Translation Tools for Translating Any Language

Using Free Translation Tools

Free translation tools use computer software to provide an automatic translation of your text. There are many reasons you may wish to use free translation tools. For example:

• You can quickly obtain the results you need, since most free tools provide a translation within seconds.
• When you don’t need a precise translation, the results from a free service should provide enough information for you to develop a general understanding of the text.
• If you’re on a tight budget, hiring a professional translator may simply not be a realistic option for your project.

Finding Free Translation Tools Online

If you are in need of free online language translation tools, check out the following helpful resources:

• YourDictionary.com offers translations of words and phrases in English, French, Spanish, German, or Italian. Type the desired word or phrase into the search box and select a language from the pull-down menu.
• Babel Fish Translation is an easy to use tool for translating small blocks of text or web pages written in a foreign language. Website owners also have the option of adding the Babel Fish tool to their own content.
• ImTranslator has a number of language options that make it easy to translate your text. Some of the many languages available include Russian, Portuguese, Korean, Chinese, and Japanese
• PROMT has a free text translation tool for English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and Russian translations.
• Translation Booth provides machine-translated text in a number of languages, including Arabic, Greek, Latin, and Vietnamese.
• Excite lets you translate between Japanese and English.
• WordLingo provides free translations of up to 150 words, plus an additional paid translation service.
• FreeTranslation.com offers a free translation service for simple text translations in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Dutch, Russian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Chinese, and Japanese. As an added bonus, a paid service is available for longer or more complicated translations.
• Local Translation offers both free and paid translation services.

Working with a Professional Translator

Although free translation tools can provide acceptable results for simple translations, there are several reasons you may want to consider hiring a professional translator. For example:

• A professional translator has devoted years of intensive study to developing his/her language skills. This expertise can be invaluable for large or complex translation projects.
• A professional translator has an understanding of slang, colloquial expressions, and words with multiple meanings. In comparison, machine-translated text does not recognize these subtleties.
• Work done by a professional translator will not contain the small grammatical errors that are commonly found in pages translated using free online software tools.
• If you are working in an industry that uses specific terminology, such as the banking or insurance fields, you can find a professional translator with expertise in these areas.

Hiring a Professional Translator

Before you decide to hire a translator for your project, there are a number of questions you may want to ask. For example:

• Do you work alone or as part of a larger translation company?
• How did you develop your language skills?
• What is your previous translation experience?
• Can you provide references from past clients?
• How do you determine your rates for a particular project? What payment methods do you accept?
• How soon will I receive my translation?

If you’re having trouble finding a translator in your area, some of the many professional organizations that can direct you to a reputable translator include:

• American Translators Association
• Society of Translators and Interpreters of British Columbia
• Association of Translators and Interpreters of Ontario
• Canadian Translators, Terminologists & Interpreters Council