Technology comes to rescue of monoglot US troops in Iraq

According to this report, linguistically-challenged U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Iraq have been able to communicate with local citizens by using a paperback-book-sized device called the phraselator.

“Co-developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and private contractors, the phraselator uses computer chips to translate English phrases into as many as 30 foreign language equivalents, noted Army Lt. Col. James Bass, the project manager.

Users either speak into the device, which translates the English into the foreign-equivalent phrase, Bass explained, or they can punch a button to call up the desired phrase.”

Hmmm… Wonder what the Arabic for “All of your oil wells are belong to us” is.