Word 2007 for Starters: The Missing Manual

6.7. Translating Text

Word's research tools include language translation. When you select a word in your text and click the Translate button on the ribbon (Review Proofing Translate or Alt+R, L), Word begins to look up the word using the last language selection for the translation (Figure 6-17). (Word speaks Arabic, Chinese, Dutch, English, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Swedish.)

Figure 6-17. Translating words and phrases takes place in the Research task pane and, in fact, the process is very similar to the other research tasks .

Accurate translation is more of an art than a science. As a result, computer automation goes only part of the journey. Along with the translation of words and phrases, you get an offer to professionally translate your entire document for a fee (Figure 6-18). (Or, you can ask a friend who speaks the language for help.)

Figure 6-18. When you ask Word to translate for you, you get a computer translation and a commercial offer to have a pro do the job. In this case, Lingo offered to translate a 4,500-word chapter of A Tale of Two Cities for just over $1,000.

6.7.1. Translation ScreenTips

Translation screen tips are another pop-up helper you can turn on. Go to Review Proofing Translation ScreenTip, and choose a language from the drop-down menu. Screen tips are available in English, French, Spanish, and other languages. Once you choose your language, all you have to do to see a translation and definitions for the word is to pause your mouse cursor over the word for a couple of seconds (Figure 6-19). The multilanguage details are surprisingly complete.

Figure 6-19. Word's translation screen tips are great if you're in the process of learning a language or you're working in a language that isn't your first. Pause your cursor over a word, and you see a complete dictionary entry in two languages. Entries include parts of speech and idiomatic phrases.

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