Translating English Spanish English

[susie x]

Can any one help me.

I have just returned from a great trip to DR and have e.mail adrresses for a couple of people I befriended. My Spanish is poor and so is their English but we would like to stay in touch.

I was told there is a way of writing in one language and it being translated into another. Can anyone give me more info on this?

 

[Rocky]

Translating...

Option 1) is to try to use an actual electronic translator. This will only partially work at the best of times and if the person writing to you does not spell perfectly, it just won't work at all.
Option 2) is to have a professional translating service do it for you which will no doubt be quite costly and won't be very private.
Option 3) is to just send the correspondence in English and let the recipient find a friend who can translate and vice versa. This is what most people do.

 

[ricktoronto]

The Best Way, works every time is.............

Can any one help me.

I have just returned from a great trip to DR and have e.mail adrresses for a couple of people I befriended. My Spanish is poor and so is their English but we would like to stay in touch.

I was told there is a way of writing in one language and it being translated into another. Can anyone give me more info on this?

The electronic or online transltors don't do a very good job- electronic ones are word by word anyway and the online ones sound like a translation of a Japanese camera manual.

However there is a way that does not involved paying a translator (which is very costly) and is helpful if you are carrying on correspondence and/or phone calls with Spanish speakers, such as you are contemplating.

*********Learn Spanish*************

 

[susie x]

The electronic or online transltors don't do a very good job- electronic ones are word by word anyway and the online ones sound like a translation of a Japanese camera manual.

However there is a way that does not involved paying a translator (which is very costly) and is helpful if you are carrying on correspondence and/or phone calls with Spanish speakers, such as you are contemplating.

*********Learn Spanish*************

very funny thanks for your input!

 

[andy a]

The browser will translate it.

At least if you're using Opera.

Right click to get the translate option, then select what you want translated. It is done by Systran.

Online translations will have to do until something better shows up. Translations into/from Dominicanese aren't likely very precise anyway.

 

[chuckuindy]

Try this

I have found an interesting way to communicate with my friends in the DR as I speak little Spanish. My friends are too poor to go to the Internet Caf? so I call them once or twice per week. My cell service here in America allows me to call the (809) area code as part of my plan. If I have something important to say here is what I do.

1. Go to: http://world.altavista.com/ - Type in your message in English and it will translate it to Spanish. (25) words at a time
2. Copy and cut the Spanish translation
3. Go to: http://www.naturalvoices.att.com/demos/ - paste the Spanish message (25) words. Use the Rosa voice.
4. Save the file as a WAV.
5. Repeat the process until you have recorded your full message
6. Call the person you want to hear the message and play the output messages over your computer speakers.
I know this sounds silly, but it works very well if you have something to say.

Charlie

Can any one help me.

I have just returned from a great trip to DR and have e.mail adrresses for a couple of people I befriended. My Spanish is poor and so is their English but we would like to stay in touch.

I was told there is a way of writing in one language and it being translated into another. Can anyone give me more info on this?

 

[URock]

Originally Posted by ricktoronto

However there is a way that does not involved paying a translator (which is very costly) and is helpful if you are carrying on correspondence and/or phone calls with Spanish speakers, such as you are contemplating.

*********Learn Spanish*************

Wow, another excellent bit of advice. Just quickly run out and learn Spanish so you will be able to communicate. Why didn't she just think about that in the first place then there would be no need to start this thread?

 

[andy a]

Chuckuindy,

Wow, I'm impressed!

I see that you've just started posting. Are you sure that you're on the right board?

What's wrong with you anyway? Haven't you noticed that an overwhelming number of posts on this board deal with meaningless questions about "he said/she said", or "my place is better than yours", or people suffering from blackouts etc. singing about how that is part of "paradise", or someone with a political agenda?

The link that will synthesize speech is a great find! Thanks for sharing. I'll try it soon.

I don't recall Altavista restricting translations to 25 words though. Also, as I recall, it uses Systran - the same as the Opera browser uses with a simple click of the mouse.

The copying to a wav file (a .wma file would work too and be only about a tenth as big) is a good idea. As you say, it could then be played over speakers to be heard in the background over the phone. If one is using an internet based computer-to-tel service, though, he can simply mix it with his microphone output on his sound card.

Thanks again for the link.

 

[PICHARDO]

Can any one help me.

I have just returned from a great trip to DR and have e.mail adrresses for a couple of people I befriended. My Spanish is poor and so is their English but we would like to stay in touch.

I was told there is a way of writing in one language and it being translated into another. Can anyone give me more info on this?

Yes there is such a way indee:

It's called a friend will help you with it, one that knows Spanish as well as English!

 

[Scoobster]

Susie X

Can any one help me.

I have just returned from a great trip to DR and have e.mail adrresses for a couple of people I befriended. My Spanish is poor and so is their English but we would like to stay in touch.

I was told there is a way of writing in one language and it being translated into another. Can anyone give me more info on this?

Hey there.....

I just thought that I would give you the link to this site...as my daughter uses it for her French homework, and I noticed that it also has English to Spanish...and versa visa....

Have a great vacation...and the one thing that I can tell you is that the people of the DR will go out of their way to make you feel at home.

It feels great to donate!
Cheers
Jimmy

http://babelfish.altavista.com/babelfish/tr

 

[chuckuindy]

Sometimes is is hard to get a frient who speaks Spanish to tell someone in La Romana that you love her with all of your heart and you miis her warm body next to yours.

Yes there is such a way indee:

It's called a friend will help you with it, one that knows Spanish as well as English!

 

[chuckuindy]

Thanks Andy

Thanks Andy,

The 25 word limit is in the text-to-speach, Natural Voice. By using 25 words or less it makes my cut and paste simple. I find it a great tool in communication while I am learning Spanish.

Wow, I'm impressed!

I see that you've just started posting. Are you sure that you're on the right board?

What's wrong with you anyway? Haven't you noticed that an overwhelming number of posts on this board deal with meaningless questions about "he said/she said", or "my place is better than yours", or people suffering from blackouts etc. singing about how that is part of "paradise", or someone with a political agenda?

The link that will synthesize speech is a great find! Thanks for sharing. I'll try it soon.

I don't recall Altavista restricting translations to 25 words though. Also, as I recall, it uses Systran - the same as the Opera browser uses with a simple click of the mouse.

The copying to a wav file (a .wma file would work too and be only about a tenth as big) is a good idea. As you say, it could then be played over speakers to be heard in the background over the phone. If one is using an internet based computer-to-tel service, though, he can simply mix it with his microphone output on his sound card.

Thanks again for the link.

 

[Marianopolita]

Translations on-line

Susie x,

Listen, to be straightforward

I am official certified Translator- Spanish/ English and my heart skipped a beat every time I read that someone was suggesting an on-line translation website. Absolutely NOT. Whoever came up with those products are disgracing all languages. Those translations are horrible and 95% of time incorrect because they translate "word for word" and not the idea. If you use them all you will be doing is giving your friends in the Dominican a good hearty laugh. They may even need stitches they will laugh so hard.

My suggestion is similar to one mentioned. If you are looking to maintain contact from time to time with your friends write the letter in English (keep it simple) and surely enough someone who speaks a bit of English will translate for their friend. Or if you are not shy send me a private email and I would be happy to send you the Spanish equivalent.


Sincerely,

LDG

Can any one help me.

I have just returned from a great trip to DR and have e.mail adrresses for a couple of people I befriended. My Spanish is poor and so is their English but we would like to stay in touch.

I was told there is a way of writing in one language and it being translated into another. Can anyone give me more info on this?

 

[Red_Girl]

Hey there.....

I just thought that I would give you the link to this site...as my daughter uses it for her French homework, and I noticed that it also has English to Spanish...and versa visa....

Have a great vacation...and the one thing that I can tell you is that the people of the DR will go out of their way to make you feel at home.

It feels great to donate!
Cheers
Jimmy

http://babelfish.altavista.com/babelfish/tr

Just to let you know, babelfish makes quite a few mistakes in their translation. It is useful for very simple phrases and translating a word or two, and it is fairly ... understandable, at least. A word of caution for your daughter - having done my degree in French, I can tell you that teachers can spot an online translation from a mile away!

 

[JohnR]

another translator

Can any one help me.

I have just returned from a great trip to DR and have e.mail adrresses for a couple of people I befriended. My Spanish is poor and so is their English but we would like to stay in touch.

I was told there is a way of writing in one language and it being translated into another. Can anyone give me more info on this?

Another online translator is freetranslation.com, but as everyone here has mentioned, these translations are marginal at best. If you stick to short phrases, you can probably get your point across.

 

[ricktoronto]

You Want to Have Close Spanish Speaking Friends, then

Wow, another excellent bit of advice. Just quickly run out and learn Spanish so you will be able to communicate. Why didn't she just think about that in the first place then there would be no need to start this thread?

You have to learn Spanish. I can't understand how in absence of it you form friendships in person either, without being able to communicate thoughts.

It is not that hard to learn - in fact a bit of work with understanding verb conjugation (which is simple) and use of pronouns you can carry on a conversation accompanied by a dictionary or electronic translator for nouns. E-mail would be even simpler since you have the ability to take your time figuring it out, and dong so you learn more Spanish.

In any case everywhere in North America I am sure if you posted a want ad you could find a bilingual Spanish speaker to help you out - I found a Peruvian fellow here in Toronto (not a hotbed of Hispanics by any means) and at times he'd help me place calls but I found it easier to hit the books and get the language skills. And once a week we'd practice languages since he was learning verbal nouns and idioms in English. If I found someone to help here in Toronto, then in the USA there must be millions to do the same thing.

And this post from chuckuindy:

Sometimes is is hard to get a frient [sic] who speaks Spanish to tell someone in La Romana that you love her with all of your heart and you miis [sic] her warm body next to yours.

How you got to an "in love" relationship unable to actually talk to a person sounds unlikely. Even more reason to learn.

Most if not all online translators are powered by a non-pro version of Systran which is probably the smartest machine based translation out there and given simple sentences with non complicated nouns and tenses (and fastidious use of accents to form the right Spanish source words) it does a passable job for the gist of the sentences but it is far from perfect (as pointed out by several posters) and doesn't know slang. You can buy it for home use on a laptop as a start but it is pretty weak.

And native Spanish speakers are very patient with people who are learning and at least try to use the language.

 

[chuckuindy]

Rick is right.

Rick,
As you can tell by my spelling I am not the brightest star in the heavens. Sorry, sometimes I have fat fingers on the keyboard and forget to look before I send a message.

You are right, learning Spanish is the only answer. My problem was like most upper middle class white Americans I wanted instant success. I thought that in 10 days I could I could be a pro. Well it is not that easy. I started with Eurotalk ?Instant Immersion, Spanish?. I quickly learned about 600 words that allowed me to order food, do banking, ask directions, ect. Next I learned phrases like Cuanto cuesta?, La cuenta, por favor, Hable despacio por favor, Creo que s?, and others. By that time I was feeling real smart. I could speak more Spanish than all of my friends or family. So off I go to the DR. It seemed that I had learned very little. My biggest problem was that I did not pronounce words and phrases like a native speaker.

I have a good start but need to continue my educational process. For some reason I can understand sentences that are written in Spanish much better than I can say them. , but that is not enough. At 58 years old it will not be easy for me but I am committed to learn. Two things I believe will help me the most is to take a high school level Spanish class and befriend a local native speaker. Any other suggestions you have would be greatly appreciated

As for the love relationship, I have no answer. Somehow it is working and we are very happy learning each others language and sharing it with each other.

Charlie in Indianapolis

How you got to an "in love" relationship unable to actually talk to a person sounds unlikely. Even more reason to learn.

And native Spanish speakers are very patient with people who are learning and at least try to use the language.

 

[ricktoronto]

Two Tips

You are right, learning Spanish is the only answer.

Two things I believe will help me the most is to take a high school level Spanish class and befriend a local native speaker. Any other suggestions you have would be greatly appreciated

Good choices - one, classes with others and taught by Hispanic teachers are a great help - maybe not high school but there must be a Spanish school in Indy. We have three here and there are ot that many people who spek it so there must be more in a US city.

Two, study grammar and verb conjugation - there are a few good books that give you the rules for both and as they are essential ( yet a boring form of study) you can then apply the rules to most words, vs. learning from a vocabulary persepctive.

I recommend these: (Amazon links but they are as cheap as anyone else, so it's not an Amazon SPAM)

1. Teach Yourself Series: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...f=sr_1_1/103-0238532-7499012?v=glance&s=books

2. (Harder to find version) http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...f=sr_1_3/103-0238532-7499012?v=glance&s=books

3. T Y Verbs:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...f=sr_1_1/103-0238532-7499012?v=glance&s=books

4. Practice Makes Perfect Series : Verbs

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...f=sr_1_2/103-0238532-7499012?v=glance&s=books

5. And also PMP: Pronouns and Prepositions

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...t_1/103-0238532-7499012?v=glance&s=books&st=*

A 1/2 hour to an hour a day (and speak out your answers as you write) and on the plane you will be functional in a month.

I also recommend you travel with either a pocket dictionary or better the Franklin translator - Spanish Professor Series (DBE-1450 I use) that have huge vocabularies, will figure out words that you mistype when you are sounding one out you heard and they have great conjugation functions. Or if you use a Palm Pilot there are conjugation applications and dictionaries available to buy online and load. Better than books, particularly the Franklins due to the innumerable word count.

 

[susie x]

You have to learn Spanish. I can't understand how in absence of it you form friendships in person either, without being able to communicate thoughts.

It is not that hard to learn - in fact a bit of work with understanding verb conjugation (which is simple) and use of pronouns you can carry on a conversation accompanied by a dictionary or electronic translator for nouns. E-mail would be even simpler since you have the ability to take your time figuring it out, and dong so you learn more Spanish.

In any case everywhere in North America I am sure if you posted a want ad you could find a bilingual Spanish speaker to help you out - I found a Peruvian fellow here in Toronto (not a hotbed of Hispanics by any means) and at times he'd help me place calls but I found it easier to hit the books and get the language skills. And once a week we'd practice languages since he was learning verbal nouns and idioms in English. If I found someone to help here in Toronto, then in the USA there must be millions to do the same thing.

And this post from chuckuindy:



How you got to an "in love" relationship unable to actually talk to a person sounds unlikely. Even more reason to learn.

Most if not all online translators are powered by a non-pro version of Systran which is probably the smartest machine based translation out there and given simple sentences with non complicated nouns and tenses (and fastidious use of accents to form the right Spanish source words) it does a passable job for the gist of the sentences but it is far from perfect (as pointed out by several posters) and doesn't know slang. You can buy it for home use on a laptop as a start but it is pretty weak.

And native Spanish speakers are very patient with people who are learning and at least try to use the language.

I am not from the US I am from England and I never mentioned "in love" I said friends I would like to keep contact with

 

[ricktoronto]

Read it Again

I am not from the US I am from England and I never mentioned "in love" I said friends I would like to keep contact with

And since I am not from the US either and since that has no relevance anyway and since I was quoting and addressing chuckuindy who said he was (in love) , creo que no leiste que escrib? cuidadosamente, verdad? Exactemente.

For friends not lovers also, the advice stands.