diff -ur busybox-1.00.orig/coreutils/printf.c busybox-1.00/coreutils/printf.c
--- busybox-1.00.orig/coreutils/printf.c	2004-09-15 02:05:23.000000000 +0000
+++ busybox-1.00/coreutils/printf.c	2004-11-11 18:16:33.724386928 +0000
@@ -47,8 +47,13 @@
 
 //   19990508 Busy Boxed! Dave Cinege
 
+// on by default
+#define BB_FEATURE_PRINTF_GETTEXT
+
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
+#include <sys/mman.h>
+#include <sys/stat.h>
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <errno.h>
@@ -66,18 +71,137 @@
 static void print_direc __P( (char *start, size_t length,
 			int field_width, int precision, char *argument));
 
+/*
+ * Very pure gettext added by Michal Moskal <malekith@pld-linux.org>
+ * This possibly could be converted into utility function
+ * and used in other places as well.
+ */
+
+#ifdef BB_FEATURE_PRINTF_GETTEXT
+/* The magic number of the GNU message catalog format.  */
+#define _MAGIC 0x950412de
+
+/* Header for binary .mo file format.  */
+struct mo_file_header
+{
+	/* The magic number.  */
+	u_int32_t magic;
+	/* The revision number of the file format.  */
+	u_int32_t revision;
+	/* The number of strings pairs.  */
+	u_int32_t nstrings;
+	/* Offset of table with start offsets of original strings.  */
+	u_int32_t orig_tab_offset;
+	/* Offset of table with start offsets of translation strings.  */
+	u_int32_t trans_tab_offset;
+	/* Size of hashing table.  */
+	u_int32_t hash_tab_size;
+	/* Offset of first hashing entry.  */
+	u_int32_t hash_tab_offset;
+};
+
+struct string_desc
+{
+	/* Length of addressed string.  */
+	u_int32_t length;
+	/* Offset of string in file.  */
+	u_int32_t offset;
+};
+
+static u_int32_t swap(u_int32_t i)
+{
+	return (i << 24) | ((i & 0xff00) << 8) | 
+	       ((i >> 8) & 0xff00) | (i >> 24);
+}
+
+#define swap_if(a) ((has_to_swap) ? swap(a) : (a))
+
+static char *getmsg(const char *filename, const char *msgid)
+{
+	int fd;
+	struct mo_file_header *ptr;
+	struct stat st;
+	int has_to_swap;
+	size_t top, bottom;
+	struct string_desc *orig_tab, *trans_tab = NULL;
+	int act = -1;
+	char *ret = (char*)msgid;
+		
+	if (filename == NULL || stat(filename, &st))
+		return ret;
+
+	fd = open(filename, O_RDONLY);
+	if (fd == -1)
+		return ret;
+
+	ptr = (struct mo_file_header *) mmap(NULL, st.st_size, PROT_READ,
+					     MAP_PRIVATE, fd, 0);
+	close(fd);
+
+	if (ptr == (void*)-1)
+		return ret;
+
+	has_to_swap = ptr->magic != _MAGIC;
+
+	if (swap_if(ptr->magic) != _MAGIC)
+		goto oops;
+
+	/* FIXME: use hash table */
+
+	orig_tab = (struct string_desc *)
+	    ((char *) ptr + swap_if(ptr->orig_tab_offset));
+	trans_tab = (struct string_desc *)
+	    ((char *) ptr + swap_if(ptr->trans_tab_offset));
+
+	bottom = 0;
+	top = swap_if(ptr->nstrings);
+	while (bottom < top) {
+		int cmp_val;
+
+		act = (bottom + top) / 2;
+		cmp_val =
+		    strcmp(msgid,
+			   ((char *) ptr + swap_if(orig_tab[act].offset)));
+		if (cmp_val < 0)
+			top = act;
+		else if (cmp_val > 0)
+			bottom = act + 1;
+		else
+			break;
+		act = -1;
+	}
+
+      oops:
+	if (act != -1)
+		ret = strdup(((char *) ptr + swap_if(trans_tab[act].offset)));
+	munmap(ptr, st.st_size);
+	return ret;
+}
+#else
+# define getmsg(a,b) (b)
+#endif
+
 int printf_main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
 	char *format;
 	int args_used;
+	int opt;
+	const char *nls_file = NULL;
 
-	if (argc <= 1 || **(argv + 1) == '-') {
-		bb_show_usage();
-	}
+	while ((opt = getopt(argc, argv, "n:")) != -1)
+		switch (opt) {
+		case 'n':
+			nls_file = optarg;
+			break;
+		default:
+			bb_show_usage();
+			break;
+		}
+
+	format = getmsg(nls_file, argv[optind++]);
 
-	format = argv[1];
-	argc -= 2;
-	argv += 2;
+	argc -= optind;
+	argv += optind;
 
 	do {
 		args_used = print_formatted(format, argc, argv);