online translation sites

[flip-r mk2]

All hail the mighty hive-mind, I was wondering if anybody has had any experience of online translation sites, I'm hoping to use one in the strip I'm working on and don't want to translate into gibberish.
Thanks

filippo

[I, Cosh]

I don't think you've got much chance. They're fine for getting the sense of something, but anything remotely idiomatic and you're fucked.

What language is it?

[flip-r mk2]

Thanks Cosh, that's what I thought. If they had been any good the idea was to translate the strip into the main European languages.

filippo

[Third Estate Ned]

Depending on how long the strip is, you may be able to get people to help you on the forums of a site like WordReference.

http://forum.wordreference.com/

When I have to translate a document I always use Google Translate as a starting point, which is quite good since it often recognises idiomatic phrases but struggles with the right phrase for the right context. Obviously, it helps to know a bit of that language to start with so you can check anything suspect, which is why those forums could help. WordReference is usually my second port of call if I can't decipher the logic behind the translations Google's software has made.

If you need any help with Italian, and it's not too long, I could give you a hand.

[SuperSurfer]

An easy test of translation websites is to translate the translation back into English.

Eg flip-r mk2's initial post > German > English (using Apple widget) =

"All hail the powerful understanding of bee stick, surprised me I, if each any experience of the Onlineübersetzungssites had, I hope to use in the strip which I process on and into Kauderwelsch to translate would not like.
Thanks"

(BTW Google translate doesn't make such a pig's ear of such a task.)

[Dandontdare]

All hail the powerful understanding of bee stick

That's excellent. I am going to use this for any future requests for help from the forum.