hello manuel,
thank you for the explanatory reply. Now the thing is more plain for me. But
I need more an explanation: in the expression "think free speech, not free
beer" the word "think" is a verb else a noun? What is is is meaning?
----- Original Message -----
From: "Manuel Barkhau" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Giovanni" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Cc: <producingoss-translators@red-bean.com>
Sent: Tuesday, October 21, 2008 10:09 AM
Subject: Re: Italian translation:a question
"It's free as in freedom—think free speech, not free beer"
The word "free" in the first sentence has two potential meanings in
English.
1. Something is free, if it doesn't cost anything ie. you don't have
to pay for it.
2. Something is free, if it isn't controlled or constrained by
something else. In the context of software that means you can do
whatever you want with the software, including copy it, change it and
redistribute your modified version. There is no cooperate overlord
that can tell you what you can or cannot do.
The quoted sentence is a very concise way of expressing which of the
two meanings is meant.
If you say free beer you obviously mean the first meaning, but that is
not the free that is meant here.
If you say free speech, you mean the second, because you are referring
to the freedom of individuals to say what they want (more or less
though in recent years) without fearing repercussions from the
government.
ciao
Manuel
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