Different Translation Sites

[Martin]

There are always questions about what sites offer translation services.  Here is a list I have pulled from some threads.

http://www.linguatec.net/ ....use the "Test For Free" box.

http://imtranslator.com/default.asp ...It will translate back so you can see if it is what you wanted to say

http://qq.bur.st/qqtranslator.php ...This site will write the Chinese Pinyin if you want to try and learn to say the words.

http://www.mdbg.net/chindict/chindict.php ...It can break down a sentence in Mandarin to individual words, and when you click on the speaker, a recording plays so you know how to SAY the word

http://translate.google.com ...Google's free translation.  Not always accurate, but easy to use

http://babelfish.yahoo.com/ ...Yahoo's free translation.  Good to use in conjunction with Google's translation site.

http://www.systranet.com/ ...it is the one that when installed will still work with no internet connection.
You must buy that version. But it is free to use the net version no install needed.

[Jimmy]

Don't forget to add   http://www.systranet.com/  it is the one that when installed will still work with no internet connection.
You must buy that version. But it is free to use the net version no install needed.

Which one is the best you ask? Well like women they are all different. Try them all and choose your own favorite.  Not a bad idea to bookmark all of them.
I have used all of them. And still use different ones for the different applications I have need of one.

[Pineau]

I just read about this translation tool for your iPhone.  http://ht.ly/3asl1
Dictionary and phrasebook provide questions, requests and complaints for nearly every type of daily situation. Different from other phrasebook apps, yochina lets the user complete phrase patterns so that the number of producible sentences goes into the millions. The Chinese sentences are presented in writing, as speech and in the official transliteration Pinyin. Translations are always correct and appropriate for the specific situation.

Anyone got an iPhone?  Maybe give it a try and report back to the forum.

[Pineau]

Yesterday I downloaded a free application from google into my Samsung Captiva (Galaxy S) cell phone. It is a translate anylanguage to anyotherlanguage application. Here is the cool part. You can ask a question or speak a phrase into the phone in English and it will translate what you just said into Chinese characters and pinyin and if you want,  speak back the translation to you. You can then send the translation in a text message or email. This is a cool application for any phone using the Android OS. Amazing technology, it just keeps getting better, and it was free. I also put QQ on it so I can send QQ messages from the supermarket if I need to. 

[David S]

This site is not so much for translation, more of a dictionary.  The thing I like about it is if you see a Chinese character you don't know, you can draw it out, it will interpret it and you select the character and then it will give you the meaning.  Very cool and fun.

http://www.nciku.com/

[Jan]

About the Android phone translation:

This is very good translator. Can translate sentences copy pasted from Mobile QQ, and single words. Does not require Internet connection.
Its name is, Hanpig Chinese Pro. Can be found from android market.

Google translate is also on my android phone. Really goodl. Almost same as the website version.

There is also this application "CamTranslator" it requires an internet connection and acces to google. It can translate characters from a text using the camera image. I tested this with a Chinese restaurants menu and it seemed to work somewhat decently.

Lastly, can get Skype on my phone too... So I can call using 3g connection to China, with like 0,08$ a minute.

I am using HTC Desire HD as my phone. Only downside about this phone is, that it requires recharging every day... Sometimes 2 times a day depending how much I use it.

[aussimike]

i would be very happy to recommend http://mdbg.loqu8.com/overview.htm   Chinese reader - very good program - i write every couple of day to my future wife and the translations chinese - english and vise versa are about 95% spot on - there  will never be a perfect translate program for asian language because of the structure but this one goes close - cost about $5 a month - donation hehe - dont mind that -

[Pineau]

Dont trust your translation  100% of the time. Careful about cut and paste. And be very careful about punctuation. I highly recommend using a translator that does a back translation for you like Imtranslator.com So you can proofread what you think you said.

請記住我的朋友。 這世界上.沒有能回去的感情.就算真的回去了.你也會發現，一切已經面目全非。唯一能回...  請記住我的朋友。 這世界上，沒有能回去的感情，就算真的回去了，你也會發現，一切已經面目全非。唯一能回
 
Sometimes the translation will scare you. These two sentences are almost identical except there is a period substituted for a comma in one case.
as near as I can tell the translator translated "feelings" into "love affair" and substituted a four letter word for love affair.

Run this through your translator and see what I mean.