Index: includes/common.inc
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/drupal/drupal/includes/common.inc,v
retrieving revision 1.623
diff -u -F^f -r1.623 common.inc
--- includes/common.inc	26 Mar 2007 01:32:22 -0000	1.623
+++ includes/common.inc	26 Mar 2007 17:12:50 -0000
@@ -696,6 +696,18 @@ function fix_gpc_magic() {
  */
 function t($string, $args = 0) {
   global $language;
+  static $t_pairs;
+  
+  // First, check for an array of string replacements. If present, use the array *instead of* database lookups. 
+  // This is a high performance way to provide a handful of string replacements. See end of settings.php.
+  // Cache the $t_pairs variable to improve performance.
+  if (!isset($t_pairs)) {
+    $t_pairs = variable_get('t_pairs', array());
+  }
+  if (!empty($t_pairs)) {
+    return isset($t_pairs[$language->language][$string]) ? $t_pairs[$language->language][$string] : $string;
+  }
+  
   if (function_exists('locale') && $language->language != 'en') {
     $string = locale($string);
   }
Index: sites/default/settings.php
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/drupal/drupal/sites/default/settings.php,v
retrieving revision 1.53
diff -u -F^f -r1.53 settings.php
--- sites/default/settings.php	26 Mar 2007 06:43:12 -0000	1.53
+++ sites/default/settings.php	26 Mar 2007 17:12:50 -0000
@@ -175,5 +175,6 @@
 #   'site_name' => 'My Drupal site',
 #   'theme_default' => 'minnelli',
 #   'anonymous' => 'Visitor',
+#   't_pairs' => array('en' => array('forum' => 'discussion board')),
 # );