What is the EASIEST and QUICKEST way to have a website translated into foreign languages for users on that site?
For example, users must be able to see the language (or flags) on the homepage so they can click and easily translate the site.
Good Answers (7)
Yeon H
Owner, Y New Media, Inc. / Internet E-Business, LLC. - Internet Consultant, RE Investor, Success Coach
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Grant, all of these answers are great. If I were you, I would use Google Translator. However, you many need to hack it so it does not show the Google banners. This is the cheapest and fastest solution not to mention that this makes the site SEO friendly.
I have done this for My-Jobs-Online.com. It has 42 language translations. Google indexes them all in thoses languages as well. At this time, about 8% of my users are using this translation feature. I guess it would be important to find out how much value it will provide to the end users before investing in translation tools.
Obviously, if you need to translate highly technical content or content with specific set of jargon, then you would need to have translated text versions and have the CMS display the content accordingly.
If you need help with your web site conversion, let me know.
Links:
Create an identical website.
Have someone from Mechanical Turk translate it.
Replace the original with the translations.
Create links to connect the two sites.
Links:
Geoff F
"Hands-on" Software Architect and Senior Developer
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Some web development platforms, notably .Net make this almost automatic, you simply follow a process that is defined.
The web server detects the default language as reported by the browser and then loads the correct resources for the right language. Alternatively the user can set a preference in their profile. If done correctly this is easy to implement and quick to take effect.
HTTP contains a value in the response that indicates the selected language for the browser. Clicking is not necessary.
Leonid L
Software Engineer at Linedata Services
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Automatic translators are still weak, and they are not smart enough to understand the intent yet. As someone who can speak two languages, I have to say that a knowledgeable HUMAN must translate the web site for you. They can use auto translators if they are lazy - to get the bulk of it right. However, if you get just one word in an important place (say, on a button) incorrectly, it can confuse the bag out of the visitors. Start with auto translator, leverage Geoff's suggestion, and then get someone native to QA it for you. Don't make the same mistake as Hilary Clinton!
Randall G
Web Developer and Project Manager at netsperience
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When I was in the film postproduction business, we used to say pick 2:
A. Have the project fast
B. Have the project cheap
C. Have the project good
Google can indeed translate your content, with varying degrees of correctness.
Drupal provides a means to auto-translate the interface for supported languages but someone still needs to enter the translated content.
I found a double translation to Thai and back to English that demonstrates some of the pitfalls of "automatic" translation:
"Dynamic database-driven sites hit embellish rattling popular, and relatively cushy to ordered up and administer, finished the ingest of Content Management Systems (CMS) and PHP server-side scripting. It’s also doable to create a fancy-looking place with lowercase actualised content, or automatically generated cipher that crapper alteration your SEO, much as binary URLs that pass aforementioned content."
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Charles L
Project Manager - development of Info. Tech. state of the art Web, Mobile and Wireless solutions
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Agree with Jim. However, you can purchase software to translate content. For instance from Serif and Systtran. Systran has a facility to do translation on the fly in addition to the usual page translation facility.
What I would say is that in my opinion both are good, however, you should always check the translation if you can. If you can't keep words in the content as simple as possible that way it reduces errors.
If by "website," you mean a relatively small, static site, then Shimon's strategy may work -- especially if content never or rarely changes.
Human translation of your content is essential if you're after an experience that will feel natural and "native" to targeted users. This can extend to national and regional "locale" variations in a given language -- spelling, vocabulary, grammar -- the classic example being American (U.S.) English versus British English. Always think of your local audiences, and try to think it through from their point of view -- especially if it's a commercial site.
If you're creating a dynamic web app, then you'll need to consider more than mere translation. You may need to consider fuller "internationalization/localization" of your site. If your site is database-driven, make sure your database supports and serves UTF-8. Depending on the languages you need to support, you may also face ltr/rtl design issues, and if you have forms -- especially forms for things like mailing/billing addresses -- you may have issues of what fields and field labels to use. And there can be additional design issues depending on the length and positioning of labels, widths of elements, etc. -- for example, German and Spanish can be significantly longer than English.
Finally, if at all possible have native speakers review the finished "translated" site. I know, _not_ so easy and quick. Sorry.
More Answers (5)
Sophia K
Information Technology and Services Consultant and Contractor, Owner, Technology Tailoring
The google translate applet is convenient to use and provided multiple language translations. These translations are generated by software and are not as good as translations done by a native speaker of the language in question, however, it does provide the gist to a user who would otherwise not be able to read the content. I've used it on one of my clients sites: http://www.bcss.org/category/resources/information-in-other-languages/ and there are applets with flags that can be used as well.
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Steve M
CEO of Accelerance, Inc. and author of Software without Borders
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Google Translate works pretty well to translate an entire page of a site.
If you want users to translate word at a time when they are learning a language or are a bit rusty then I recommend Lingro. They have a free plugin for Firefox that translates words with one click. Link below.
Links:
Tze-chiu L
Sr. Process/Systems Analyst, eLearning & Web Consultant, Instructional Designer.
Google Translate is easiest and cheapest.
If you want to do it right, then you'll need to open up your pocketbook and hire human translators.
Something you may also want to consider is chat software for your site that allows for translation. Even if you translate your site you will need to be able to communicate with those speaking other languages.
We've been using www.whoson.com and they have real time live chat translation. http://www.whoson.com/chattranslate.aspx is the page for this feature.
Whatever software you use to translate, Google or otherwise, find someone that understands the language to read through your pages to make sure it makes sense. We manufacture shutters and doors and almost always web site translators takes the word "shutters", as in the type you place over windows, and translates it in to the "shutter" like you would find on a camera. Without tweaking the pages would make no sense. One way around this is to use translation software that allows you to add yoru own words and definitions.
I hope this helps!
Jim
Babbelfish with translate entire pages at a time.
