Hey Does anyone know anything about this software?
www.systransoft.com/translat.../features
or this one:
lec.com/listProduct.asp
I am thinking of using it for my SmartSpine.com website since we are now selling in Japan, Germany, Holland and France. Additionally, I have promotional material to translate and it seems one of these would be good. Any suggestions are welcome.
Thanks!
www.systransoft.com/translat.../features
or this one:
lec.com/listProduct.asp
I am thinking of using it for my SmartSpine.com website since we are now selling in Japan, Germany, Holland and France. Additionally, I have promotional material to translate and it seems one of these would be good. Any suggestions are welcome.
Thanks!
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Re: Translation Software?
Fri, March 28, 2008 - 1:40 AM
I haven't used those, just the online versions.
Not sure about the volume of translation you have in mind, but there's babelfish.altavista.com/
Best to have anything run thru these checked over by someone - I always notice significant variations, but YMMV.
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Re: Translation Software?
Fri, March 28, 2008 - 9:32 AMI would use a human being translator who is versed in web/tech industry terms in the specific languages. I have worked as a web producer for large corporations where my websites were localized for various regions of the world... and none of them followed parallel paths in their final results.
As with English-language websites, there are certain colloquialisms and user-interface paradigms that are expected on a respected web page... merely doing a word by word translation (by software or human) would not yield the results you want for a website.
As with languages, not all cultures are the same, and how they use websites on the internet are not the same. If you expect to run a website that has just been cookie-cuttered into another language, your websites might not yield the expected results.
Consult a web/tech saavy interpreter, pay them what they ask, and reap the benefits for your business growth.
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Re: Translation Software?
Fri, March 28, 2008 - 10:21 AMI completly agree with lobocita.
Here is an example why....
A few years ago somene I knew wrote this really nice 3 page letter/speach that they translated using the software and did not use a human backup though it had been strongly recommended. They printed 200 copies and started giving them out to this group as referenced the letter during a walking tour. It seems no one had the courage to stop and correct the person until the walking tour was over and tell the person of a HUGE glaring error that insulted most of the group both of the error and that it was obvious it hadn't been reviewed for accuracy.
In the translated to language if the word "mother" is translated one way it means "mother" but if translated another way it means "whore"... I'm sure you can guess which one was the wrong translation that got included into the letter.
Pay the extra and use the human translator... at the very least to review and make corrections to the computer generated translation.
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Re: Translation Software?
Fri, March 28, 2008 - 1:00 PMPerhaps I should have been clearer. I would only use the software to cut down on some of the time invested in the end product. Essentially, to create a rough draft for a native speaking individual to then go through, proof and make the neccesary changes.
I would never presume to cookie cutter the site through a software translator. I am just trying to develop the most cost effective way through it. It goes beyond just the website. We have course textbooks and promotional materials that need addressing as well. Well into the thousands when you do a word count and then mutilply that by 5 or 6 languages, and well you can see why I would want to find the MOST cost effective way through it! :-)
So, the question isn't really whether or not I should use the software, but does anyone have experience with either and what are the pros and cons?
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Re: Translation Software?
Fri, March 28, 2008 - 1:41 PMYou're right, perhaps you should have been clearer. "Any suggestions are welcome" meant to me that I could offer my suggestions.
Good luck to you and your communications in the future.
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Re: Translation Software?
Fri, March 28, 2008 - 2:58 PMLobocita, it sounds like you are taking offense at my trying to make myself clearer. None was meant, I just realized that I had not phrased the question properly. I had not given all of the information.
Thank you for your suggestions. I was actually agreeing and saying that yes, you are right, one should never bypass human efforts for machine or mistakes will be made. I was merely trying to cut down on some of the initial set-up time invested and therefore the end cost. -
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Re: Translation Software?
Tue, April 1, 2008 - 1:54 PMI had another random thought about this recently....
Since you are going to hire a human to check the work of the translation software, then your best bet might be to hire the person first, ask them which software they prefer (might be different for different languages... i.e. Product A is great for German, but Product B is better for Chinese) for the project you will be hiring them for.
They might be a) more familiar with these software products and b) might give you a better price if you choose the one they prefer to work with. Heck, they might even already own the software and they give you a rate based on using that software as part of their rate to you. Saves you the cost/effort of having to evaluate, buy, and operate the translation software.
Again, good luck.
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