Talking Translators?

Translators are a waste of money and luggage space.
Note the phrases for everyday things like "Where is the toilet?", "When does the train to XXX leave?" and the like on translation websites like Babelfish. Look at the RS phrasebooks or ones from Lonely Planet. These are available in libraries. You can also obtain translations of phrases which you deem particularly useful or which are idiosyncratic to you, on those sites. Buona Fortuna e Buon Viaggi

On my recent vacation in Italy I had "Oxford Translator Italian Book", a talking translator, on my iPhone and we actually used it a lot. I didn't always have my paper phrase list with me. I didn't always have my Rick Steves Phrase Book in my pocket. But I DID always have my phone with me, and while I didn't torture the locals by making them listen to my phone speak the words, I did often listen to it myself, then use the words to ask "where are the eggs" in a supermarket, and several times to help us order at restaurants.

Talking translators are definitely not worthless, especially when you have one on a smartphone that you'll have in your pocket anyway.

Patrick makes a good point. They're useful, if you are carrying the device anyway. However, carrying a device that is just a translator is not much different than carrying a pocketbook.

I carried a phrase book with me the first 3 days of my first visit to Rome. Then I ditched it in the hotel room. I found a quick study of important phrases "where's the bathroom?" the night before would usually stick in my head, and the rest of the time English + pointing/gestures + my really horribly bad Italian served me just fine.

A translator is a useless piece of machinery. I have used the Rosetta Stone software to learn passable Italian and have found it to be very easy and intuitive to use, just as advertised. It's a bit pricey, but you really can learn a lot in a fairly short period of time. Before I used this software, however, I really did not find it too difficult to communicate. In the tourist areas, where you will most likely be, you will find that many people speak a little bit of English, or at least enough to try to communicate. The only real trouble that I found was communicating with the city bus drivers and others who usually deal mostly with locals, so I found it difficult to make sure that I was on the right bus.

We have also found the translators to be kind of useless. We always just learn some key words and phrases and always get by wherever we go! Buon Viaggio!

We have also found the translators to be kind of useless. We always just learn some key words and phrases and always get by wherever we go! Buon Viaggio!

Mike,

I have to agree with some of the others in that Translators are probably a waste of time and luggage space.

While the concept of "Talking Translators" is a good idea, the reality is far different. Although some of the newer units are able to "speak" very clearly with a local accent, the main problem is that you likely won't be able to comprehend the "fast" replies provided by locals. It's more than a bit cumbersome to be passing a goofy Translator back and forth, and I suspect the locals will have little patience for that approach.

The best Translator is the one on top of your shoulders. It would probably be more useful to either take a basic language class, use one of the commercial programs such as Pimsleur or Rosetta Stone or just pack along of copy of Rick's Phrasebook.

You'll probably find that many Italians can function in English to some extent, so if you speak clearly and slowly and avoid slang or abbreviations, you should be able to communicate.

Happy travels!

The problem with translators (or babelfish online) is that they give you only one translation for a word that might have many potential definitions. For example, "fly" can mean the insect or a mode of travel. Babelfish will consistently translate the Italian word "fate" as "fairies" even though it's more often found as the second person plural conjugation of the word "fare" meaning "to do or to make."

My wife bought me one for Christmas a few years ago. I tried it on one trip with no success whatsoever. It didn't even perform well on translating menu items. I still have it burried somewhere but it doesn't make the pack list.

Thanks to everyone for your input. I guess I was hoping that there had been more progress in the translator design. Thanks again for everyone's help.

Yes, the translator in your head is great. However, I like having the confidence that I can fall back on 95,000+ word pairs (with examples of usage so I know I am choosing the correct word) on my ipod at all times. It also conjugates verbs for me :) It is far from useless. (I've upgraded from the WordRoll to the Collins Pro dictionary now.)

It is not a talking translator, so that is not exactly what you've requested. However, once you learn the basic rules for Italian pronunciation, there are very few deviations. (You'll be used to that from the German you've learned.) Figure out how to read the words out loud, and you'll be able to request anything you like! Not just the 3 or 4 things you memorized :)