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April 13, 2010
With cellphones, UMPCs and other small computers finding their way into people’s bags and pockets, many folks are assuming that electronic translators have mostly gone out of style. While that may be true to some extent, I am yet to see a software for one of those versatile handhelds do the same specialized service that electronic translators provide. And it is for that reason that you will still find people leaving their iPods and PDAs at home when they’re on a trip, choosing to slip a personal travel translator in their pocket instead.
Electronic translators, at the core, are basically digital dictionaries. However, with advancing technology, they now do plenty of additional functions beyond giving you the equivalent of one word in your target language. Many of them now incorporate features such as immediate translation of complete phrases for various situations, vocabulary practice exercises, language games and more.
If you’re traveling, an electronic translator will come very handy, probably more so than equivalent software designed for cellphones and other handheld devices. Need to ask for directions but don’t know how to string a proper question together? Just find the equivalent phrase on the travel translator and it can do all the talking for you.
Do you need one? If you’re spending most of your time learning from a language practice software at home, only occasionally going out of your way to practice with fellow learners or a group, then you probably won’t need one. What would you do with it, after all, when you’re grocery shopping, catching a movie at the local theater or eating lunch at McDonald’s? However, if you’ve been looking for some portable language learning, these travel translators usually have a number of programs exactly for that built in, making it a better option compared to downloading stuff for your iPod or other makeshift methods.
January 10, 2010
Does your company regularly translate your English documents for the purposes of dissemination to your international offices? Then it would be extremely beneficial to design your writing with the purpose of optimizing the output of software translators.
How do you do that? Here are a few tips:
- Use articles or descriptors to clarify the part of speech a word belongs to. Articles like “a,” “that” and “the” are a great help in cluing in the translation software.
- Avoid lists and bullets. Instead, write them out as complete sentences.
- If you’re going to do lists, include articles. That means writing “a dog” instead of “dog” and “an elephant” instead of elephant when writing a list of animals.
- Avoid multi-word verbs (phrasal verbs) whenever possible. They’re usually a pain for machine translators to identify and analyze.
- Minimize ambiguity by choosing exact words, using them in the exact context of their primary dictionary meaning. If a word has multiple possible definitions, try to find an alternative that’s less confusing.
- Follow formal formatting for sentences and paragraphs, such as using two spaces after a period, one space after a comma and double space line breaks after a paragraph.
- Avoid using dashes as a punctuation mark. Their translations will almost always look horrible.
January 9, 2010
Software localization is an activity most companies expanding into international locales will need to undergo. After all, if you want the workflow in your new overseas office to be as streamlined as possible, making the software they use as familiar as possible will go a long way to help.
Depending on how your software was made, localization can be a simple task or a time-consuming process. Some software features built-in support for international languages. In those cases, the only changes you might need to implement are some local-specific industry lingo.
For many custom-built software solutions, however, localization is rarely a part of the system – unless you had the foresight to request it during initial development. As such, it’s likely that you will need to either devote personnel to it or hire an independent contractor to implement the changes.
If you’re going to do it within your organization, we highly recommend investing in the proper tools, such as translation software and other localization aids. Similarly, make sure you plan for a good amount of testing before rollout. You will want the local office to try the modified system out before making it a part of their permanent workflow.
For outside consultants, there are plenty of localization services, whose offerings cover the entire process, from design to modification to documentation. If you estimate a large amount of changes to your existing system, we highly recommend going this route – especially if you can find a company that specializes in the local you’re putting up an office at.
November 29, 2009
“Language translation software don’t work,” my friend Rodney said. I found the statement odd, given that I am an avid user of numerous language services software, including learning materials and translation applications. So, I inquired, “Why do you say that?”
As it turns out, my friend had this very old but surprisingly common misconception that machine translators still relied on word-per-word conversions. While he’s right – those kinds of algorithms are terrible for translation – it’s far from the truth.
The reality is, many modern translation software involve processes that are much more complex than a basic database dictionary lookup. If you thought these software-based tools still left out language components such as sentences, paragraph, idioms, syntax and context out of the equation, you’re sadly mistaken.
“But I checked out online translators and they all suck,” you say? Here’s a little secret: online translation tools are usually very different from desktop-based clients. Going web-based has compelled those services to maintain a balance between speed, performance and the sheer number of people accessing their servers. The result are stripped-down algorithms that’s more intent on running fast, rather than providing a complete translation experience.
Offline, however, where the majority of desktop-based translators usually operate, it’s a different story. With solo access to a powerful computer, no sharing processes with multiple users and no bandwidth issues, results you get can vary greatly.
Don’t believe me? Tons of downloadable commercial translators are easily accessible from the web. While most of them will only give you access to a trial version, it’s an avenue worth pursuing. Let’s see how wildly your mind changes once you realize these tools do a lot more than translate single words from one language to another.
November 27, 2009
Do you use software to translate documents within your organization? We do. In fact, we find it to be an excellent tool for quick, readable conversions from one language to another.
Sure, it’s not perfect. In fact, it’s not nearly as good as having a flesh-and-blood consultant laboring over our text. However, it is good enough for many situations.
Like all pieces of software, you will occasionally run into problems when using a translation software. With a few precautions, though, you should be able to avoid it.
1. Make sure all documents are clean (i.e. tag-free). Word processors (such as Word) often leave codes and tags in the body of the text. While invisible to Word users, it’s possible that your translation software will see it. The result is usually confusion, with the application trying to translate elements that aren’t supposed to be there.
2. Make sure all text in the document are in the same language. Some documents, especially in countries where English is practically a second language or those where there are several predominant languages, will contain entries in multiple vernaculars. This could send your software in a frenzy. After all, it’s expecting one thing and seeing another.
3. Stick to the non-sensitive materials. If you need sensitive, business-critical materials translated, skip the translation software. Go directly to an expert translator or interpreter. Computer-based programs can be error prone – not the best option when a single error can cost your business a fortune.
September 29, 2009
A translation software, no matter how good, will never replace a seasoned consultant. There, I said it. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t many instances when a language translation software won’t prove to be a better choice.
Quality
Can software really match a manual translation’s quality? Heck, no. Unless the translator is terrible at his job, it’s not likely. Adding that human touch (provided that person is a qualified bilingual, of course) to any document will always turn out text that’s more readable and more conversational than any software can ever do.
However, many fields of translation can afford not having that “human hand” in the process. In documents with strict formats and fixed jargons, for instance, a language translation tool can perform the job just as capably as the next guy. Will it be as conversational? Probably not. Will it be able to properly interpret non-standard sentence structures (e.g. wrong grammar)? Most likely, no. However, it can turn out a document that’s readable and understandable in a whole other language. For many requirements, that’s all that people really need, isn’t it?
Cost
For many business, legal and medical applications, a translation software should do the job capably. This is especially true in instances where the original document is clad in a specific format, with mostly standard word usage. The cost difference, compared to hiring a full-time consultant, is immense, making a terrific case for it.
Before you call up a translator to take on your project, ask yourself if one is really necessary. For loose-format documents and critical papers, I’d recommend a full-fledged interpreter. In case you work within the parameters where a translation software can shine, though, always take that road – the cost-to-value is wildly in its favor.
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