The Many Faces of Google
As the web has spread across the world, more and more web pages are available in languages other than English. Google provides a translation link and language tools to enable you to read pages written in unfamiliar languages.
Google translates pages by computer. Machine translation is difficult to do well and tends not to be as clear as human translation. But it can give you the gist of what's written or suggestions for translating something into another language.
Your results may include a "Translate this page" link when a results page is written in a language different from your interface language (as specified by your Google Preferences, which is described in the next section). Your interface language is the language in which Google displays messages and labels, buttons, and tips on Google's home page and results page. You can translate pages written in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish into another language from that set.
Google's Language Tools overcome language barriers. Click on the "Language Tools" link to the right of the search box on Google's home page,
or visit www.google.com/language_tools, or select the Language Tools menu option in the Google Toolbar (in Part III, section Making Google Search Easier with Google Tools) to:
- Search for pages written in specific languages
- Search for pages located in specific countries
Search Specific Languages or Countries |
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- Translate any text or web page from a limited set of languages including English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, or Spanish into another language in that set.
- Use the Google interface in another language,
e.g., set Google's home page, messages and labels, and buttons to display in a specific language
Use the Google Interface in Your Language |
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Exercises These problems give you practice with translating words, pages, and results, and with finding pages in specific countries. For hints and answers to selected problems, see the Solutions page in the Appendix.
- Find out about public swimming pools that you can use when visiting Naples, Italy. Hint: Find the Italian words for "public swimming pool" and then search for them on pages in Italy.
- Find a reception hall, local caterer, disc jockey, and bartender that you can hire for a wedding reception at a small winery in Burgundy, France.
- Translate "I wish to mail a package. Where is the nearest post office? Thank you." into Spanish.
- Find the first chapter of Le Petit Prince online and have Google translate it into English. Compare this translation with the first chapter of The Little Prince translated by Katherine Woods, which you can find online if you don't have a handy copy of this wonderful children's book.
- Restrict your search to France and search for pages in English on the war in Iraq.