The new Translate app launched this week, promising instant translation by using phones' cameras to interpret different languages into English. According to Google, this will take us closer 'to a world where language is no longer a barrier.'
The Translate app can decipher French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Russian, and with more languages apparently in the pipeline. Google said the new app should offer better conversation between languages, and is said to allow seamless chat between people. The Guardian's Adam Gabbatt put the app's translation skills to the test in New York City
How to use Google Translate
Translate text instantly
- Visit translate.google.com
- Select your languages for translation. If you aren't sure what language you're attempting to translate, click the Detect language button. (The accuracy of the automatic language detection increases with the amount of text entered.)
- Start typing and the translation will appear instantly
Note: You'll need to have JavaScript enabled to take advantage of our instant translation feature. If you do not have JavaScript, you can click the Translate button to trigger a translation. To turn off instant translations, click Turn off instant translation at the bottom-left of the page.
Read and listen to your translation
For many languages, you may also see a speaker button near the translated text which you can click to hear a spoken version of your translation.
Dictionary results
When you translate a single word or a common phrase, you may see a simple dictionary underneath the translation indicating parts of speech and possible alternative translations. Next to each dictionary entry, you'll see a corresponding set of reverse translations back into the original language. The bar next to each entry indicates how commonly that particular translation is used on the Web.
Translate words or phrases by voice
Often the easiest way to enter your translation is to speak it, especially if you aren’t sure of the spelling for the word or phrase. Follow the instructions below to translate by voice:
- Click the microphone icon in the input box
- Speak the word or phrase you want to translate
- Click outside of the input box or on the microphone icon to finish recording
Save your translations in your phrasebook
Click the star icon next to your translation to add it to your phrasebook. Your phrasebook is synced to your Google Account, so you can have quick and easy access to your saved translations, no matter if you’re accessing Google Translate from a web browser or using the Google Translate Android app.
The big limitation and potential deal-breaker for some people is the fact that the Google Translate app only works when you are online. It is basically an interface that plugs into Google’s servers and so you need a mobile data or Wi-Fi connection to use it. The only caveat is the fact you can tap the drop down menu at the top of the main screen where it says Translate by default and change it to History or Favorites. That gives you access to all of the translations you’ve completed previously, so with some preparation, the app can still be useful with no internet access. Once you have a long history, you might prefer to use the Favorites. You can add translations to your Favorites by tapping the small star at the top right and it will turn yellow to confirm that the entry has been added.
REFERENCES
digitaltrends.com
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