Alternative to Google Translate

[Crispin]

Tomorrow morning I'm planning on updating our ISA server to ban a list of proxy sites I've compiled.

Problem is obviously one of these is Google Translate. From what I understand the Foreign Languages dept use this feature and I'm going to have to give them a relatively similar alternative. I've done a quick google search but was wondering if any of you knew of a particularly good one.

Obviously it states in our policies that proxy sites are banned and not to be used under any circumstances, therefore at least we are covered from that angle but Id still like to present a respectable alternative.

Any suggestions?

[vikpaw]

i used to use babelfish which is part of yahoo.
haven't used it for a while though.

[tom_newton]

How about... some incredibly cunning type comes up with a way to allow translate for text, but disallow it for URLs? Would that work?

[Crispin]

that would actually be ideal. Didn't think it was an option though.

Going to do some googling to see if anyone else has done that.

[vikpaw]

How about... some incredibly cunning type comes up with a way to allow translate for text, but disallow it for URLs? Would that work?

hmm, isn't there some filtering software around that can do that....?
i'm sure i heard of one.

[tom_newton]

that would actually be ideal. Didn't think it was an option though.

Going to do some googling to see if anyone else has done that.

I've just done it

Once my colleagues decide where in our blocklists to put this rule... it will be available to all SmoothWall customers in the daily update.

(I would put the no-translate-sites rule in proxies, but I can see situations you'd want to turn it off but not turn off proxies OR whitelist all of google translate)

[DrPerceptron]

Google translate passes a "&u=www.myurl.com" in it's address

Translatation just uses the pipe symbol to seperate, from|to|text (or it did when I messed around with it)

You could just filter en|en, most kids here just translated it straight into English.

[tom_newton]

Google translate passes a "&u=www.myurl.com" in it's address

Translatation just uses the pipe symbol to seperate, from|to|text (or it did when I messed around with it)

You could just filter en|en, most kids here just translated it straight into English.

Google claimed not to support english->english when I tried it. At least they have to learn an foreign language to bypass your filter ;-P
Anyone seen anything different?

[Crispin]

Google claimed not to support english->english when I tried it

Same here. Not supported.

But when it comes to things like youtube Im sure a bit of dutch won't stop them

EDIT: It seems that after a bit of browsing through youtube through the google translate method, it reverts back to english because they've added that 'country filter' which automatically selects your country.

[heybatesy]

If you are using firefox then look for Hypewords in the plug-ins.

Their translation tool translates in situ as well as some other very cool customisable things such as highlighing a word on a web page and it then performs a search across content repositories such as Britannica, Wikipedia or straight Google ones.

The Hyperwords Company

Best thing is it's free and i believe they are to release a version that works on any browser or text based docunment (Word etc.)

Hope that helps, drop me a line if you want more info.

[Crispin]

If you are using firefox then look for Hypewords in the plug-ins.

Sounds ideal, but all PCs using IE7. Shame.

Will have to take another look if they release it for other browsers..

[ChrisP]

Alternative to Google Translate

Babel Fish
Babylon
InterTran
Ling.pl
Majstro Dictionary