[kowalskil]

How can a retired teacher resist the temptation to share what he learned recently? This time it is an automatic translation program “systranet.” It helped me solve a problem--I speak French fluently but writing in that language usually produces embarrassing results. Let me share what I do and how I do it.

1) The window of the application opens and I use the menu to choose a language (one of many, even Arabic, Japanese, and Russian). In my case I specify that translation must be from English to French. I start typing something in English. Then I click on the ”Translate” button. The French translation appears on my screen. I cut and paste that text into an e-mail message to be sent to a friend in France, or into a word processing document.

2) That is all, except for one thing. Translations are often not perfect. I must make occasional corrections. Fortunately, I know enough to recognize errors in translation. Simple short sentences are usually translated with very few errors. The use of the application, residing at

http://www.systranet.com

is free; nothing has to be downloaded or installed.

3) To begin the process I go to the above website, identify myself (userID and password), and wait till the window of the application opens on my screen, several seconds later. In other words, this application is designed to be used via a browser. The way in which information is displayed on my screen seems to depend on which browser I am using.

4) In order to be able to use the application I had to register. That was simple. I went to the above address and typed the desired userID and password. I had no problem with this and my application started working at once, as described above. Try this browser-based application and you will probably also be as satisfied as I am.

Ludwik Kowalski
Professor Emeritus (see Wikipedia)
Montclair State University, NJ, USA

P.S.
To illustrate, let me show a text, first the English version, then the resulting French version (without any corrections).

ENGLISH VERSION:

Dear ...,

Thank you for the message. You will find my on-line autobiography at:

http://csam.montclair.edu/~kowalski/life/info.html

Here is how I often describe to to friends. “I am a retired nuclear scientist and the author of a free ON-LINE book entitled ‘Diary of a Former Communist: Thoughts, Feelings, Reality.’ It describes my evolution from one extreme to another--from a devoted Stalinist to an active anti-communist. This testimony is based on a diary I kept between 1946 and 2004 (in the USSR, Poland, France and the USA).

Why am I distributing it on-line? Because I want to share what I know and think about communism. The more people know about proletarian dictatorship less likely will they experience is. Please share the above link with those who might be interested, especially with young people, and with potential reviewers. ...”

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

FRENCH VERSION:

Cher…, 

Merci du message. Vous trouverez mon autobiographie en ligne à : 

  http://csam.montclair.edu/~kowalski/life/info.html

Voici comment je décris souvent à aux amis. « Je suis un scientifique nucléaire retraité et l'auteur d'un livre EN LIGNE libre autorisé journal intime de ` d'un ancien communiste : Pensées, sentiments, réalité.' Elle décrit mon évolution d'une extrémité à l'autre--d'un Staliniste dévoué à un anti-communiste actif. Ce témoignage est basé sur un journal intime que j'ai gardé entre 1946 et 2004 (en à l'URSS, à la Pologne, à la France et aux Etats-Unis).

Pourquoi est-ce que je le distribuant suis en ligne ? Puisque je veux partager ce que je connais et pense du communisme. Plus les personnes savent la dictature prolétaire moins probablement elles éprouvent sont. Veuillez partager le lien ci-dessus avec ceux qui pourrait être intéressé, particulièrement avec les jeunes, et avec les critiques potentiels. … »”