Cellphones to Translate Japanese-English

Advanced Telecommunication Research Institute International (ATR), a private laboratory in Seikacho, Kyoto Prefecture, has recently developed Internet software for cell phones that translates Japanese sentences into English and vice versa. Major cell phone firms plan to introduce the software as part of their new services by the end of the year. Software for Chinese translations will be available next spring.

The software inputs about 1 million sentences, including travel expressions in Japanese and English. It can offer translations comparable to a TOEIC level of 800. Translations will appear on the screen and are pronounced via audio. Takeo Fukuroya, president of ATR-Lang Inc., a group firm of ATR and primary contractor of the project, said, “Exchanges between Japan and China will be promoted through cell phones at the time of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.” Continue >>