We've tested this website out (-AltaVista's Translation site)
because we've been researching whether
/ how to translate our cancer web site into other European
languages. It doesn't do well with idioms; it doesn't in fact do well
at all - either with technical terminology (which has standard
alternatives in different languages, but is presumably too specialist
to be included in the vocabulary of a generic tool) or with the
rest of the text which is conveying complex and sensitive ideas
through relatively everyday language. What it can do, we think, is
convey the gist of something, thus supporting 'surfers', 'seekers'
or 'mappers'. 'Readers' or ' researchers' would need to go on to get the text
translated by a human.
(NB the terminology for different types of readers is the one I'm
using to represent the different types of reading activity that
appears to be happening on our we site. The only category I've not
mentioned is 'hunter/gatherers', the computer robots and I guess
they'd have difficulties too with these translations.)
Sally Tweddle
I came across a website that some of you might find
interesting--AltaVista's Translation site. You can paste in text from
English or one of several Euro languages and it'll provide a translation
into another. I don't know how well it does with idioms, etc., but it's an
interesting tool to bookmark. You'll find it at
http://babelfish.altavista.digital.com/cgi-bin/translate?
Peter
Sally Tweddle
CRC Senior Fellow in Cancer Information and Education
CRC Institute for Cancer Studies
Clinical Research Block
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham B15 2TA
Tel: 0121 414 3550 Fax: 0121 414 3263