[FPSPACE] Russian to English Translators

[Chuck Donaldson]

For some time now I have been looking at Russian to English translators that
work with Windows 95/98 or NT.
    These are direct translators that takes a batch of Russian text off the
web site either as Text or in HTML and then translates this text or HTML
into readable English.
    In my latest research I have found a bonus.

I have found a product called UTStarGate that translates Web sites in
Russian as you view the Russian web site.
    An example below if the first paragraph from the Russian web site:
http://wwwwin.yaroslavl.su/~van/race/index.shtml

Here is how it is viewed in Russian. For some of you this will probably look
like gibberish because you don't have a Cyrillic text display loaded on your
system. Trust me, on my screen this is authentic Russian Cyrillic text.

Представленные материалы посвящены истории космической гонки между СССР и
США за первенство в покорении Луны. Более десятилетия огромные силы и
средства вкладывались двумя странами в космические программы с целью
показать свое технологическое превосходство над противником. Это была
героическая эпоха великих побед и трагических неудач...

Here is the rough translation from Russian to English:


"Presented materials are devoted to the histories of space race between USSR
and USA for championship in покорении Moons.  More decades great forces and
facilities were enclosed by two countries in space programs with purpose to
show its technological superiority over adversary.  This was the heroic
epoch of great victories and tragic failures...  "

Obviously a little rough, but this is translated in what they call Level 1.
There is a level II and a level III to this package. Note that the
dictionary did not catch покорении the Russian word for Conquest.
I can teach UTStarGate this word through the interactive translation that
would take me through the translation word by word.  For these kinds of word
searchs I use the English to Russian, Russian to English Dictionary by
Kenneth Katzner, Revised and Expanded Edition 1994 by John Wiley & Sons Inc.
This is the company that published "The New Russian Space Programme" From
Competion to Collaboration by Brian Harvey. Also, "The Making of a Soviet
Scientist" by Roald Z. Sagdeev.

What is amazing is that I tested it on www.buran.ru and it translated as I
watched the page unfold. Proper names are a problem and would have to be
hand translated using the dictionary.

But, all in all it gives you a glimpse of what they are saying in a very
short period of time.

There are some 50 language translators available.  You can upgrade from the
Level I to Level II for a better syntax translation. The UTStarGate I
purchased was $187.00 US. Probably steep for this group unless you do a lot
of Russian web surfing for information.


The products is: UTStarGate from LanguageForce.
They have two web sites:  www.languageforce.com and www.gotoworld.com

This is not a solicitation or plug by me. But, the translator seemed to be
one of the best I have tried.

cwdonald