gazjan

Hi,does anyone know how to translate whole documents on a pc.Is there any software i have to download and if so what is it called.
I thank you in advance.
Gary

EuroTrash

When you say "translate", do you mean do a machine translation?
Don't you just cut 'n' paste the document into googletranslate or whatever?
https://translate.google.fr/?hl=fr
https://www.deepl.com/translator
etc

If you're talking about becoming a translator and buying a CAT tool, that is a different question - but I doubt you'd be asking it on here if that were the case.

dmu

Hi, I used to translate "whole documents" in the good old-fashioned way on my computer!
If you mean machine-translate, be aware that the target language is often incorrect, out of context, and sometimes dangerously ambiguous, esp. for legal and technical texts. It depends on what the translation is needed for - if for general info then a machine-translation might pass, but for anything to be used professionally with legal consequences, a human being is always best and they'd take less time to translate than read through and correct a machine-translation!

EuroTrash

One check you can do if you are machine translating from EN to FR is, put the translated version into a different MT engine and translate it back into English. If you can't understand it or if the meaning has changed, you know you have a problem.
First time I tested googletranslate, it translated le port de Calais as 'the carrying of Calais'. It's got streets better since then, but it'll never be as good as a human brain because all it can do is produce a translation, it can't review what it has produced to see if it makes sense or not - which is an important part of the process.

dmu

Again, depending on why the OP needs a "whole document" (how long, in fact?) to be translated, and for what purpose, if it's from EN to FR surely a native French speaker should check whatever anyone/thing produces, for style and nuances, if not the correct meaning? I always used to refuse to translate into French unless it was verbally and to give the enquirer an idea of the content, and OH always checks through any "official" letters when I draft them myself.
Just call me old-fashioned (or simply old!), over-proud, and jealous of (not-so-)New Technology!

EuroTrash

I know, I agree, but so many Brits will write a letter in English, run it through a machine translator and whack the result straight off to whatever office in France it is destined for, and then complain that French organisations never reply to emails or letters. Often that is because the office is totally baffled by the letter so they file it in the bin.
However the OP hasn't said what he wants to translate so this may all be irrelevant.

Tweedpipe

As you rightly say ET, Google translate can throw up some real howlers.
I recall reading of a fast food chicken entrepreneur (not KFC) who came up with the slogan, 'It takes a tough man to make a tender chicken'. I can't remember in which language but one of the machine translations proposed, 'It takes a sexually stimulated man to make a chicken affectionate.' I presume he never used that - unless he wanted to attract a rather peculiar type of customer.......
Another belter was a sign in a tailors shop window on one of the Greek islands, catering especially for tourists, it read: 'Order your summers suit, because is big rush we will execute customers in strict rotation'. I can't help wondering whether Henri Landru got his suits made there.
The internet is no doubt packed with many Google howlers.
Fortunately I no longer have difficulty in speaking or undersanding French, but it's a different story when I have to put pen to paper or type out something in French, as I've had no formal education. Using LeBonCoin over the last few years has proved to be a great incentive. I now type out my query or answer to a potential buyer or seller in French, and before hitting 'send' I'll cut/paste the text into the French section of Google Translate. That usualy gives a reasonable translation back into English, and if happy with the result I'll send the message through LBCoin. Occasionally the English translation is not 100% correct, in which case I'll rephrase my French until the English translation looks correct. I detest sending off any message that is not absolutely correct, and on occasion I'll ask Mme TPipe to provide any particularly difficult correction.

Just for info, here's a basic tip for those planning to use Google translate. Frequently it will translate 'you' with the word 'tu' which one should never use when addressing a stranger or anyone else formaly. (If you know it's a child that's one exception to the rule). And on LBC, always add a polite 'cordialement' at the end of your message. I always hesitate in following up any LBC deal with a person who fails to add at the very least the related abbreviation 'cdlt' at the end of their message.

EuroTrash

I remember when I first tried Goggletranslate back in the day, it translated le port de Calais as the carrying of Calais so I wasn't impressed. But it has come on in leaps and bounds since then, it's almost scary how good it is now (well it is if you make your living from translating ) But it's even more scary that people put complete faith in it for important things and don't get it checked by a human brain.