In one click, five free programs to quickly translate text

Online services for the translation is not always convenient to use - you have to keep an open Web page in a browser. To translate unfamiliar words and text quickly, try one of the selection of translators. Our review will help with the selection of the best

For those who are professionally engaged in translation from foreign languages, have Abbyy Lingvo. Those who are constantly faced with foreign language text that you want to quickly process and a general understanding of using the system of machine translation Promt. And if you need to contact the translator only from time to time to get an explanation of unfamiliar words in the text or about to understand what is at stake in the Chinese site, context interpreters indispensable. These small programs are convenient in that it is always at hand and ready to provide a translation on demand.
Context interpreters appeared not yesterday or the day before. But with the penetration of the Internet to the masses, they have changed completely. It used to applications consisting of a software module and dictionaries. Some dictionaries supplied with the program, additional often had downloaded separately. A review of such applications - "prompter polyglot or something about context interpreters "- can be found in the archives of our site in 2007. But if you try to pass on these links in the article, you can see that almost all of the programs in these five years have ceased to exist or are abandoned.
When broadband came in every home, it is much easier to use the online services for the translation, and with them, there were new contextual interpreters. They are no longer stored on the hard drive dictionaries, and their work does not need to download anything but the shell program. Once the user makes a request, the application looks for a translation in one of the most popular Web services, and gives the result in the window. Of course, this approach requires a permanent connection to the Internet, well, who it now?

Client for Google Translate 6.0

• Developer: TranslateClient
• Operating System: Windows
• Distribution: Free (there is a paid version)
• Russian interface: yes

For several years, this program is for many was the best solution for quick translations of words and texts. Instead of opening my browser to translate.google.com, you can use this very simple utility. It was possible to insert text to be translated directly into its window, or, alternatively, copy the characters and click on the icon Client for Google Translate in the system tray. In the latter case, the input to the field of the cursor, so do not even need to switch between windows.
In mid-2011, Google has changed the terms of its service API Google Translate - developers who use the Kaspersky engine service, it was proposed to purchase a license for $ 20 million characters. After that innovation in the free version of the engine has been added to Microsoft Bing, and the translation by Google Translate was offered in version Pro (along with the ability to connect dictionaries and some other features). However, in November of last year and this shop was closed. Policy changes in the API service Bing provide for free use of the service only in the framework of the 4 million characters per month. For something to extend the limit, you have to pay $ 10 million characters.

Since then, as a limitation of Microsoft, program development stalled. Client for Google Translate now only the first few days of the month, while users of the program does not run out of limit from Microsoft (the quota of 4 million characters available at all). After that, instead of translation can see a bleak message Microsoft Translator is over the quota. Try again later or switch to Google Translate. It is clear that you can buy Pro-version, but against free alternative applications once very popular Client for Google Translate seems dead project.

QTranslate 4.1

• Developer: QuestSoft
• Operating System: Windows
• Distribution: Free
• Russian interface: yes

It is unclear how this is managed developers QTranslate, but in this free program works through translation and Google, and through Bing, and even a few popular services: "Yandex», Promt, Babylon, SDL. If you want any of the services and the supported languages ​​translation can be disabled.
The program interface is minimalist, but at the same time, we have everything you need for a quick translation: trim tabs with the name of the service are available at the bottom, there are two fields for text, and also the panel, using which you can choose the translation direction quickly Swap languages, clear the fields. Clicking on the headphones in the fields for entering text includes his scoring.

In order to quickly translate a word or a sentence or two, you can not even be distracted by switching to the window of the program. Just copy text to the clipboard, and next to the cursor icon will QTranslate. Clicking on it will display a pop-up window with the finished translation. Despite the tiny size, it is also useful to put a few commands. So, with one click you can try to translate a fragment with any other supported systems translation, replace the original text of the translation, listen to how it should be pronounced, copied to the clipboard.

And QTranslate can be used to search for unfamiliar terms in the dictionary. If you select the pop-up window is not a quick translation, and the opening of the dictionary window, you can see that he knows about the sought word Wikipedia, Definr, ImTranslator, Google search and other services.

To access the Web-based resources can be configured to use a proxy server, and specify the timeout.
By the way, if you do not need a quick translation, the program icon easily disabled in the settings. Conversely, the possibility of a fast display of translation immediately when you select text. In general, as someone like that. In addition, the program can display the tools for translation of the cursor when you press the predefined shortcut keys (default Ctrl + Q). The settings are specified exceptions - applications that QTranslate will not work. You can also enable translation of interface elements, simply move the cursor to the desired line, press CTRL + Q - and the translation will appear in a popup window.

The program remembers the history of the transfer and allows to save it as a file HTML. In addition to basic functions, QTranslate also offers a virtual keyboard with the support of about thirty languages.

Dicter 3.32

• Developer: Dicter
• Operating System: Windows
• Distribution: Free
• Russian interface: yes

Dicter - one of the easiest programs to translate the texts. Setting it is almost absent, you can only hot key to bring up the interpreter, the font size and the startup parameters with Windows. Contextual translation is the keyboard shortcut (by default - simultaneously press the left CTRL and ALT), you can also select the text and click on the icon in the system tray Dicter. By default, the program appears in the simplified mode when displaying only the translation, it is possible to change its direction, ready to listen to the text, edit it and copy it to the clipboard. If you switch to advanced mode, the window will also appear with the original box.

To receive transfer Dicter service uses Google Translate, but there are no restrictions on the transfer to the program there. Maybe its the cost of buying the right to use API developers cover due to the fact that the installer with the default set of services from advertising module "Yandex" (be careful when you install and do not forget to remove all the boxes!).

Google Translate Desktop 2.1

• Developer: AthTek Software
• Operating System: Windows
• Distribution: Free (No ads)
• Russian interface: no

As you can guess from the name, Google Translate Desktop also uses the engine for Google Translate. The program is free, but supported by advertising - be prepared for constant flickering flash banner at the top of the window. However, if your system is not already installed Flash Player from Adobe, instead of the banner, you will just see a blank window. The program requires no installation and is ready to work immediately after the file is run ggtranslate.exe.
Google Translate Desktop does not support translation via hotkey, but monitors the contents of the clipboard. That is, as soon as you press the combination of CTRL + C or copy text to the clipboard in another way, it immediately appears in the interpreter.

Original language is automatically detected, but in the settings can also be hard to ask him. Language translation is also specified in the settings, and then the program does not have enough flexibility. If, for example, a user wants to make a transfer not in the usual way (for example, Russian → English), and the reverse (English → Russian), it will automatically get not succeed, because the program will try to translate from English to English and get stuck in this place. Not always help and a button to quickly change the direction of translation - if the original language is automatically detected, the button is disabled. You have to manually select the language in a long list.
In the program also has buttons for screen readers (only translated), copy the results to the clipboard and clear the window of the text. Results can be saved as a text file. Also pay attention to the line to enter the top of the page. Specifying the address of the site here, you can quickly translate web pages (it opens in the browser.)

Lingoes 2.8.1

• Developer: Lingoes Project
• Operating System: Windows
• Distribution: Free
• Russian interface: yes

Break through the ad units on the site Lingoes, which instead of an interpreter slip installers completely different program is not easy. But when you still succeed, you will be rewarded. Lingoes - one of the most feature-free systems for the rapid transfer, and the program itself, as opposed to a site, there is no advertising.

The program supports thirteen (!) Translation services, including the ubiquitous Google Translate, Yahoo, SYSTRAN, translator Microsoft and others. Translation can be performed in the program window (you simply go to the "Text translation"), and in the popup window.

Depending on your preferences, you can select the pop-up window when you copy text to the clipboard, when it allocated or when the cursor on the word. In this case, the program's easy to set up: with the translation of the selected text, you can configure an exception, and with the active translation by pointing to the word - to specify what additional steps need to do to make the program translated it (for example, right-clicking and pressing Ctrl). By default, this feature is included ignoring the numbers, but you can also ask the utility to ignore the Latin, Cyrillic or other symbols.
Hot keys are also supported in full - they can be used not only to bring up the translation, but also, for example, text to voice. In the settings you can choose a translation service that will be used by default, set the first and second target language (the second will be used if the original language is the language of translation).
In Lingoes built not only using online translation services, but also an incredible number of different options. Because of them, the interface looks congested, but if you need a calculator, currency converter, periodic table, the converter values, international telephone codes, a list of irregular verbs in English, or information about the current time in different countries - you know, it's all in there Lingoes .

Conclusion

The translator, especially for one who is positioned as a solution for quick translation, important mainly speed, uncluttered interface and easy call. For all three parameters, we think, QTranslate no equal. Despite the fact that, for example, in Lingoes more settings that describe the appearance of the window with the translation, such a convenient option in QTranslate, is not among them. Unobtrusive icon that appears when you select text and automatically disappears if the user does not access it, it is much more convenient than the continuous development of the on-screen pop-up window with the translation. However, it all depends on how hard you're using a translator. And Lingoes, and Dicter also showed us a very worthy programs.