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93 Jen: This could put us out of a job, Neil! Now come on, it must be time for a language-related quiz. Neil: Yes, that’s exactly what we’ll do now. I want to know, how many languages are there in the world? Is it: a) about 100 b) about 1,000 c) about 6,000 Jen: Well, I think there are a lot but maybe not 6,000, so I’ll go for b) about 1,000. Neil: OK, well we will find out, as ever, at the end of the programme. Back now to our app. Jen: This, of course, isn’t the only instant translation technology in the world. Neil: No, Google has something similar, though it’s less advanced than this Japanese app. Listen to the first part of a report from the BBC’s correspondent, Richard Taylor. How does the Google technology work? BBC correspondent Richard Taylor: You simply talk into your smartphone. That’s then sent to the server from Google, which does real- time voice recognition and then machine translation on it and then that data is sent back to your phone either as a script or, if you pay a little bit extra in terms of data charges, as a voice file. Neil: He says when you talk into your smartphone, it’s sent to the server – a central computer which other computers get their information from. Jen: The server does real-time translation and then sends back a text or voice file. Neil: So you read the translation or, if you pay a little bit more, listen to a translation sent as an audio recording. Jen: Amazing stuff! Neil: Indeed, but this new app in Japan, developed by the company NTT Docomo, goes even further. Jen:That’s right.With this technology, you can have an actual conversation with someone on the other side of the world, speaking a different language to the one which is coming out of your mouth! Neil: Incredible! Now listen to the second part of the report from the BBC’s Richard Taylor. BBC correspondent Richard Taylor: But they’ve actually taken the
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