One of my top sites which I visit constantly is Google Translate. This is a service I use extensively to translate between Arabic and English and vice versa. But although the context of the translation remains somewhat weak, the basis it provides saves me hours in getting my job done. I suspect that many of you share my experience with it.
This morning, a very quite quantum leap happened. On visiting the site, I was faced with the following new screen configuration. Expand it if you can see the details please:
Did you notice the following help line at the top of the translation box?
Type phonetically. Example: Type “marhaban” and hit space for “مرØÂباً”.
This simple thing made my jaw drop! Do you realise the implications for this? Those of us who type faster in English now can officially consider the best ever Christmas arriving much sooner than hoped! Man, you can actually type Arabic with an English keyboard! No more switching, no more looking for keys in various keyboard layouts! No more heartache!
Yes, I know that we should run away with this and not get overly excited, the service needs improvement to be sure, but man, when 22 so called countries housing more than 300 million Arabs can’t even coordinate their efforts into getting the Arabic keyboards to type decimal points and numbers, let alone agreeing on a unified keyboard layout (we have the Mac, Windows with various versions, DOS, ASMO 708, and goodness knows what other obscure layouts still in existence), let alone political and economic coordination, we have a single company creating such a God-damned innovative product for a language NOT considered to be its mother tongue!
BUT what does our very own respectable Ministry of Information contribute to this fantastic effort?
It, my friends, BLOCKS Google Translate!!!
Please. Do yourself a favour and take a minute to sign the petition against Internet Censorship in Bahrain. The link is on the right.
Google, I take my ghutra off for you. You – once again – as an Arab nation, made OUR day!
Comments
Actually Yamli.com kicked it off in the beginning, but the improvements Google added are that they use the key presses plus the transliteration, which for people who are used to writing on Arabic keyboards is a great idea.
I wasn’t aware of Yamli.com Yagoob, thanks for that.
Mahmood, I couldn’t agree more. I just noticed the live translation feature today also and it was amazing. And I hate that the Bahrain government so mistakenly believes Google Translate violates the laws of Bahrain!
Fortunately, this new live translate still works despite the ban because Bahrain didn’t bother blocking translate.google.com but translate.google.com/translate (which is used when you translate a full web page live)
Still, blocking a translation site, regardless of excuses of it could be used as a proxy or any other excuse they pull out of the hat is retarded. Rather than encouraging people to read and research, they use their usual ham-fisted approach under the guise of “protected the moral fabric of society”
The other one rings a bell when pulled. They should try that one too!
Dude! Mahmood – this is OLD NEWS.
The website http://www.yamli.com did/does Arabic transcription, and I discovered that website 2 years ago! 🙂
-Ibn
I guess once I discovered Google Translate, I didn’t bother looking further.
In your experience, which is better at translation?
Last I checked Mahmood, Yamli doesnt do translation – just transliteration.
-Ibn
You’re right. I check it out briefly after your last comment and discovered the transliteration function. And of course, they’re making a big deal of it (I agree with them, it’s a cool feature):
Yamli ÙŠÙÂتؠباب الانترنت العربيويخولك الطباعة بالعربية دونوجود لوØÂØ© Ù…ÙÂاتيؠعربية. أطبع كلماتك كما تلÙÂظها بإستعمال الأØÂر٠الإنجليزية
لك Ù…ØÂمود, أنا جبتلّك كيبورد ستيكرز عربية, ÙÂهلاء لا أستعمل يملي, ولا جوجل, ولا بطّيخ! :).
إبÙâ€
Maybe it’s just me being pessimistic or profusely negative to people who speak hybrid Arabic/English, but this feature is rather, I don’t know, not necessary? I mean sure it’s a new advancement in linguistic software (which by the way still not as advanced as you may think), but taking an another step in a different direction is not the best way to improve this service in my humble opinion.
Regardless, I think they should make a real-life duplication of that April’s Fool they did last time with the AI. Speaking to an AI that understands you with translation capabilities, now THAT my good friend is something I’d like to see.
i require to understand the content of a German website but unfortunately IT IS BLOCKED BY MY OWN COUNTRY!!! This is ridiculous!
Does anyone know who i require to speak to?
Hi Mahmood,
thanks for keeping this blog alive. I tried to post a comment earlier but not sure it went through so here we go once more 🙂
Would you know who i need to speak to in order to unblock google translate? I need to translate a website from German to English but its taking me to:
“This web site has been blocked for violating laws and regulations of the Kingdom of Bahrain” ?!?!?!?!?!?
I really require this information for my work – Who do i need to take this up with. i.e. who is the chief retard in charge here???
Start with Jamal Dawood at the MOI then go up. Good luck!
Cheers i will keep you posted!
please do, and good luck!