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Thank you to everyone who has responded to my query. I understand the limitations and absurdities of machine translations. We would never use Google Translate instead of professional human translation for bilingual labels or brochures, nor would I depend upon it to translate into English and publish that for our visitors.

What I am curious about is how can we leverage the photo instant translation software that our visitors with mobile devices have access to, to provide a service that we cannot provide in a traditional way--and how we can optimize our label writing in a way that decreases incorrect or absurd translations on a visitor’s mobile device. I am considering a test on our next temporary exhibition in which we ask volunteers who speak English as a second language to use the app to translate the English labels to their native language and provide feedback on the accuracy and how we may revise the English labels to provide a better translation.

Anyway, I’m brainstorming here and would still be interested in hearing your thoughts.

Best,

Angela

Angela Roberts Reeder

Exhibit Writer/Editor

Office of Exhibits

w 202.633.1142 [log in to unmask]

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

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From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Michelle Zupan
Sent: Wednesday, November 29, 2017 8:19 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [MUSEUM-L] Using Google Translate

Hi Angela,

Here is my 2 cents worth on using Google translate from personal experience. I am presently trying to translate some old letters written to my granmother from her relatives in Slovenia. No one in my family speaks Slovenian. I started with Google translate and found LOTS of issues -- some of the Slovenian words I typed in gave me...how do I say this delicately...offensive translations in English. Some of the conjugated verbs came up as not being Slovenian, but rather everything from Esperanto to Italian to Croatian! I am CERTAIN this is not unique to only Slovenian.

It can be a fun little toy, but it's NOT to be used for actual label text or anything the public might see!

Go to your local university's foreign language department and pay a professor to translate it for you!

Michelle Zupan

Curator

Hickory Hill & the Tom Watson Birthplace

502 Hickory Hill Drive

Thomson, GA 30824

706-595-7777

FAX: 706-595-7177

Visit us at www.hickory-hill.org or on Facebook.

Historic homes of the Watson-Brown Foundation, Inc.

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