- Email: [email protected]
Bristol Inquiry website a winner
DISSECTING ROOM
Webwatch
Online translators
Contributed by Marilynn Larkin [email protected]
Talk to me never should have started a roundup of web-based translators —it’s too much fun! I spent hours on the most popular sites offering free web page and document translation, dictionary software, e-greetings, and more. I began with a serious intention. I had been frustrated recently by a plethora of interesting-sounding websites that had the nerve to be posted in a foreign language and not offer an English version! And then, web business analysts at a global conference in New York City last month (Silicon Alley’s International Network 2000) declared that the days of English-only websites are numbered. About 80% of web content these days is in English, but nearly 70% of PC and users are non-Englishspeaking. Portal sites such as Yahoo and America Online are busily rolling out sites in every major language. Companies reaching for business out-
I
side of the USA need to offer web support for foreign languages because, one analyst said, “customers in other countries may not have patience for English-only sites much longer”. To the rescue: a spate of translation sites, many of which offer free—albeit, pared down—versions of their corporate translation services. The free services give all web users an opportunity to peek at web pages created in other languages, and to translate original documents, as well. The FreeTranslation.com site is honest; it says it gives users the “gist” of a web page or text document, and that’s true for all the free services (and perhaps the paying ones, too); “machine translation”—the lowest quality level—can be pretty raw, but certainly suffices for casual browsing. The Babel Fish site converts English into most major European languages, and vice versa. Babylon does the same, but it also offers a free downloadable
Bristol Inquiry website a winner www.bristol-inquiry.org
any Lancet readers are neously and in conjunction with a preundoubtedly familiar with sentation at a press launch in London. the Bristol Royal Infirmary The report, transcripts of the proceedInquiry website, which last month ings, background information, a won best website class in the NHS newsletter, user comments, position Magazine Communicating Health papers from “phase two” seminars, Awards 2000. The site enabled users and a wealth of other materials are worldwide to follow the proceedings available online—and much is downof the “Bristol case”, loadable for offline arguably one of the reading. lengthiest and comIn coming months, plex cases ever the site will publish brought before the findings from data UK General Medical analyses and reviews Council. of clinical cases of The remote links children and babies that allowed individuwho underwent paedials directly affected by atric surgery at Bristol the Inquiry to particiRoyal Infirmary, as pate without travelling well as the Inquiry’s to Bristol have been final report, due in dismantled, but the September. site stands as a comThe success of the prehensive, easily navisite is due in no small gable resource which, measure to the fact according to a Bristol Communicating Health Award that the material is spokesperson, is still easily accessible, and “living and evolving”. For example, broken down into manageable bits (ie, the Inquiry’s Interim Report was pubno huge pages to download and scroll lished on the site on May 20, simultathrough). It is a sobering site, but
M
THE LANCET • Vol 356 • July 1, 2000
Babel Fish www.babelfish.altavista.com Babylon www.babylon.com e-lingo www.e-lingo.com FreeTranslation.com www.freetranslation.com Systran www.systranet.com
“speaking” dictionary (for Windows) that lets you hear a word and then translate it. Systran, the company that powers Babel Fish and other translation sites, rapidly translates entire word processing files (saved in text, RTF, or HTML formats), and uses specialised dictionaries, including one for medicine, to aid in the translations (then why did I come up with the reference N Angleterre J Med?). And if you have non-Englishspeaking friends, log on to e-lingo, which lets you send translated e-mail directly from its site. I think my French is a bit better than theirs; nonetheless, I’ll end by saying “Vive Le Bistouri!”
also an excellent example of the benefits of web technology when used in a thoughtful way, with the end-user in mind.
Click of the week Calling all young Londoners The newly launched Imagine London website is engaging and well intentioned. It is part of a 5-year initiative by the King’s Fund charity that aims to involve young Londoners in making London a safer and healthier place to live. Young people in schools and youth groups are encouraged to contribute their thoughts about such topics as air quality, crime, transport, and health services to the online discussion groups. The postings presumably also will be communicated to policymakers. My only quarrel with the site is that is designed completely for the Flash plugin, with no alternative text or audio site. Although I thoroughly enjoy such presentations, this site effectively excludes participation by children with disabilities that prevent their using Flash and users whose browsers are not Flash-enabled. www.imaginelondon.org.uk
83
For personal use only. Not to be reproduced without permission of The Lancet.
Webwatch
Online translators
Contributed by Marilynn Larkin [email protected]
Talk to me never should have started a roundup of web-based translators —it’s too much fun! I spent hours on the most popular sites offering free web page and document translation, dictionary software, e-greetings, and more. I began with a serious intention. I had been frustrated recently by a plethora of interesting-sounding websites that had the nerve to be posted in a foreign language and not offer an English version! And then, web business analysts at a global conference in New York City last month (Silicon Alley’s International Network 2000) declared that the days of English-only websites are numbered. About 80% of web content these days is in English, but nearly 70% of PC and users are non-Englishspeaking. Portal sites such as Yahoo and America Online are busily rolling out sites in every major language. Companies reaching for business out-
I
side of the USA need to offer web support for foreign languages because, one analyst said, “customers in other countries may not have patience for English-only sites much longer”. To the rescue: a spate of translation sites, many of which offer free—albeit, pared down—versions of their corporate translation services. The free services give all web users an opportunity to peek at web pages created in other languages, and to translate original documents, as well. The FreeTranslation.com site is honest; it says it gives users the “gist” of a web page or text document, and that’s true for all the free services (and perhaps the paying ones, too); “machine translation”—the lowest quality level—can be pretty raw, but certainly suffices for casual browsing. The Babel Fish site converts English into most major European languages, and vice versa. Babylon does the same, but it also offers a free downloadable
Bristol Inquiry website a winner www.bristol-inquiry.org
any Lancet readers are neously and in conjunction with a preundoubtedly familiar with sentation at a press launch in London. the Bristol Royal Infirmary The report, transcripts of the proceedInquiry website, which last month ings, background information, a won best website class in the NHS newsletter, user comments, position Magazine Communicating Health papers from “phase two” seminars, Awards 2000. The site enabled users and a wealth of other materials are worldwide to follow the proceedings available online—and much is downof the “Bristol case”, loadable for offline arguably one of the reading. lengthiest and comIn coming months, plex cases ever the site will publish brought before the findings from data UK General Medical analyses and reviews Council. of clinical cases of The remote links children and babies that allowed individuwho underwent paedials directly affected by atric surgery at Bristol the Inquiry to particiRoyal Infirmary, as pate without travelling well as the Inquiry’s to Bristol have been final report, due in dismantled, but the September. site stands as a comThe success of the prehensive, easily navisite is due in no small gable resource which, measure to the fact according to a Bristol Communicating Health Award that the material is spokesperson, is still easily accessible, and “living and evolving”. For example, broken down into manageable bits (ie, the Inquiry’s Interim Report was pubno huge pages to download and scroll lished on the site on May 20, simultathrough). It is a sobering site, but
M
THE LANCET • Vol 356 • July 1, 2000
Babel Fish www.babelfish.altavista.com Babylon www.babylon.com e-lingo www.e-lingo.com FreeTranslation.com www.freetranslation.com Systran www.systranet.com
“speaking” dictionary (for Windows) that lets you hear a word and then translate it. Systran, the company that powers Babel Fish and other translation sites, rapidly translates entire word processing files (saved in text, RTF, or HTML formats), and uses specialised dictionaries, including one for medicine, to aid in the translations (then why did I come up with the reference N Angleterre J Med?). And if you have non-Englishspeaking friends, log on to e-lingo, which lets you send translated e-mail directly from its site. I think my French is a bit better than theirs; nonetheless, I’ll end by saying “Vive Le Bistouri!”
also an excellent example of the benefits of web technology when used in a thoughtful way, with the end-user in mind.
Click of the week Calling all young Londoners The newly launched Imagine London website is engaging and well intentioned. It is part of a 5-year initiative by the King’s Fund charity that aims to involve young Londoners in making London a safer and healthier place to live. Young people in schools and youth groups are encouraged to contribute their thoughts about such topics as air quality, crime, transport, and health services to the online discussion groups. The postings presumably also will be communicated to policymakers. My only quarrel with the site is that is designed completely for the Flash plugin, with no alternative text or audio site. Although I thoroughly enjoy such presentations, this site effectively excludes participation by children with disabilities that prevent their using Flash and users whose browsers are not Flash-enabled. www.imaginelondon.org.uk
83
For personal use only. Not to be reproduced without permission of The Lancet.