----- Original Message -----
From: Dilwyn Jones <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: [ql-users] Geoff Wicks letter
> >Perhaps you could ask QUANTA to provide dual language newsletters.
> After all
> >these days if a I apply for a UK death certificate it comes half in
> Welsh,
> >llofnod, disgrifiad a chyfeiriad yr hysbysydd, and all that. Why not
> in
>
> Dilwyn's translation software says:
> "Signature, Description and address of petitioner" in case anyone's
> interested in what Geoff's saying.
Not bad! Not bad at all! The original was "informant" and not "petitioner".
The lad has promise.
> >PS How do we get this back on topic?
>
> I could refer to the little utility I've written which does a
> word-for-word translation of text files if you have a wordlist for
> language in question. Mine uses a German-English wordlist, but the
> dictionary is just a text file with equivalent words in both languages
> separated by an asterisk. So it's easy to create your own dictionary -
> so you could get this back on topic by offering me a Dutch/English
> wordlist for this program. Not the most elegant of translators, but
> word for word translations usually allow me to get the jist of a
> translation of a text file, then clean it up by hand. Would you like a
> copy to try out, Geoff? I'll even give you the source and you can
> create a commercial program from it based on your linguistic
> superiority ;-)
>
Most of the (PD) PC translation programs I have seen are not much more
sophisticated than this, and I remain pretty cynical of all translation
software. All the same it's something that has been at the back of the Just
Words! head almost from the start. The main problem is not writing the
program but compiling the data base. However this is an international group
and interesting to see if there is any interest in translation software.
At the moment Just Words! has a full diary, so this matter can wait until
Portishead. Most of my time is taken up with the next commercial product. I
have a good beta tester on the job, but good beta testers by definition make
demands for changes. I also have several ideas at the moment, although
probably more PD than commercial. At Portishead I am releasing a Solvit-Plus
freeware version of the UK Advanced Cryptics Dictionary. A PD list of about
240,000 words, names and phrases specially compiled by crossword users for
crossword users. Much better than the present English4 or English5.
Geoff Wicks
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://members.tripod.co.uk/geoffwicks/justwords.htm
http://members.tripod.co.uk/geoffwicks/election.htm
