Translation Software

HRH

Can any of you recommend a software program that accurately translates from English to Spanish? The key word would be ACCURATELY. Thanks!

HRCalico

My opinion is that unfotunately there is no such thing. Even the best ones still absolutely require a person to look over it. Plus, think about the differences in English between America, England, Ireland, Australia, etc. A word can mean completely different things to people from different countries or even different regions within the same country. (There is a little town in Colorado that speaks a dialect of Spanish found nowhere else in the world!)

And finding someone to look it over can be equally difficult. I have worked with many bilingual people, and depending on their schooling, they may speak and understand Spanish perfectly but their writing structure is awful! (versus me, who learned it in school and can conjugate verbs with the best of them. I just haven't a clue what the verbs mean.)

So, I'm afraid there is no easy answer. Would there be someone at a local university that you could contact, or at least ask them to refer you on? They might also have some software suggestions that you could do the legwork on to run your documents through and then you could pay someone to look them over. Finally, I have found that things translate much easier when you write them thinking in Spanish. That may seem odd, but if you know how things will translate (or come to a screeching halt in the translation) it really helps. Good luck!

HRH

Many thanks for your good advice. This is what I feared, but thought I would check with the Forum. I heard this week that Microsoft is coming out with a machine that would instantly translate numerous languages - particularly helpful in Emergency Rooms, etc. Perhaps someday the technology will be there for HR!

E Wart

I have Easy Translator vs 4 (SDL International PLC/Transparent Language/Soft Art Inc is producer). It is ok for very small, a few lines type of thing. Other items I have had to get our employees to review and update for me. There are just too many words in our language that don't translate well and especially in our business.
Good luck.
(PS This isn't expensive if you just want something simple. I think I ordered over the internet.)
E Wart

Open1

I'm in the same boat - can translate on paper but verbally very slow. I've used [url]www.freetranslation.com[/url] for newsletter articles to get a rough translation into Spanish (saves time on the typing), but it is necessary to carefully edit it because there are usually multiple errors - many things don't translate directly. For me, it's faster than starting from scratch and having to look some words up in the dictionary.

Cal HR Vet

Besides currently being an HR Director, I have done many translations, both on technical and legal topics at the professional level, since I am certified as English-Spanish translator by the American Translators Association. I have tested verious translation softwares in the past and none of them have proven to be totally effectively. As a user of any of them, you would still have to know what errors or discrepancies to look for as result of using any of these software products. If interested, send me your email and I will contact you directly on this matter.