Automatic language translation

[caroline2910]

Hi, may have already been mentioned but just thought I'd offer my small amount of wisdom.

If you are searching for online information and find that the results appear in a foreign language, you can download 'Google Chrome'. It's an updated version of the Google search engine. When you view a web page which is in a language other than English it will automatically offer you the choice to translate to whatever language you like (a translate tab appears just below the address bar). It makes searching foreign records just a little easier

[igeoff]

Definitely on line automatic translation is worth a try. However, as you may find, all too often what is returned makes only minimal sense: depends on how may phrases Google translate has encountered (and stored with their translations) before.

As a co-proprietor of a Dutch <--> English translation business which does translate genealogical documents I find that, especially with older, handwritten documents the key step is transcription. Translation is then relatively straightforward, though Google and its ilk can struggle because of the differences between Dutch and English word order, idiom etc -- not to mention archaic words, spelling and grammar.

On the side of Google and automatic translation: it is free. Translation and transcription are labour intensive and far from free in many cases.

Cheers
Geoff

[KGarrad]

though Google and its ilk can struggle because of the differences between Dutch and English word order, idiom etc -- not to mention archaic words, spelling and grammar.

I struggle with that every day!
It's what happens when an Englishman lives in the Netherlands! 

Geoff, Ja! Ik ben een dom engelsman!

[igeoff]

Geoff, Ja! Ik ben een dom engelsman!

En ik een dom australiėr -- mijn vrouw is een nederlandse    --G

[Nick29]

Google Chrome is a web browser which allegedly is very good at spying on what you're doing, and sending the results back to Google 

[igeoff]

Google Chrome is a web browser which allegedly is very good at spying on what you're doing, and sending the results back to Google 

Various internet tools, probably including Chrome, look at info like your location and what you visit. I gather the claimed benefit is that they can target adverts etc better. My recollection is that most of these, including Chrome, have a way to turn off this collection -- perhaps someone can enlighten us.

However, there is no need to use Chrome to get Translate.  At the risk of robbing myself of some business  , Google translate is available independent of browser. Just go to a Google search page and select Translate under the more option at the top of the page --  then follow the bouncing ball...

There is one information gathering issue however. If you have something confidential to translate then many translators say it is better not to use Google translate as, in my understanding, it uses a database of stuff it has encountered before: and in goes your confidential stuff.

--Geoff