So Norvig's group designs tools to scan the contents of public libraries, crafts translators that convert foreign-language documents and creates ways to store and index e-mails cheaply.

FORBES

Linguistic-knowledge translators have two sets of grammatical rules one for the source language and one for the target.

ECONOMIST: A gift of tongues

Google said last week that its Google Translate service -- which changes text from one language to another -- handles as much translation work in a day as human translators could manage in a year.

CNN: Bonjour Google! Gmail adds auto-translation

While visiting the crash site Thursday, FBI Director Robert Mueller said translators were helping to work on a transcript of the tape -- confirming that more than one language is heard on the tape.

CNN: Recorder reveals details of Flight 93 struggle

Although the U.S State Department subsequently implemented a special immigrant visa program for Iraqi and Afghan translators and interpreters, the creation of this class of refugees is a testament to the power of language politics, and an example of the fallout from American insufficiencies in this area.

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