What words should we use when we want to say "a webpage is loading"?
In Gmail, when I change my settings to simplified Chinese, Google says "正在加载".
However, when I change my settings to traditional Chinese, Google says "正在載入" (正在载入 in simplified Chinese).
What is the difference in nuance and usage between 加载 and 载入?
Which is a better term to use to describe "webpage loading"?
Strictly speaking, the word formations between 加载 and 载入 are a little different; however, as Alex has said, both are acceptable in your case.
加载(verb) = 加(verb, add) + 载(verb, load)
载入(verb) = 载(verb, load) + 入(preposition, in/into)
EDIT
Notice: both 加载 and 载入 can be used as a transitive verb or an intransitive verb.
In most cases, they are interchangeable; however, because 入 in 载入 has implied a preposition, if they are used just before a prepositional phrase, they act in different ways. For example:
These data should be loaded into the cache.
这些 数据 应当 加载 到 缓冲。
这些 数据 应当 载入 (到) 缓冲。
As 载入 has implied 入(in), the preposition 到(to) can be omitted. In contrast, if you omit 到 in the first sentence, the sentence
[Warning! May be ambiguous.] 这些数据应当加载缓冲。
is (most likely) considered as
These data should load the (contents of the) cache.
So, as you see in this 加载/载入+prepositional phrase case, they are not equivalent.
加载 is often used in Mainland, while 载入 in Taiwan, HK and other places. There's no need to distinguish them here.
Simplified Chinese is usually used in Mainland China, and traditional Chinese is used in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan(and sometimes in other Cantonese-speaking areas). So the choice of words reflects the regional language habits. They may vary greatly.
But in this specific case, 加载 and 载入 are both acceptable. 加载 may sound a tiny little bit more (insert here an adjective that's related to jargon, terms, geek and stuff - I can't find one even in Chinese), but the difference is really trivial and you never have to worry about that.
I want to write more, but they have the same meaning.
Ok more here: as one who works in Internet business for quite some time, we use it interchangeably.
Language-wise, although 入 sounds to need a word behind it as the place into/onto which the content is loading, it is often ommitted because in the context people knows where the content is loading into/onto.
As a native speaker, I would remind you that try not to bother youself with so many details. Because as far as I am concerned, there is little difference between the two words, and both are accepted by most people. And some sites, trying to show their efforts to internationalize themeselves, even simply put a "loading..." on their pages. It's OK.
Chinese sometimes is a language for you to understand the meaning of it, rather than a logical language like English with clear structure and grammar.
Finally, to solve your problem, I would suggest "正在加载" or "网页载入中" or "loading..." according to my experience. Notice that there is no subject in "正在加载", therefore is can be reguarded as the translation of "loading". While in "网页载入中", the subject is “网页”, therefore the verb “载入” can give the users a kind of expectation that the page is "coming" and you'll be willing to wait.
Either "加载" and "载入" is acceptable translate for "loading" in the specific reference to transferring the content from a server to your computer.
Personally, I like "網頁加载中" better for "webpage loading" because its sounding.
The distinction between Traditional Chinese and Simplyfied Chinese is mainly the structure of the word, not necessarily the phraseology of terms (which of course can be very different in different parts of the Chinese speaking communities around the world).
For "webpage loading", it's 網頁加载中 in simplified Chinese, and 網頁加載中 in traditional Chinese.
It's unfortunate that Google uses different wording for the same message in its 2 versions of Chinese pages. Of course, no one should look to Google as the authority of Chinese language.
