[Fsf-friends] World Social Forum in Mumbai using Open Source Software for Translation (fwd)

[Frederick Noronha (FN)]

---------- Forwarded message ----------

Wired News
Jan. 20, 2004


13 Languages Speak With One Voice 
By Swaroopa Iyengar

MUMBAI, India -- The World Social Forum is speaking in 13 languages 
this year. And amazingly, most of the time, everyone understands what 
the others are saying.

Moving the WSF to India meant that more Asian groups would 
participate in the forum, giving it a different flavor from previous 
years. But India is also a land of 14 official languages, which meant 
WSF organizers had to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on 
expensive translation equipment so the participants, Indian and 
otherwise, could follow each other.

In previous years, translations were offered to delegates in three 
languages: English, French and Spanish. This year, in addition to 
these languages, translations are being provided in Korean, Japanese, 
Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Malayalam, Bahasa Indonesian 
and Thai. And yet, the service costs are minimal.

The translations are being done by an international network of 
volunteer interpreters called Babels, using a newly created open-
source Linux software. The software can be run on a midrange 
computer, therefore cutting out the high costs of translation 
associated with special high-speed computers, consoles and mixing 
equipment.

The translator uses an interface on the computer screen to select the 
language being spoken. The speaker's voice is digitized and sent to 
the translator, who then sends the translated text out through the 
interface to audiences, who listen on headsets.

"This is the first time we have used such an innovative free-share on 
such a large scale," said Sophie Gosselin, a member of Nomad, the 
organization that created the translation software. "And because all 
the speeches and their translations are going through our computers, 
we are going to be able to archive all of them. This means we will be 
able to put it up on the WSF's site to be shared with everyone who 
was not able to attend now, taking the forum to hundreds of thousands 
of people."

The WSF is also using an FM radio frequency to provide translations 
in various Indian languages to help cut the cost of attaching 
headsets to every seat. FM radios are being sold at the venue for 100 
rupees ($2).

"Our main aim is to keep the costs as low as possible and yet not 
impose English upon everyone," said Gosselin. "We want everyone to 
feel like they have ownership of this event. For example, when we 
contacted the Koreans to ask them if they wanted translations, they 
were really surprised, as they were so used to being marginalized. 
But the Korean delegation turnout here is now higher because they 
feel included."

But it hasn't all been smooth sailing. The interpreters have been 
beset by technical difficulties and infrastructure problems at the 
forum, causing many delegates to attend only panels spoken in their 
language.

"It's great when it works," said Andre Grosso, an interpreter from 
France. "The technology is democratic, it's independent of the 
politics of different agendas, it's open-source -- keeping in line 
with the philosophy of the forum -- and it's highly economical." 



source:
http://wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,61966,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_4


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