How Do You Say?

By Courtney S. Ries

Introduction to Translation Devices

Sick of dragging large dictionaries around Europe? Tired of memorizing the "common phrases" section of your guidebook, only to realize you don't know how to say the words you so painstakingly tried to learn? Keeping these things in mind, it's easy to see why an electronic translation device could come in handy while you're on the road. The invention has come a long way in its 50-year lifespan. Although still far from perfect, electronic translation devices can help you buy a ticket, make a reservation or simly say "sorry" to the person sitting next to you after the chicken bus took too tight of a turn.

Translation Device Options

Although there are three different types of translators (universal, computer and machine), backpackers use only machine translators, or translators that offer the "gist" of a sentence or phrase, but do not have the ability to offer perfect translations due to slang, syntax, grammar, pronunciation and, of course, situations.

Within machine translators, there are those that 'speak' and those without the feature. Also, translators can be their own hand-held device, or they can be a program that is run on another machine like a computer or PDA.

What is it? What does it do?

A machine translation device is often a small, hand-held device that translates one language to another. Generally, the user must type in a word or a phrase into the machine and select the languages he or she wishes to translate to and from. Some more expensive translators can be operated via voice commands and the translation is 'spoken' by the machine.

Why You Should Bring a Translation Device

Easy convenience: Stuck at a train station and you don't know how to buy a ticket? Want to know what you are ordering off of the menu printed only in Romanian? Whip out your translator and you can know almost instantly. No more charades - the electronic translator will help you say what it is you want, almost anywhere you want it.
Smaller than books: Sure, books can do almost the same thing, but if you're doing a tour of Europe and you need to translate 7 different languages, do you want to carry around books for all of them? Also, how easy is it to search through a dictionary, trying to to find the word for "vegetarian" while the waiter is standing at your table, impatiently tapping his foot?
Improve your language skills: Got a little extra time on the bus? Pull out your translator and start looking up how to say common phrases in the country you're heading to. Or, if that isn't entertaining enough, amusing yourself by trying to memorize all the swear words.

Why You Should Not Bring a Translation Device

Errors in judgment: No machine is, or ever will be, better than a human translator. Machines can, for the most part, only give the "gist" of what you're translating - and even that can be thrown off by such variables as slang, grammar and syntax. There is no guarantee that the sentence you are trying to translate will be outputted correctly, especially if there is no direct translation for a word you are trying to use, and the machine picks its replacement. Also, not all translators actually pronounce the words for you - leaving you to decipher how to pronounce the foreign language.
Not needed: If you are traveling in large cities or populated areas, many people speak English. I use English as an example because chances are, if you're reading this, you speak at least some of the language, and it is the second most popular language in the world. If you are heading to a remote area where English probably won't be spoken, grab a dictionary and ditch it in the next country, or do your best to learn the language. And don't forget: gesturing can be fun and things that get lost in the translation make for the best stories!
Alienate you from the locals and from backpackers: We'll be straight with you. If you carry around a translator, well, you're going to look like a bit of a dork. It's not the most popular item to take on a "authentic" backpacker trip and may get you some weird looks by those who think you may be "better" than they are for having a pricey gadget.

So, Boots crew, do I take it?

BnA Seez: Ex-nay on the translation-ay. If you really feel like you need a translator, chances are you are already bringing a PDA. Throw on a language program and you're good to go! Remember that not all languages can be translated through these programs - or, at least, translated easily. Spanish, French, German, Japanese and Chinese are the top sellers.

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Article added on March 01, 2005

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