How to Translate Text in Webpages With Firefox Addon

While exploring web, it is easy to come across pages that are written partially or completely in a foreign language. Reading them has become a simple process with a text translation add-on for Firefox created by Jimmy Ruska. Another situation in which you may need text translation is when you wish to see text in your native tongue translated into another language. The text translation add-on can provide translations for that situation as well.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Firefox browser

1. Open your Firefox browser and go to Jimmy Ruska’s “Unofficial Google Translate Firefox Extension” page in order to download the text translation extension (add-on) for Firefox. The download is free and quick. You will need to restart Firefox once the download is complete in order to use the extension.

2. Open your Firefox browser again and locate a webpage you would like to translate. It can be a page written entirely or partially in another language, or it can be written in your native tongue and need to be translated into another language.

3. Right-click your mouse in order to bring up the translation settings. At the bottom of the box that pops up you will see the options to “Translate From”, “Translate To” and “Translate Page”.

4. Select which language you would like to translate from in the pop-up menu. A great option to use is ‘auto detect’, located at the top of the menu. This is especially helpful when you do not know which language you are viewing. The language (or auto select) option you have chosen will now be set as your default ‘from’ translation language.

5. Right-click your mouse again. Now select which language you would like to translate into in the pop-up menu. The language you select will become your default ‘to’ language.

6. Use your mouse pointer to select the text you wish to translate. Do this by holding down the left button while you move your pointer. Once the text is selected, release the left button. To select the entire page, simultaneously press the “CTRL” and “A” keys.

7. Position your mouse pointer somewhere in the selected text area. Make sure it is resting on text and not a link.

8. Hold down the “ALT” and left mouse buttons simultaneously (ALT-Click). This will de-select your text and begin the translation process. The translation will pop up within a few seconds; an entire page will take a few extra seconds. From this point forward, any text you select and ALT-CLICK on will be translated from your default “from” language into your default “to” language. These settings remain even after Firefox has been closed and restarted.

Tips & Warnings

• When the translation box pops up, it will display the translation first and then what was input in its original language. This allows you to verify that you selected the correct section of text for translation.
• If you wish to change either or both of your ‘to’ and ‘from’ default language translation settings, simply right click on any web page and choose other options. The new options are now your default settings.
• Once you have chosen your default settings, you can translate an entire page by simply right-clicking anywhere in the page and choosing the “Translate Page” option from the menu. Use the ‘Back’ button of your browser to return to the page in its original language.
• Be patient with the translations. They may take a few seconds to pop up. If you become impatient and repeat the operation, you will end up closing the translation the instant it appears. Then you will have to go through the translation steps a third time.
• When you click on the selected text in order to start the translation, be sure your pointer is in the selected text and is not resting on a link. If it is on a link, it will still translate, but it will also download the HTML of the page to which the link goes.
• As with any translation program, the translation provided may not be 100-percent accurate. However, it should be close enough to give you a general idea as to what the translated text is stating. Some users who have published feedback to the creator of the translation extension have reported high accuracy in the translations of their language of choice.

Resources

• Jimmy Ruska’s “Unofficial Google Translate Firefox Extension” page
• Direct link to download the translation extension