Joni, This subject comes up a couple of times a year on this list. Searching the list archives would provide you with many good answers before posting your questions, comments. In short, DO NOT write letters or e-mails to Germany using translation software or web sites. Our cousins don't laugh at things we send them using this type of translation mainly because what we send them will be, for the most part, incomprehensible. Translation software and web sites are good for we non-speakers to get a gist of a foreign web site, or an e-mail, but they are totally unacceptable in sending something to people in that country. Instead, write in plain, simple English. Everyone in Germany at least knows someone who can translate for them, if not do it themselves. Writing in plain, simple English is not as easy as it sounds. Here is something (from the archives) that I wrote two years ago about this subject; "1.) Don't ever use web translation engines or software to go from English to German (or any other combination of languages). German grammar is so much more difficult than English grammar and the computer translations butcher it so badly that it makes the result incomprehensible to the people reading the letter even in their native tongue. My German "relatives" called me (not a cheap effort for them) when they received a short letter that I had translated this way and told me, "DON'T EVER DO IT AGAIN." <LOL>" Good luck, LGO -----Original Message----- >From: Lynnjoni@aol.com >Sent: Jan 11, 2007 2:56 PM >To: Prussia-Roots@rootsweb.com >Subject: [PRUSSIA-ROOTS] Google Translations > >Hi Everyone, >I have also been using the Google German translation program for quite a >while. I wonder if anyone has used it that knows German and could tell me if it >translates correctly. I often wonder if our cousins are laughing when they >get the translations. I guess it can't be as bad as when I used to get out >the dictionary and tried to write them a sentece or two. >Thank you. >Joni >

>Some of the folks in Germany must have short fuses. I have written letters and sent email, translating with a dictionary, and get very good responses. They reply back in German. Then, I translate again. This has been going on for a long time. LARRY > > Joni, This subject comes up a couple of times a year on this list. Searching the list archives would provide you with many good answers before posting your questions, comments. In short, DO NOT write letters or e-mails to Germany using translation software or web sites. Our cousins don't laugh at things we send them using this type of translation mainly because what we send them will be, for the most part, incomprehensible. Translation software and web sites are good for we non-speakers to get a gist of a foreign web site, or an e-mail, but they are totally unacceptable in sending something to people in that country. Instead, write in plain, simple English. Everyone in Germany at least knows someone who can translate for them, if not do it themselves. Writing in plain, simple English is not as easy as it sounds. Here is something (from the archives) that I wrote two years ago about this subject; "1.) Don't ever use web translation engines or software to go from English to German (or any other combination of languages). German grammar is so much more difficult than English grammar and the computer translations butcher it so badly that it makes the result incomprehensible to the people reading the letter even in their native tongue. My German "relatives" called me (not a cheap effort for them) when they received a short letter that I had translated this way and told me, "DON'T EVER DO IT AGAIN." <LOL>" Good luck, LGO -----Original Message----- >From: Lynnjoni@aol.com >Sent: Jan 11, 2007 2:56 PM >To: Prussia-Roots@rootsweb.com >Subject: [PRUSSIA-ROOTS] Google Translations > >Hi Everyone, >I have also been using the Google German translation program for quite a >while. I wonder if anyone has used it that knows German and could tell me if it >translates correctly. I often wonder if our cousins are laughing when they >get the translations. I guess it can't be as bad as when I used to get out >the dictionary and tried to write them a sentece or two. >Thank you. >Joni > ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to PRUSSIA-ROOTS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

>From Experience, do not waste your money on those programs. What you write and what they read will be totally different. Write them in English. It takes a bit of guts to tell you just what they think of those letters. My relatives were too polite. I found out when I visited them personally. Years later they still laughed till they cried. They will appreciate your writing them in the best way you know. LGO is absolutely correct. ----- Original Message ----- From: "LGO" <le_geefted_one@ix.netcom.com> To: <prussia-roots@rootsweb.com> Cc: <Lynnjoni@aol.com> Sent: Thursday, January 11, 2007 10:50 PM Subject: Re: [PRUSSIA-ROOTS] Google Translations > Joni, > > This subject comes up a couple of times a year on this list. Searching the > list archives would provide you with many good answers before posting your > questions, comments. > > In short, DO NOT write letters or e-mails to Germany using translation > software or web sites. Our cousins don't laugh at things we send them > using this type of translation mainly because what we send them will be, > for the most part, incomprehensible. > > Translation software and web sites are good for we non-speakers to get a > gist of a foreign web site, or an e-mail, but they are totally > unacceptable in sending something to people in that country. Instead, > write in plain, simple English. Everyone in Germany at least knows someone > who can translate for them, if not do it themselves. Writing in plain, > simple English is not as easy as it sounds. > > Here is something (from the archives) that I wrote two years ago about > this subject; > > "1.) Don't ever use web translation engines or software to go from English > to > German (or any other combination of languages). German grammar is so much > more > difficult than English grammar and the computer translations butcher it so > badly > that it makes the result incomprehensible to the people reading the letter > even > in their native tongue. My German "relatives" called me (not a cheap > effort for > them) when they received a short letter that I had translated this way and > told > me, "DON'T EVER DO IT AGAIN." <LOL>" > > Good luck, > > LGO > > > -----Original Message----- >>From: Lynnjoni@aol.com >>Sent: Jan 11, 2007 2:56 PM >>To: Prussia-Roots@rootsweb.com >>Subject: [PRUSSIA-ROOTS] Google Translations >> >>Hi Everyone, >>I have also been using the Google German translation program for quite a >>while. I wonder if anyone has used it that knows German and could tell me >>if it >>translates correctly. I often wonder if our cousins are laughing when >>they >>get the translations. I guess it can't be as bad as when I used to get >>out >>the dictionary and tried to write them a sentece or two. >>Thank you. >>Joni >> > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > PRUSSIA-ROOTS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message >