How would I have condensed the question I asked so I can use the
google language web instead of paying for a sentence each time?  I
know you can't use words like "I", "will", etc. I'll have to pay
another $2.00, but hope I can use the website instead. Thanks

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Request for Question Clarification by aditya2k-ga on 26 Dec 2002 08:26 PST

Hi hay1246,

I'm sorry, but I'm not very clear about your question. Are you looking
for places on the web where you can translate spanish to english?

aditya2k.

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Clarification of Question by hay1246-ga on 26 Dec 2002 10:18 PST

Yes.  I asked the question of the google spanish translation website
and they say you have to put "marks or a space between words that
haven't a direct translation pertaining to that particular sentence. 
When I asked for , Can we get the bus from here, etc. they answered
saying they don't use the words "can, we, etc.  I got a website from
one of my answers and I tried it and the answer is instantly, I
imagine it's mechanical, but it was ok with me for the few times I
might use it.  Thanks,

Dear hay1246-ga;

Thank you for allowing me an opportunity to answer your interesting
question.

Keep in mind that the structures of languages are not always the same
in English as they are in other tongues. While your English-speaking
mind is wondering about what “we” can do, in Spanish you will actually
be inquiring about “the bus” and what the bus does.

Some better questions to try and translate might be something like
these:

“Does the bus travel from here to the bridge today?”

“Does the bus stop here and travel to the bridge today?”

In many countries, your question will be perceived a literal so, for
example, if you ask “Does the bus travel from here to the bridge?”,
the driver might say “Yes” and never think twice about the fact that
it only travels from here to the bridge on the second Sunday of the
month. The key to successful translation is ask the question properly.
I tried this revised version of your question on the Google Translator
and, as translators go, it worked fine.

GOOGLE TRANSLATOR
://www.google.com/language_tools


In Germany, I once pointed to a street in front of a gas station and
asked the attendant “Does this road go to the city of 
Kaiserslautern?”

Very calmly he replied, “No”. 

I was lost for half an hour before I figured out that the road lead
directly to the autobahn about two blocks from the station, which DID
go to Kaiserslautern. I asked, he answered and I got exactly what I
asked for.

I look forward to working with you again in the near future. Thank you
for using Google Answers.

Best regards;
Tutuzdad-ga

Thanks for your help.  I rated you 5 stars but expected it to show up
in the left where all the stars are ready to be "filled in".  Thanks

You can get up to about ten words at a time translated for free by a
professional translator at www.proz.com  It is far better to use a
human than an automatic translator if at all possible.