What could be better than having access to the whole world’s knowledge at your fingertips? Well, how about the ability to translate that knowledge into your native language so you can comprehend it all? That’s exactly what Mozilla’s newest Firefox translation add-on brings to the table. The plug-in translates Web pages in up to 45 languages and makes them available to you offline, so you can read or hear them later when there’s no Internet connection available. You can even look up single words in other languages, which will help you understand larger passages of text in the future! Firefox’s New Translation Add-on Makes Browsing the Web in Another Language a Breeze
The new extension supports 65 languages
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A number of major languages, including French, Spanish, German and Portuguese are missing from Mozilla’s list of supported translations; that said, it’s important to note that support for languages like Hindi and Swahili is available. This should be considered an upgrade over Google Translate (which supports 103 languages), but there is still some work to be done on Mozilla’s end. The Firefox extension also includes word-level translation.
The extension does not translate directly but translates pages using Google Translate
As of now, it supports translations from English to and from French, German, Spanish, Italian and Russian. It would be awesome if more languages are added to support non-English speakers using Firefox as their main browser. I personally find it very helpful and convenient when I want to read news or other articles written in other languages. If you use Firefox as your primary browser, you should try out Mozilla’s new translation add-on! Using Google Translate can help you easily understand web pages even if they are not available in your language!
The add-on will be available in 35 languages from launch date.
It’s important to note that it will take some time for Mozilla to develop language packs, so they’ll be available in 35 languages from launch date, but you won’t be able to use all of them right away. The add-on will support Spanish (Spain and Mexico), French (France and Canada), German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil) and English. Those interested can sign up for updates about when their language is supported. One addition that would be great if possible would be translating news feeds on sites like ESPN or CNN Sports as well. Hopefully that is something that might happen in future versions of an add-on like it as well.
Users can choose to get translation without leaving the page.
Users can choose to translate words and phrases on specific websites, or opt to get an entire page translated without leaving it. With one click, users can toggle between translations and their native language, as well as pick which language they want to be default for any given site. Translations are also saved even when browsing offline so users can access them when they’re not connected to Wi-Fi or cellular data. For example, if you’re reading an English version of The Economist while visiting Paris but don’t have an Internet connection (and therefore won’t be able to access The Economist online), Firefox will automatically translate U.S.
The original page remains visible on top of the translated page.
This makes it easier to move back and forth between pages while you read and compare translations. You can also see definitions of words you don’t know. You can hover over a word to see its definition, or click on it to bring up more information about it—such as possible translations from Wikipedia. A toolbar above your browser window (or another part of your Firefox interface) shows how many words on that page have been translated and how many still need work. Since any word that can be translated will show up red on the toolbar, you know if there are problems with your translation before you look at it.
The new add-on adds a toolbar icon that allows users to switch between languages on any web page they are browsing.
By default, Firefox will use Google Translate to perform translations. Users can also select alternative language services such as Bing Translator or Yandex Translate. The new add-on allows users to translate pages even when they are offline and not connected to Wi-Fi or cellular data. The translation service works with more than 50 languages and users have reported having success translating pages from French, German, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese. As of now, Mozilla is offering its new service only for Windows PCs but says it is working on an app version for Android devices as well as plans to bring it to other platforms in future updates. Meanwhile you can download Firefox’s new translation add-on here .
Users can set their default language as well as choose which languages are enabled for translation.
This is particularly useful for users who want to browse websites in their native language but also want access to pages written in other languages. The add-on currently offers support for over 90 languages, with more expected as Mozilla seeks out volunteers to translate Firefox’s interface and release notes into additional tongues. More information about Mozilla’s translation initiative can be found here.