How Handheld Translators Work and Why They’re Handy for Travel
How Handheld Translators Work and Why They’re Handy for Travel
手持翻译机的工作原理及其在旅行中的实用性
Summer is right around the corner. We’re headed out on adventures and bringing our stuff with us. Here are all the tech and tips that WIRED Reviews recommends for your travels. 夏天即将来临。我们即将踏上冒险之旅，并随身携带各种装备。以下是《连线》（WIRED）评测团队为您推荐的旅行科技产品与实用建议。
Hans Christian Andersen once said, “To travel is to live,” and while that’s a romantic notion, he probably wasn’t careening through Gyeongju, South Korea, at midnight in the back of a taxi with a driver who didn’t speak a lick of English. 汉斯·克里斯蒂安·安徒生曾说：“旅行即生活。”虽然这是一个浪漫的观点，但他大概没有经历过在午夜时分，坐在韩国庆州的一辆出租车后座上，而司机却一句英语都不会说的情况。
Today’s world traveler has it awfully easy when it comes to understanding the local lingo, as even a basic modern cell phone app can offer a pretty good translation of common phrases delivered in everything from Abkhaz to Zulu. Type or speak a sentence or two into the app, tap a button, and out it returns in the language of your choice. Tap another button, and your phone can even speak those sentences aloud. It takes a little doing to turn this into a credible two-way conversation—especially if the cab driver isn’t slowing down—but with some patience and good humor, two strangers can engage in a reasonable discussion this way. 对于当今的全球旅行者来说，理解当地语言变得非常容易，因为即使是基础的现代手机应用程序，也能提供从阿布哈兹语到祖鲁语等各种语言的常用短语翻译。只需在应用中输入或说出一两句话，点击按钮，它就能以你选择的语言输出翻译结果。再按一下按钮，手机甚至能将这些句子朗读出来。虽然要将其转化为可靠的双向对话需要一点技巧——尤其是当出租车司机没有减速时——但只要有足够的耐心和幽默感，两个陌生人完全可以通过这种方式进行合理的交流。
Casual travelers merely in need of directions to the farmacia or who want to know exactly what they’re getting into with a plate of kycklingtallrik can get by with a phone and a translation app, and if you’re going to a place with a fairly common tongue, you may not even need an active internet connection if you download the relevant language file for offline use. Google Translate, Apple Translate, or DeepL Translate will all do the job for free, though Google’s product is widely considered the gold standard for cross-language chitchat. 对于那些只需要问路去药店，或者想弄清楚盘子里那份瑞典鸡肉餐（kycklingtallrik）到底是什么的普通游客来说，一部手机和一个翻译应用就足够了。如果你去的是语言相对通用的地方，甚至不需要联网，只需下载相关的离线语言包即可。Google 翻译、Apple 翻译或 DeepL 翻译都能免费完成这项工作，尽管 Google 的产品被公认为跨语言交流的行业标杆。
But what if you want to push past translating menus and asking for extra towels, and carry on a conversation with a new friend you met on a trip, or the in-laws who are visiting from halfway across the world? That’s where a handheld translator device can prove invaluable. These pocket-sized digital interpreters can help you seem like a polyglot, even if you don’t know simple phrases. I have been testing and reviewing handheld translators for WIRED for five years, and I’ve developed a keen sense of how a good product should work and which ones I’d recommend. 但如果你想超越翻译菜单和索要额外毛巾的需求，想要与旅途中结识的新朋友，或是从地球另一端来访的亲戚进行深入交谈呢？这时，手持翻译机就显得弥足珍贵了。这些口袋大小的数字翻译官能让你看起来像个语言天才，即使你连简单的短语都不会说。我为《连线》测试和评测手持翻译机已有五年，对于一款优秀的产品应具备的功能以及哪些值得推荐，我已形成了敏锐的判断。
What Do Handheld Language Translators Do?
手持翻译机的功能是什么？
Handheld translators are exactly that—stand-alone devices that up the ante on language interpretation, and their real value is revealed when you use them for sustained, voice-based conversation. Alongside the spoken word, some have a screen that shows the translation in text, often displaying the other side of the conversation upside down, so you don’t have to constantly pass the device back and forth. 手持翻译机顾名思义，就是独立的翻译设备。它们提升了语言翻译的水平，其真正的价值在于进行持续的语音对话。除了语音输出外，一些设备还配有屏幕，以文本形式显示翻译内容，通常会将对方的对话内容倒置显示，这样你就无需频繁地将设备递来递去。
Having a translator in a separate piece of hardware has further advantages. Namely, you can use your phone for something else while you’re talking—like snapping pictures or taking notes, for example—instead of tethering it to a translation app. You may also feel more comfortable handing a less costly stand-alone device to someone you don’t know versus trusting them with your $1,000 smartphone. 使用独立的硬件翻译设备还有其他优势。即在交谈时，你可以腾出手机做其他事情，比如拍照或记笔记，而不必将其束缚在翻译应用上。此外，将一台价格较低的独立设备交给陌生人，可能比把价值 1000 美元的智能手机交给他们更让你感到安心。
Many handheld translators can operate independently, either via Wi-Fi or with preloaded data plans that generally work worldwide. That means you can take one on a global jaunt and have access to interpretation services without having to pony up for an international plan on your smartphone. Better yet, download all the language packs you want before your trip, and you can use a handheld translator in offline mode, even when you’re in the sticks. 许多手持翻译机可以独立运行，通过 Wi-Fi 或预装的全球通用数据流量包工作。这意味着你可以带着它环游世界，无需为手机支付昂贵的国际漫游套餐费即可享受翻译服务。更好的是，在旅行前下载好所需的语言包，即使身处偏远地区，你也可以在离线模式下使用翻译机。
Earbud-based translators are the next game changer. These are over-ear devices that come in a pair—one for you, one for your conversation partner. Each of you wears one earbud, and the software on your phone handles the translation, both ways, behind the scenes. The best earbud translators make for the most natural way to communicate with someone in a foreign language that I’ve found to date, though handhelds tend to have more capabilities. (Earbud-based designs seem to be the direction the industry is heading.) 耳机式翻译机是下一个颠覆性的产品。它们是成对的耳挂式设备——一个给你，一个给你的交谈对象。你们每人佩戴一只耳机，手机上的软件在后台处理双向翻译。据我目前所知，最好的耳机式翻译机是与外语使用者交流最自然的方式，尽管手持式设备往往具备更多功能。（耳机式设计似乎是行业发展的方向。）
When shopping for a handheld translator, watch out for expensive subscription plans. Many devices come with free service, but only for a time, and re-upping after the trial period ends can be pricey. Check the fine print before you buy. Also, make sure the translator you’re considering covers all the languages you need. Note that while some translators support hundreds of languages, they may be limited in the language pairs they can translate between. 在选购手持翻译机时，要警惕昂贵的订阅计划。许多设备提供免费服务，但仅限一段时间，试用期结束后续费可能会很贵。购买前请仔细阅读细则。此外，确保你考虑的翻译机涵盖了你所需的所有语言。请注意，虽然有些翻译机支持数百种语言，但它们在特定语言对之间的互译能力可能有限。
Who Really Needs a Handheld Language Translator?
谁真正需要手持翻译机？
Again, if you only need casual translation for occasional or emergency use, you can definitely get by with a free translation app on your phone. Translation devices are best for frequent users who expect to carry on multiple sustained conversations with speakers of other languages over time. 再次强调，如果你只是偶尔需要翻译或应对紧急情况，手机上的免费翻译应用绝对够用。翻译设备最适合那些需要长期与外语使用者进行多次持续对话的频繁用户。
Those scenarios could include attending a reunion with your Swedish wife’s extended family or a lengthy workshop series with colleagues from other parts of the world. These tools are also often marketed to first responders who need to quickly assess a situation when human translation services aren’t available. 这些场景可能包括参加瑞典妻子的大家庭聚会，或是与来自世界各地的同事进行长期的研讨会。这些工具也常被推销给急救人员，以便在没有人工翻译服务的情况下快速评估现场情况。
In situations where you may need to communicate with several speakers, each speaking a different language, a portable translator can make even more sense. If you expect your journeys to take you to far-flung areas or off the grid entirely, where internet service may be poor or nonexistent, a translator can be a helpful tool in your travel bag, even if you only expect to use it for emergencies. 在需要与多位讲不同语言的人交流的情况下，便携式翻译机就更有意义了。如果你预计旅程会带你去偏远地区或完全脱离网络的地方，那里的网络服务可能很差甚至不存在，那么翻译机将是你旅行包中一个有用的工具，即使你只打算在紧急情况下使用它。
Which Handheld Language Translators Are Best?
哪些手持翻译机最好？
After testing numerous handheld translators, I recommend this trio. Which one you pick will depend on how you expect to use it—and your budget. 在测试了众多手持翻译机后，我推荐以下三款。你选择哪一款取决于你的使用预期以及预算。