Translation Tools

Translation Sites

• Altavista Babel Fish: Altavista's translation service is based upon Babel Fish, a HTML and text-based translation tool developed by Systran. Babel Fish offers E <=> J translations.

  

• Excite Japan: Excite Japan offers an excellent tool for site translations between English and Japanese. Needless to say that translations do not meet Shakespearean standards, you will however be able to grasp a site's basic content.

  

  Enter the URL into the green text field and check the second radio button from left. If you want a simple translation of the URL choose the upper option in the select field, if you prefer to view the original text as well as the translation choose the other option. Click the red button on the right to initiate the translation.

• Nifty Globalgate: Nifty's Globalgate allows website and text translations between English and Japanese.

  

  Enter a URL into the upper field (or any text below) and click the button on the right to launch the translation.

• Jisyo.org - Japanese and Chinese pop-up hints: Jisyo.org permits you to read and study Japanese as well as Chinese with pop-up hints.

  

  Enter Japanese or Chinese characters into a text field and have it translated into English and/or German; hovering your mouse over the text, Jisyo.org explains each character/word in detail; very useful for language studies.

• Reading Tutorial Toolbox: Online translation tool and Japanese level checker provided by the Tokyo International University.

  

• Jeffrey Friedl's Japanese<->English Dictionary: Jeffrey's online dictionary is being maintained since 1996 and has gained fame for its functionality. The software permits you to look up for English and Japanese terms and to select romaji, kana or kanji.
• jeKai Japanese-English Dictionary Project: Open, free, online Japanese-English dictionary created in May 2000 by a group of volunteers throughout the world.
• Online English to Japanese to English Dictionary: based on Jim Breen's Japanese wordlist (EDICT), works only in romaji.
• Rikai: developed by Todd David Rudick, Rikai permits you to read Japanese web sites by moving your mouse over kanji; a little pop-up box opening next to the word you have selected displays the Japanese readings as well as an English definition.

Translation Software

• Babylon Translator: Japanese: language translator written by an Israeli company; the translator's database contains over 3 million words and expressions, and is periodically updated through Babylon's web site
• Tsunami MT: English-to-Japanese machine translation software; works on all OLE 2.0 compatible applications (MS Word, Excel etc.), drag-and-drop function
• Typhoon MT: Japanese-to-English translation assistance system, ideal for daily correspondences and interoffice communications; includes KanjiReader, email ability, dictionary etc.