Translating websites that aren’t in your native language, or just translating them for fun, is easier then ever. Google’s translation software for websites is automatically installed in the Chrome browser and in its sister browser, Iron. It is also available as an Add-On in many of the other browsers. Here at Rings & Things we recommend Chrome, or for the more privacy-conscious, the Iron Browser as your default web browser.
To begin you will need do download and install the browser if you don’t already have Chrome or Iron. You can find free downloads here:
Google Chrome: https://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/browser/
Iron: http://www.srware.net/en/software_srware_iron_download.php
Cosmetically and functionally the browsers are almost identical, with most of the differences being internal. What are the internal differences? Iron removes the unique ID that Google gives to every install of Chrome, removes all optional settings that would allow Google to track your browsing habits, and removes the automatic update feature.
Installation of either browser is simple and should only take a few minutes.
Once it is installed there is nothing else to do to get Google’s translation software. When browsing a site in a foreign language each browser should automatically offer to translate the page to your native language. If it doesn’t, or if you want to translate from your language to another, just right-click on the page for a list of options and chose (in my case) “Translate to English”. This will bring a bar below your tabs that will tell you what language it is translating from and to. If you choose, you can change the language it is translating to any language you wish.
Cheers!
Todd, Rings & Things Web Guru
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