Translating Eng to Spanish using Word 2002

Hi,

If you want more help about Microsoft Word, you might want to pose your questions to the Office
Gurus here:

microsoft.public.word.application.errors
microsoft.public.word.conversions

--

Anando
Microsoft MVP- Windows Shell/User
Microsoft Certified Professional
http://www.microsoft.com/mvp
http://www.mvps.org

Folder customizations
http://newdelhi.sancharnet.in/minku

Protect your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/protect


"Secretary In Need" <Secretary In Need@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:4B3A5C62-9937-4E16-8AD3-0F1846799E74@microsoft.com...

>I work in a school in NYC where we constantly send out letters to parents and
> the community in English and Spanish. In the past we have always had to find
> someone to translate the english letter to spanish hand written letter. Then
> one of the office staff must type the letter. But we have noticed that on
> Microsoft Word 2002 there is a function to "translate" your document.
> However we are not having any luck with it. We keep getting a pop-up asking
> us to insert the the Microsoft XP Standard Disc to install the component for
> language settings. We do not have that disc on hand - is there another way
> we can activate the "translation" component of our Word 2002? It would save
> us a lot of time if we could type a letter, highlight it and click "translate
> to spanish" - work would be much easier.
>
> Thank you
> M. Ocasio

Hmm....interesting ;-)

--

Anando
Microsoft MVP- Windows Shell/User
Microsoft Certified Professional
http://www.microsoft.com/mvp
http://www.mvps.org

Folder customizations
http://newdelhi.sancharnet.in/minku

Protect your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/protect


"Mike Hall" <mike.hall.mail@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
news:u41XfWZ%23EHA.2452@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...

> You would do well to stay with the system whereby you find somebody to translate.. online
> translation services are not reliable enough, and you could well find your company being
> compromised by a simple misunderstanding brought about by inaccurate translation..
>
> I know of a small British owned company in Spain that invented and made a really good product..
> they wanted it to sell across Europe, so had printed one thousand packaging boxes and
> instructions.. to save money, they used an online translator to formulate the German, French,
> Dutch and Portuguese translations.. obviously, English and Spanish were no problem.. one day, a
> guy came along to look at the product production line, and was shown a box.. he started to laugh
> as he read the text on the box.. he translated into English the Portuguese text.. now everybody
> was laughing except the company accountant, who only the day before had paid for the boxes..
>
> A more serious situation than instructions on how to work an intrinsically simple device could
> have lead to litigation and a fight..
>
> --
> Mike Hall
> MVP - Windows Shell/user
>
>
>
> "Secretary In Need" <Secretary In Need@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:4B3A5C62-9937-4E16-8AD3-0F1846799E74@microsoft.com...

>>I work in a school in NYC where we constantly send out letters to parents and
>> the community in English and Spanish. In the past we have always had to find
>> someone to translate the english letter to spanish hand written letter. Then
>> one of the office staff must type the letter. But we have noticed that on
>> Microsoft Word 2002 there is a function to "translate" your document.
>> However we are not having any luck with it. We keep getting a pop-up asking
>> us to insert the the Microsoft XP Standard Disc to install the component for
>> language settings. We do not have that disc on hand - is there another way
>> we can activate the "translation" component of our Word 2002? It would save
>> us a lot of time if we could type a letter, highlight it and click "translate
>> to spanish" - work would be much easier.
>>
>> Thank you
>> M. Ocasio

>
>

Anando

There is one online translator I have looked at recently that acquits itself
reasonably well, but in a business scenario, I doubt that it would be
acceptable..

If I could find the link, I would share it with you.. will look it out..

--
Mike Hall
MVP - Windows Shell/user



"Anando [MS-MVP]" <anando@mvps.org> wrote in message
news:ujvb89d%23EHA.3120@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...

> Hmm....interesting ;-)
>
> --
>
> Anando
> Microsoft MVP- Windows Shell/User
> Microsoft Certified Professional
> http://www.microsoft.com/mvp
> http://www.mvps.org
>
> Folder customizations
> http://newdelhi.sancharnet.in/minku
>
> Protect your PC!
> http://www.microsoft.com/protect
>
>
> "Mike Hall" <mike.hall.mail@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
> news:u41XfWZ%23EHA.2452@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...

>> You would do well to stay with the system whereby you find somebody to
>> translate.. online translation services are not reliable enough, and you
>> could well find your company being compromised by a simple
>> misunderstanding brought about by inaccurate translation..
>>
>> I know of a small British owned company in Spain that invented and made a
>> really good product.. they wanted it to sell across Europe, so had
>> printed one thousand packaging boxes and instructions.. to save money,
>> they used an online translator to formulate the German, French, Dutch and
>> Portuguese translations.. obviously, English and Spanish were no
>> problem.. one day, a guy came along to look at the product production
>> line, and was shown a box.. he started to laugh as he read the text on
>> the box.. he translated into English the Portuguese text.. now everybody
>> was laughing except the company accountant, who only the day before had
>> paid for the boxes..
>>
>> A more serious situation than instructions on how to work an
>> intrinsically simple device could have lead to litigation and a fight..
>>
>> --
>> Mike Hall
>> MVP - Windows Shell/user
>>
>>
>>
>> "Secretary In Need" <Secretary In Need@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote
>> in message news:4B3A5C62-9937-4E16-8AD3-0F1846799E74@microsoft.com...

>>>I work in a school in NYC where we constantly send out letters to parents
>>>and
>>> the community in English and Spanish. In the past we have always had to
>>> find
>>> someone to translate the english letter to spanish hand written letter.
>>> Then
>>> one of the office staff must type the letter. But we have noticed that
>>> on
>>> Microsoft Word 2002 there is a function to "translate" your document.
>>> However we are not having any luck with it. We keep getting a pop-up
>>> asking
>>> us to insert the the Microsoft XP Standard Disc to install the component
>>> for
>>> language settings. We do not have that disc on hand - is there another
>>> way
>>> we can activate the "translation" component of our Word 2002? It would
>>> save
>>> us a lot of time if we could type a letter, highlight it and click
>>> "translate
>>> to spanish" - work would be much easier.
>>>
>>> Thank you
>>> M. Ocasio

>>
>>

>
>

"Mike Hall" <mike.hall.mail@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
news:u41XfWZ#EHA.2452@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
| You would do well to stay with the system whereby you find somebody to
| translate.. online translation services are not reliable enough, and you
| could well find your company being compromised by a simple
misunderstanding
| brought about by inaccurate translation..
|
| I know of a small British owned company in Spain that invented and made a
| really good product.. they wanted it to sell across Europe, so had printed
| one thousand packaging boxes and instructions.. to save money, they used
an
| online translator to formulate the German, French, Dutch and Portuguese
| translations.. obviously, English and Spanish were no problem.. one day, a
| guy came along to look at the product production line, and was shown a
box..
| he started to laugh as he read the text on the box.. he translated into
| English the Portuguese text.. now everybody was laughing except the
company
| accountant, who only the day before had paid for the boxes..
|
| A more serious situation than instructions on how to work an intrinsically
| simple device could have lead to litigation and a fight..
|
| --
| Mike Hall
| MVP - Windows Shell/user
|
|
|
| "Secretary In Need" <Secretary In Need@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in
| message news:4B3A5C62-9937-4E16-8AD3-0F1846799E74@microsoft.com...
| >I work in a school in NYC where we constantly send out letters to parents
| >and
| > the community in English and Spanish. In the past we have always had to
| > find
| > someone to translate the english letter to spanish hand written letter.
| > Then
| > one of the office staff must type the letter. But we have noticed that
on
| > Microsoft Word 2002 there is a function to "translate" your document.
| > However we are not having any luck with it. We keep getting a pop-up
| > asking
| > us to insert the the Microsoft XP Standard Disc to install the component
| > for
| > language settings. We do not have that disc on hand - is there another
| > way
| > we can activate the "translation" component of our Word 2002? It would
| > save
| > us a lot of time if we could type a letter, highlight it and click
| > "translate
| > to spanish" - work would be much easier.
| >
| > Thank you
| > M. Ocasio
|

Good advice. The main problem with translating software is that for the most
part, it just does word-for-word translation and knows nothing about
grammar, syntax and idiomatic usage. While it might be possible to translate
a document in this way with the result being understandable, it will
probably look like it was composed by someone semi-literate.

.. trust me.. it does..

--
Mike Hall
MVP - Windows Shell/user



"Raymond J. Johnson Jr." <RayJay@nospam.org> wrote in message
news:OgTDUFk%23EHA.208@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...

>
> "Mike Hall" <mike.hall.mail@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
> news:u41XfWZ#EHA.2452@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
> | You would do well to stay with the system whereby you find somebody to
> | translate.. online translation services are not reliable enough, and you
> | could well find your company being compromised by a simple
> misunderstanding
> | brought about by inaccurate translation..
> |
> | I know of a small British owned company in Spain that invented and made
> a
> | really good product.. they wanted it to sell across Europe, so had
> printed
> | one thousand packaging boxes and instructions.. to save money, they used
> an
> | online translator to formulate the German, French, Dutch and Portuguese
> | translations.. obviously, English and Spanish were no problem.. one day,
> a
> | guy came along to look at the product production line, and was shown a
> box..
> | he started to laugh as he read the text on the box.. he translated into
> | English the Portuguese text.. now everybody was laughing except the
> company
> | accountant, who only the day before had paid for the boxes..
> |
> | A more serious situation than instructions on how to work an
> intrinsically
> | simple device could have lead to litigation and a fight..
> |
> | --
> | Mike Hall
> | MVP - Windows Shell/user
> |
> |
> |
> | "Secretary In Need" <Secretary In Need@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote
> in
> | message news:4B3A5C62-9937-4E16-8AD3-0F1846799E74@microsoft.com...
> | >I work in a school in NYC where we constantly send out letters to
> parents
> | >and
> | > the community in English and Spanish. In the past we have always had
> to
> | > find
> | > someone to translate the english letter to spanish hand written
> letter.
> | > Then
> | > one of the office staff must type the letter. But we have noticed
> that
> on
> | > Microsoft Word 2002 there is a function to "translate" your document.
> | > However we are not having any luck with it. We keep getting a pop-up
> | > asking
> | > us to insert the the Microsoft XP Standard Disc to install the
> component
> | > for
> | > language settings. We do not have that disc on hand - is there
> another
> | > way
> | > we can activate the "translation" component of our Word 2002? It
> would
> | > save
> | > us a lot of time if we could type a letter, highlight it and click
> | > "translate
> | > to spanish" - work would be much easier.
> | >
> | > Thank you
> | > M. Ocasio
> |
>
> Good advice. The main problem with translating software is that for the
> most
> part, it just does word-for-word translation and knows nothing about
> grammar, syntax and idiomatic usage. While it might be possible to
> translate
> a document in this way with the result being understandable, it will
> probably look like it was composed by someone semi-literate.
>
>