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Unless one is as fluent in a second language as a native might be, which I am not, it is difficult to tell which online translation service is the most accurate: Yahoo’s babel fish or Google Translate.
I tried the latter on a naturalised Latvian and she said it was useless. It would seem then that online translations, whilst useful, still have a little way to go.
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Both online translation services produce equally useless results. Sometimes the Spanish text can be understood if a bit of effort is made. Other times, if you don't understand the original, it is impossible to understand the translation.
For proof, try them the other way around. That is, use the translators to translate good Spanish into English. Not much better. As you say, they still have a long way to go.
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I didn't trust the translation results that I was getting from online services - on one occasion I signed off an email to our lawyer with what I thought was an apt spanish phrase-only to have her reply that she hadn't actually been ill lately -but thanks anyway for the get well soon message.
I signed up for a trial version of PROMT and liked it enough to get the cheapest paid for version, which at the time was in the $60 bracket--this was over 6 years ago-so no idea what it will cost now-or if they still offer a "try it and see if you like it" version
Probably for crucial documents it's safest to hire a human translator rather than rely on machine translation-which does have it's limits
H'ast thou the Bisto ? ( part of the punch line to a very funny but very rude Bernard Manning joke about 2 OAPs from Yorkshire on their first Spanish self catering holiday)
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To use on-line translations for anything than entertainment or get a general idea about a text is really not recommended. Often a word in one language can translate into several different things in another and an on-line translator will not look at the context to choose the right one.
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I do think it helps if one is thoughtful about one's choice of words. For example:
"Hey, army-candy; wotcha know and wotcha up to these days? I got a quickie from our Joey who says you're run off your feet and up the flippin' wall but aren't we all. Keep your chins up, girl!. Your bessie mate.
- better ...
"Dear Carol. Let me know how you are. I received a letter from my brother. Joe. He tells me you are very busy. Here in Spain we are also busy. We wish you well. Your friend ******"
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Russian - English Translations, Copywriting and Ghostwiting. Check my Website or email keyboardcosmetics@gmail.com for details
www.keyboardcosmetics.com
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I use google translate for most difficult situations negotiating with Doctors, (something we have had to do a lot quite lately after Summers accident) Vets garage mechanics etc., and then examine closely the result.
Some knowledge of Spanish at O level helps and Summer always checks out the grammatical sense of what we are trying to say and tweaks the translation as necessary.
I find it helps when using the translation service to use the KISS principle...Keep it Simple, Short Sentences.
Also when dealing with situations such as these, ask the person providing the information to write down what he is suggesting; that way nothing gets lost in the rapid fire, machine gun Spanish conversation. Its far easier to understand written Spanish than something that comes at you with the speed of a Gatling gun...
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We like Tradukka.com
A Spanish friend also uses it and although it´s not perfect, is much closer than others.
Irene
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I bought a bottle of universal fertilizer the other day, here's the english instructions as printed on the bottle.
Use and Doses, A dose for 1/2 liter of water. To turn the bottle and to spill on the watering-can. To apply the mixture in irrigation or to pulverize.
Now where on earth did they get that translation from I wonder?
It's all good fun.
Take care, Febe
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why not just learn spanish
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I use google translator hardley ever makes amistake
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A much mixed response I am afraid. I tried the three on a lady friend who speaks fluent Latvian, Russian and German. She isn't pedantic; nor did she expect preciseness but she told me the translations, by all three, didn't make much sense when translated into those languages. So there you go - still a little way to go.
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Russian - English Translations, Copywriting and Ghostwiting. Check my Website or email keyboardcosmetics@gmail.com for details
www.keyboardcosmetics.com
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oh well do what u like i speak fluent spanish so i know google does it best suppose you will just havve to pay someone loadsa cash your choice im outa here fed up helpin
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It’s all very well saying learn Spanish but let’s be honest, many aren’t that good at expressing themselves in their own language. Website content of many UK firms is pitiable; as though written by a 12-year old who hasn’t been paying attention. Other than that, is there a need to learn Spanish?
Throughout Mediterranean Spain those who make an effort to learn Spanish are constantly disappointed when their attempts to communicate are rejected: “it’s alright; we speak English.’ It is very frustrating. I recall one lady saying: “If you moved to Wales you wouldn’t learn Welsh would you?”
I recall a story in one of the UK’s newspapers: A journalist visiting the Sol noticed a couple of old dears struggling through a menu. Thinking they were on holiday he leaned across and asked if he might help. They got chatting and he then learned that both had lived in Spain for over fifteen years. Amusing episodes aside, should we expect visitors to Spain to learn Spanish? That would sure kill off the tourist trade, which is so important to what’s left of the Spanish economy.
Learning Spanish would be recommended if you were to relocate to other than the Costas; the fact is that the language we know as English is an international language spoken by over 1 billion people; very few of them are British. I suppose it is one of the few rewards of being British or Irish.
Less than half this number speaks a form of Spanish, which is anyway confined mostly to rarely visited Central and Southern America. Wherever one goes in the world people of all nationalities, for their own purposes and benefit, speak English. I have heard many foreigners speak better English than those who are native to the UK and Ireland. Many expats refuse to learn Spanish as the only time they ever need to is during the occasional visit to their doctor, who can likely speak English but refuses to do so. It seems we English speakers can't win. When in England it was difficult to find a doctor who could speak English.
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Russian - English Translations, Copywriting and Ghostwiting. Check my Website or email keyboardcosmetics@gmail.com for details
www.keyboardcosmetics.com
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Spanish is the widest spoken language in the world learn it if you live in spain it will really make your life so much better
oh soz would need a bit of effort silly me
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chefette,
English is the most widely spoken language in the world (mainly because it's the official language of the USA). You should consider learning it. It would make your life so much better.
Oh sorry. That would need a bit of effort. Silly me.
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OH NO ITS NOT MOST SPOKEN CHINESE WIDEST SPOKEN SPANISH SECOND WIDEST ENGLISH GET YOUR FACTS RIGHT MATE
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OH AND IF YOU HADNT NOTICED I DO ENGLISH TOO
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You call this English?
oh well do what u like i speak fluent spanish so i know google does it best suppose you will just havve to pay someone loadsa cash your choice im outa here fed up helpin
God help us. For you to be boasting of your language ability is laughable; you clearly haven’t mastered English yet. Perhaps you are Spanish and your second language is English. If so you haven't mastered it at all. If you can speak Spanish I will put money on it that you didn’t learn it at a language school. You would have been advised to learn English before commencement.
An estimated 1.8bn people can get by in the English language. The Spanish language is spoken by just 500m and largely confined to the Spanish speaking peoples of Spain and Latin America. Spanish speakers are outnumbered almost four times by English speakers.
The English language is universal and recognized as the global international language of business. Try getting by in Mandarin outside of China. It is why our fellow Europeans, including the Spanish (and Mandarin speakers) tend to regard English as the most practical second language.
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www.keyboardcosmetics.com
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I WASNT BOASTING BUT STATING A FACT UNLIKE YOUR GOODSELF SPOUTING RUBBISH MAY THE LORD HAVE MERCY ON YOUR SOUL BECAUSE I WOULD'NT
OH AND THIS POST IS ABOUT TRANSLATIONS SO YOU SHOULD LEARN TO READ TOO This message was last edited by chefette22 on 20/06/2011.
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