Ray Aldridge on wed 24 nov 99
One thing that's bothered me about my site is that, since I speak no
language other than English well enough to translate my pages, my stuff is
only viewable in English.
I've known for years about the Babelfish site sponsored by Altavista, but
for some reason it didn't occur to me that I might be able to use it to
provide on-demand translation of my pages.
However, it finally did occur to me that Babelfish might have some way to
pass parameters from a link on my site, so that visitors to my site could
go to Babelfish and get my pages translated. Well, so it has.
Read about it at:
http://doc.altavista.com/help/search/babel_faq.shtml
I've set up links to translate my home page into French, Spanish, Italian,
Portuguese and German. Anyone who speaks those languages, I'd really
appreciate feedback on how useful the Babelfish translation actually is. I
know that when I try to translate a page from some other language into
English, the results are often pretty silly. There are other drawbacks to
this solution, since clicking the link on my page takes you to an
intermediate page, where you have to click a "Translate" button before you
get the translation. Also, the messages letting people know that
translations are available get messed up, because Babelfish thinks they're
in English and tries to translate them. other things could happen-- for
example, inline links might be attached to the wrong phrase. And there's a
5K limit on text translated per page, though you can cut and paste
additional text, if necessary.
Still, it's free, and it may be better than nothing, so I thought I'd pass
it on. I should add a caveat that if you do this, you should frequently
check to see that it still works, because Babelfish can't notify you of
changes to their service.
A fun thing to do is have your page translated into a foreign language,
then copy a section of the translation back into the plain text box at
Babelfish, and translate it back into English. If you can make a little
sense out of it, then the service is probably useful.
Ray
Aldridge Porcelain and Stoneware
http://www.goodpots.com
Richard Jeffery on thu 25 nov 99
It's French, Ray, but not as we know it...
Actually I was surprised at how good a job it does, considering. I seem to
have marked homework like that once or twice. It's what you get from a
literal word by word translation - find word, look up in dictionary, write
down, repeat. Grammar very poor - no attempt to link plural subject to
plural form of verb, etc. A great deal of it is actually OK - I think if
you're a potter, and if you have a grasp of both the original and the
target language, you can make all of it out. Not sure how it would work for
a monolingual potential customer just wanting to buy a pot.
I do applaud your multi-lingual approach (pots are good, too) - but would
like to think Clayart might find enough translators within itself to do a
better job?
Still, time is money - and volunteers seem harder to come by these days.
There is real danger in this approach - beware very literal French burglars
trying to jemmy open your dishwasher-safe crockery.....
Richard
Bournemouth UK
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ceramic Arts Discussion List
> [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU]On Behalf
> Of Ray Aldridge
> Sent: 24 November 1999 14:02
> To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU
> Subject: Web site translation
>
>
> ----------------------------Original
> message----------------------------
> One thing that's bothered me about my site is that, since I speak no
> language other than English well enough to translate my
> pages, my stuff is
> only viewable in English.
>
> I've known for years about the Babelfish site sponsored by
> Altavista, but
> for some reason it didn't occur to me that I might be able to
> use it to
> provide on-demand translation of my pages.
>
> However, it finally did occur to me that Babelfish might have
> some way to
> pass parameters from a link on my site, so that visitors to
> my site could
> go to Babelfish and get my pages translated. Well, so it has.
>
> Read about it at:
>
> http://doc.altavista.com/help/search/babel_faq.shtml
>
> I've set up links to translate my home page into French,
> Spanish, Italian,
> Portuguese and German. Anyone who speaks those languages, I'd really
> appreciate feedback on how useful the Babelfish translation
> actually is. I
> know that when I try to translate a page from some other language into
> English, the results are often pretty silly. There are other
> drawbacks to
> this solution, since clicking the link on my page takes you to an
> intermediate page, where you have to click a "Translate"
> button before you
> get the translation. Also, the messages letting people know that
> translations are available get messed up, because Babelfish
> thinks they're
> in English and tries to translate them. other things could
> happen-- for
> example, inline links might be attached to the wrong phrase.
> And there's a
> 5K limit on text translated per page, though you can cut and paste
> additional text, if necessary.
>
> Still, it's free, and it may be better than nothing, so I
> thought I'd pass
> it on. I should add a caveat that if you do this, you should
> frequently
> check to see that it still works, because Babelfish can't
> notify you of
> changes to their service.
>
> A fun thing to do is have your page translated into a foreign
> language,
> then copy a section of the translation back into the plain text box at
> Babelfish, and translate it back into English. If you can
> make a little
> sense out of it, then the service is probably useful.
>
> Ray
>
>
> Aldridge Porcelain and Stoneware
> http://www.goodpots.com
>
Monique Duclos on fri 26 nov 99
Hi Ray,
I did go on your web page to check the french part of it and I'm sorry to
say it is terrible, really a jock . I couldn't stop laughing and not because
it was funny, I know that my English is not very good but I hope I can
express myself better in English than the job they did in french on your
page. My opinion, don't use it for the french part for sure ,I don't know
about the other language!
@micalement
Monique
Monique Duclos
mduclos@hotmail.com
3757 Boul des Fondateurs
St-Isidore Nouveau-Brunswick
Canada E8M 1B5
URL: http://www.angelfire.com/mo/pmdv
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
One thing that's bothered me about my site is that, since I speak no
language other than English well enough to translate my pages, my stuff is
only viewable in English.
I've known for years about the Babelfish site sponsored by Altavista, but
for some reason it didn't occur to me that I might be able to use it to
provide on-demand translation of my pages.
However, it finally did occur to me that Babelfish might have some way to
pass parameters from a link on my site, so that visitors to my site could
go to Babelfish and get my pages translated. Well, so it has.
Read about it at:
http://doc.altavista.com/help/search/babel_faq.shtml
I've set up links to translate my home page into French, Spanish, Italian,
Portuguese and German. Anyone who speaks those languages, I'd really
appreciate feedback on how useful the Babelfish translation actually is. I
know that when I try to translate a page from some other language into
English, the results are often pretty silly. There are other drawbacks to
this solution, since clicking the link on my page takes you to an
intermediate page, where you have to click a "Translate" button before you
get the translation. Also, the messages letting people know that
translations are available get messed up, because Babelfish thinks they're
in English and tries to translate them. other things could happen-- for
example, inline links might be attached to the wrong phrase. And there's a
5K limit on text translated per page, though you can cut and paste
additional text, if necessary.
Still, it's free, and it may be better than nothing, so I thought I'd pass
it on. I should add a caveat that if you do this, you should frequently
check to see that it still works, because Babelfish can't notify you of
changes to their service.
A fun thing to do is have your page translated into a foreign language,
then copy a section of the translation back into the plain text box at
Babelfish, and translate it back into English. If you can make a little
sense out of it, then the service is probably useful.
Ray
Aldridge Porcelain and Stoneware
http://www.goodpots.com
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
Martin Howard on fri 26 nov 99
Ray, why not put a link for Esperanto as well. Babel-fish copes with the
international language, although not very well.
>From my experience with it, I would not trust it to really get your point
across.
Still, it may be better in some languages than others. Let's see what your
viewers say on that point.
But try Esperanto. It does reach those parts that others do not, and then
local Esperantists will hopefully translate your information into their own
language and act as foci for bringing you back the answers/responses that
you want.
Martin Howard
Quaker Esperanto Service
Webbs Cottage Pottery
Woolpits Road
Great Saling
BRAINTREE
Essex CM7 5DZ
martin@webbscottage.co.uk
Ray Aldridge on sun 28 nov 99
At 02:59 PM 11/26/99 EST, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Hi Ray,
>I did go on your web page to check the french part of it and I'm sorry to
>say it is terrible, really a jock . I couldn't stop laughing and not because
>it was funny, I know that my English is not very good but I hope I can
>express myself better in English than the job they did in french on your
>page. My opinion, don't use it for the french part for sure ,I don't know
>about the other language!
I feared as much. Of course, it is a machine and not a person, so perhaps
we must put up with a degree of hilarity. French is a subtle language, I'm
told, and I've noticed that francophones have higher standards regarding
the efforts of non-native speakers of the language than folk from other
linguistic backgrounds. I long ago had a girlfriend from Quebec named
Ruth, and I was never able to pronounce her name without amusing her
tremendously. It was a brief relationship.
Ray
Aldridge Porcelain and Stoneware
http://www.goodpots.com
Monique Duclos on mon 29 nov 99
Hi Ray,
This was certainly just my opinion of a translation of a text. From what I
could understand, that what you wanted ? I think the idea there is great,
If we want our web page to be view by the most people possible ,to have it
translate in different language, it is a very good idea !I think this is a
bit like for a movie, I myself prefer to see it in his original version,
when it is possible and when it's a language that I understand . But when I
see it translate or subtitle , I want it to be as close has possible has the
original or I'm very disappoint and I think you would agree with me on that
.
So if I would be on your web page and see that you have it translate in my
language, I will try it for sure ,because it is much easier for me , but
from what I read I know that I would go back to English and that's probably
what everybody who check your page from clayart would do! If I didn't know
English at all, I would juste laugh and leave and it would be the souvenir
I'll remember from your page, not the great talent you have of doing pots ,
but the bizarre language that was written there !
I didn't know that we francophones 'have higher standards regarding the
efforts of non-native speakers of the language than folk from other
linguistic backgrounds.' !! Myself having made the effort to learn a
second and I wish a third language , I can understand the difficulty there,
and always appreciate the effort that anyone does to speak to me in my
language and I think I can tell that Canadien generally are like that , very
tolerant. !! I guess you where just not lucky with your ex ! :-( (Isn't
Ruth and English name ?)
It took me I lot of time and energy to write those line and my reward is
only where I know that I learn maybe a bit more your language and that ,the
next time I be writing in English I hope it will be easier because of you !
Thank you Ray
A la prochaine!!
Monique Duclos
Nouveau-Brunswick
Canada
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Hi Ray,
>I did go on your web page to check the french part of it and I'm sorry to
>say it is terrible, really a jock . I couldn't stop laughing and not
because
>it was funny, I know that my English is not very good but I hope I can
>express myself better in English than the job they did in french on your
>page. My opinion, don't use it for the french part for sure ,I don't know
>about the other language!
I feared as much. Of course, it is a machine and not a person, so perhaps
we must put up with a degree of hilarity. French is a subtle language, I'm
told, and I've noticed that francophones have higher standards regarding
the efforts of non-native speakers of the language than folk from other
linguistic backgrounds. I long ago had a girlfriend from Quebec named
Ruth, and I was never able to pronounce her name without amusing her
tremendously. It was a brief relationship.
Ray
Aldridge Porcelain and Stoneware
http://www.goodpots.com
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
Martin Howard on mon 29 nov 99
It may be better to only use machine translations for getting a list of the
basic words to use. Then put in the proper grammar, word order etc. That
would help us cut down translation time, as most time is taken looking up
the most exact root for the needed thought form.
About 10 years ago, a group of computer experts in Belgium created a program
for helping the European Parliament save money in translation by putting
Esperanto as the central computer language into which everything went and
came out the other side. The person doing the translation sat at the input
end of the process and had to answer question like "What do you mean by
****?" "Chose from the following list." After that the computer translated
it automatically into its version of Esperanto and out the other end into
the final national language, without further human attention.
Unfortunately the government stopped the funding and so, like so many good
ideas, it faded away, but not until they had successfully tested it. Perhaps
it is even now part of one or several of the machine translation programs.
Martin Howard
Webbs Cottage Pottery
Woolpits Road
Great Saling
BRAINTREE
Essex CM7 5DZ
martin@webbscottage.co.uk
| |
|
