Need Translation Help?

Genealogy research will at times require assistance with translation of documents into your native tongue. Thus far in my personal research, my ancestors have come either from Denmark, England, Wales, and/or Ireland. Looking at the Denmark records can be very difficult, but I have learned a few words here and there as I have persisted. Wouldn't it be great to have someone help you with the translation of the documents that you are looking at, understanding the nuances of the language, so that you get the correct translation. For example, the word gift in Danish means, married and poison. This is obviously one word that if not translated correctly would mean something totally different. You most likely would not see the word "gift" (meaning poison) in the church records or a census record, so the meaning of the word "gift" would most likely mean married.  It is the little nuances of the language that could lead you to a different understanding of the records you are viewing.  Having said that, I have found a website that provides translation services for a nominal fee.  I have found Antonina to be very knowledgeable regarding translation services, having translated documents in court and providing other services. You might wonder why you would need to have assistance in translation when there are various websites including Google that help with translation.  I have found that these websites do not always translate the proper meaning of the words, therefore, the translations can be incorrect.  I have in the past corresponded with someone from Denmark using the Google translation.  I wrote to her in English and then put a copy of the same message using  Google translation.  She emailed back and told me the translations were not always correct and it made her laugh.

I have written about other translation services but have found Antonina's "All-World Translation" helpful.  If you need help and do not have someone that knows the language, "All-World Translation" services could be of assistance. If you need help with translations, click on All World Translation - List of languages

Translation Help for Russian Roots

How many of you have been researching your family lines only to be stopped dead in your tracks because of the language barrier? I have found a new website that is available for those researching their Russian heritage which provides assistance with translation services of older documents.

The Russian Translation and Interpreter Language Services Website provides a wonderful service for those of us researching our Russian ancestry. I have been conversing with the owner of this company Antonina who is a native Russian speaker. Antonina provides many translation services including letters, medical records, court interpretation, and genealogical records. The fees for this service are reasonable and can be found at the website.

The turn around time for the translation services depends upon the complexity of the document being translated but generally it is completed within a 24 hour period. A letter translation turn around is guaranteed to be completed within 3 hours. You can email a scanned image of the document for the translation services directly to Antonina or she will also do a phone consultation as well. I feel that it would be best to send a scanned image of the document for the translation.

The website design is user friendly providing links for the typical rates charged, interpretive services, translation services. The site states that they accept several different forms of payment including PayPal and most major credit cards. However when I clicked on the payment option, I was taken to a PayPal option only. The option for credit card payment is not clear as I have not been able to locate this payment option. Antonina, if you read this post, would you please post a comment regarding the credit card option. I would suggest contacting the Russian Translation and Interpreter Services for a free estimate of the translation services you need whether it be a vital record document, will or letter. Antonina is kind and helpful and would be happy to answer your inquiries.

If you have a need for Russian to English Translation, you can click on
Russian Translation and Interpreter Services. To view the cost for the services, you need only to click on the rates tab on the left side of the website and there you will find the rates for various documents. If you have questions regarding your specific document, you can contact them directly by telephone or by email and they will respond quickly. Have Fun!!

New Web Language Translator Site

I have finally found a web page translator for the Scandinavian languages to English. I have been on a mission to find the perfect translator for the Scandinavian languages for quite sometime trying various ones such as Google Translate, AltaVista BabelFish, and WorldLingo to name a few. These are great tools, but not one of them have any translation capabilities for the Scandinavian Languages.

This past week, I was blessed to finally come across a translator called GramTrans that is designed through a cooperative effort between two small companies specializing language technology, GrammaSorft ApS (based in Denmark) and Kaldera Språkteknologi AS (based in Norway). The geniuses behind this remarkable site are Eckhard Bick, dr. phil., computational linguist (GrammarSoft ApS), Lars Nygaard, language engineer (Kaldera Språkteknologi AS), Tino Didriksen, free-lance programmer (A Howl on the Wind). Technology is shaping the genealogical world, making the search for our ancestors far more simpler than when our parents were trying to connect with their ancestors just one generation past. We are very fortunate to be able to live in this time when the world is becoming smaller and allowing us to meet and connect with cousins across the globe.

My experience with GramTrans was amazing this past week. I was contacted by someone who was helping me with my Danish Enevoldsen line where I have hit the proverbial brick wall. I found this person on the DIS Danmark Forum but the entire page was in Danish. I utilized the translate URL feature of GramTrans, and in a matter of seconds, the entire page was translated into English. It was miraculous and for me an answer to many prayers on how to proceed in finding my Danish ancestors. This site will help me to read the information in the Danish Archives more efficiently and accurately.

As you can tell, I am very excited and pleased that I found the GramTrans site. The languages available for translation are Danish, English, Norwegian, Swedish limited Esperanto and Portuguese. The site has three different subscription levels including Free (limited use), Personal (unlimited use and browser plug-ins) and Commercial Lite (unlimited use, browser plug-ins, allows indirect commercial usage). You can translate an entire web page or just a few words. Another great feature of this site is that you can also contribute words to the site. You can try out the the translation capabilities by viewing the home page on GramTrans. Have great fun!