while unfamiliar at first sight, gives off a charming Old Loglan vibe after a while. But the other initials give me pause. Why on Earth is “Blabi” and “Ractu” capitalised? Is it because he is a person, and all references to persons are capitalised in this story? If so, why isn't the anaphora “abu” capitalised? Without having the original text in front of me, there is no way to be sure.

Setting words in italics when they are preceded by the emphasis marker “ba'e” is fine, but when they appear on their own it looks illiterate. (I presume you are merely copying the italics from some English master, and the emphasis somehow got lost in the English-to-Lojban translation.)

The parentheses and quotation marks, on the other hand, eases rather than hinders reading.

Comments that apply to both versions:
The apostrophes in the chapter heading look floating and disconnected because of the large distance between the cap height and the x-height.

I disagree with Jorge's insistence on straight apostrophes instead of curly apostrophes. Straight apostrophes are an artifact of the conflation of apostrophes/foot signs in typewriters, and does not need to used when alternatives are available.

-- 
Arnt Richard Johansen                                http://arj.nvg.org/
Advisory: There is an Extremely Small but Nonzero Chance That, Through
a Process Known as 'Tunneling,' This Product May Spontaneously
Disappear from Its Present Location and Reappear at Any Random Place
in the Universe, Including Your Neighbors Domicile. The Manufacturer
Will Not Be Responsible for Any Damages or Inconvenience That May
Result.                             --Susan Hewitt and Edward Subitzky

-- 
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "lojban" group.
To post to this group, send email to lojban@googlegroups.com.
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to lojban+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/lojban?hl=en.