Free translation tools on the Internet
Nov 19, 2011, 12:00 am IST
TECH VIEW
By Anoop Verma
For quickly translating text in Hindi or English into any other language, you need to look no further than your Internet connected laptop. There exists an amazing array of websites that offer instantaneous translation service for free. The quality may not be as good as the work of any professional translator, but the online translations can still be used to take care of some minor communication related needs.
This is a free translation utility from the search giant. The home page is about as stark and blank as Google’s search page. In the centre of the screen, there are two boxes. Above the two boxes, there are the dropdown lists. From the first dropdown list you can pick up the language from which you have to translate, and from the second the language in which you want to translate. Once you have made the selections, you can input the text into the first box and the translated text will appear automatically in the second box. Out here, more than 60 languages are listed. (Available at: http://translate.google.com)
SDL FreeTranslation
This is one of the most popular translation utilities on the Internet and it boasts of more than 2 million visitors every week. The service can be used for getting free translations of both text and web pages. In the centre of the screen you will find two boxes, one for the original text, and the second for the translated text. There is blue button in the middle of the two boxes saying, “Translate.” Click on it and the translated text will automatically paper in the second box. For a price, this website can also provide you with the facility of human translation. (Available at: http://www.freetranslation.com/)
Yahoo owns this translation service. At this website you can translate your texts, 150 words at a time. There is only one dropdown list, which lists the “from” and “to” options. In case you have downloaded the Yahoo toolbar, you can translate directly from the browser. The service can also be used to translate an entire website, all you have to do is key in the URL and choose the language. (Available at: http://babelfish.yahoo.com/)
This translation service is being provided by http://www.reference.com, which is responsible for one of the most popular dictionary services on the Internet. Here up to 100 characters can be translated at a time. There is a text box in the centre and the original and the translated languages have to be selected from a drop down list. More than 50 languages can be translated through this free service. (Available at: http://translate.reference.com/translate)
This translation service is truly unique, as along with text-based translation, it also offers free audio facilities. So you can actually hear how the translated text is to be pronounced. The languages, from and to which the translation has to be conducted, can be accessed from a drop down list lying below the text box. This utility also features a spell checker, which can be used to check the original text. (Available at: http://www.reverso.net)
This website is pure fun, as it showcases how translations can be misleading. There are no language options here. Just type the original text in the text box and press on the Babelize button at the bottom of the screen. Instantly you are brought face to face with almost 10 translations. There is the original English text, followed by the translation in any language and then back to English. After going through the ten entries, you realise how your text gets distorted in translation. (Available at: http://tashian.com/multibabel/)
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