Need help with phrases for Spanish-language mailing list

Hola!

> Discusi?n en espa?ol acerca del sistema computarizado de ?lgebra
> M?xima [accent should probably be omitted, although the Royal Spanish
> Academy would disagree].
> 

The word 'discusi?n' has some negative connotations, since it is
commonly used when two individuals have opposite opinions about
something; I think that 'foro' (a place where people exchange ideas) or
'foro de discusi?n' is better.

I don't know what is used in the american Spanish speaking countries,
but here in Spain, Computational Algebra System is commonly translated
by 'Sistema de C?lculo Simb?lico'.

'M?xima', with an accent, is the Spanish word for the adjective
'maximum' (feminine gender). As far as I know, the name Maxima tries to
mimic the pronunciation of MACSYMA (correct me if I am wrong), and the
pronunciation of Maxima (without diacritic) in Spanish puts the accent
in the second syllabe; I don't know how native English speakers
pronounce Maxima: MA-xi-ma, ma-XI-ma or ma-xi-MA? I think it is
mac-SY-ma, therefore I use Maxima, not M?xima.

My choice is:

'Foro de discusi?n acerca del Sistema de C?lculo Simb?lico Maxima.'

> ?sta es una lista de correo-e [conservative translation; "email" is
> probably fine] para discutir del sistema computarizado de ?lgebra
> M?xima [same comment on the accent applies, of course]. Cualquier tema
> relacionado con M?xima es adecuado (ayuda en general, desarrollo,
> reportes acerca errores en el software ["bug" is probably also
> acceptable; I'm using Wikipedia's translation here], documentaci?n,
> etc.)
> 

Here in Spain, most people say 'email', 'correo electr?nico', or simply
'correo'; 'correo-e' is less common. But 'email' is an anglicism, and in
my opinion it should be rejected. What term do you use in the Americas?

Most people would understand the word 'reporte', but nobody makes use of
this term here and it sounds a bit too strange. Maybe 'informe' is
better. 'Bug' is another anglicism and many people wouldn't understand
it (it also appears a lot of times in the Spanish manual and it should
be fixed); the correct translation (aside from an insect) is 'fallo'.
Finally, there is no problem with the term 'software', since it is
accepted by the Royal Academy.

My choice:

?ste es un foro de discusi?n para el intercambio de ideas sobre el
Sistema de C?lculo Simb?lico Maxima. Cualquier tema relacionado con
Maxima es adecuado (ayuda en general, desarrollo, informe de fallos en
el software, documentaci?n, etc.)

Excuse me this long report, but I have a philologist here at home and
she is very strict... Maybe she thinks I'm one of her students...

The problem is that some terms which are of common use at one side of
the Athlantic, do sound strange at the other side. And it is also
possible that my choices sound strange in the Americas... What do you
think Jordi?

> By the way, I've finally started on the French translation of the
> symmetric function functions. Also, can we call the package symmetric
> functions instead of symmetries, spades are spades?

I suppose you mean the English version, since the Spanish one was
commited to cvs some weeks ago. Please, give it a look, since I am not
an expert in this field.

Un saludo.
-- 
Mario Rodriguez Riotorto
www.biomates.net