Gmail now translates your (scam) e-mails

Translation is making its way into more Google services this month, having just been added to Gmail's labs. If you get a message in a different language, there's a new link that'll show up in the top of the message that lets you translate it to whatever language you have Gmail set to. You can also set it up to do the translation to any language of your choice.

It does the actual translation in just a few seconds, and gets both the subject and body while retaining the original. You can switch back to it by hitting the translate link again.

Once items have been translated they don't stay translated, which means you'll have to re-translate every time you're viewing that message again. The translated text is also not indexed into Gmail's search engine, which means you have to remember the word phrase in its original language to find it. Assuming you don't get too many e-mails in an alternate language this shouldn't be too much of a problem, though.

I anticipate having great fun with this in my spam folder, which is frequented by non-English grammar train wrecks. As with other Gmail labs items this must be turned on from the labs menu settings before you can use it.

Note: Changed the headline in light of the fact that Nigeria is an English speaking country. Thanks to those of you who pointed this out.

Recently: Google Friend Connect gets comment translation

Gmail users can now make use of translation right from their e-mails with a new Gmail labs add-on.

(Credit: CNET)

[ifeanyi_]

I don't get the title, it doesn't seem to relate to the post and Nigerians communicate in english anyway.

[alegr]

Great, now they don't even need to learn English!

[playboyleo]

Can someone please explain WHAT does the title have to do with this arcticle???

[assman]

It's meant to get your attention.. has nothing to do with the google service. Doesn't actually make sense of course, since Nigerian emails are usually in broken English.

[goodspeed8701]

Cnet has some talented editors... wow so they are saying that the victims now translate the scam emails written in other language. lol if thats not wha they mean then whats the title got to do with the article?

[assman]

When I get emails in another language, I immediately know it's spam. I won't have any use for this.

[greggrss10]

awesome! i've been waiting for this app!

[cheboncruz]

Funny way to introduce translation in Gmail.

[Yo-wassup]

Translate this for me.
TERIMA KASIH

[chuksy]

Pls get your facts right and stop the sensatonalism. Am not impressed.

[akutno]

To make it even more funny. The mail is written in Czech but it was apparently machine translated to Czech as well (the grammar is awful). Probably it was translated from English.

[sholla]

I didn't see the original title, but I think it is wrong to have used "Nigeria" or even scam in the title of this informative piece. Its better to avoid shortsighted sensationalism.