public function out($lang = null) {
        if ($lang !== null && $lang != $this->lang && ($this->lang == null && $lang != current_language())) {
            if ($this->forcedstring) {
                debugging('lang_string objects that have been used cannot be printed in another language. ('.$this->lang.' used)', DEBUG_DEVELOPER);
                return $this->get_string();
            }
            $translatedstring = new lang_string($this->identifier, $this->component, $this->a, $lang);
            return $translatedstring->out();
        }
        return $this->get_string();
    }