Sorry - I just realized I had posted this in the US forum.

I saw an article in the paper this morning about the "5-Language European Translator" from Franklin Electronics. Has anybody ever used one? I saw it on Amazon, it had only 2 reviews (mixed). It is cheap though ($18.99) and I really only want something (inconspicuous) to translate a menu etc.

I know it is nice to know some of the language (we do - well, the French is pretty good but the Italian is really sparse...) but I hate going to expensive restaurants and not knowing what my choices are!

"...you will go hungry if you try to understand/decode a restaurant menu."

If you have a Pocket PC, you're in luck. Microsoft offers free language dictionaries for their Reader software. Also, you can download the Patricia Wells food glossary and Acrobat Reader.

<i>p.s.</i> Punching menu items into any electronic gizmo rates very low on the &quot;inconspicuous&quot; scale.

Hi wl,

&gt;...I hate going to expensive restaurants and not knowing what my choices are!&lt;

At any proper expensive restaurant your waiter will be pleased to tell you every ingredient in each dish, which wine to have with it and what cheeses would be best after.

But not all expensive restaurants are proper, in my experience.

I used to have one of those Gizmos. It talked in the language you punched on. I tried to use it once in Italy but it made us all laugh so hard we just couldn't. We were imagining the poor waiter's face if we brought out this contraption with a droning male voice speaking in Italian. I didn't know they were still on the market. I have no idea what happened to mine.

ira:
I recall when we were in Paris that I felt comfortable asking about a few things on a menu - but I fel embarassed to ask for too many explanations. Sometimes, I just ended up letting htem bring me anything they suggested (which actually worked fine as I'll try almost anything...)

seaurchin:
This device has no audio. It is text. Oh well. I just bought another Italian cd (which so far is awful). Maybe I'll learn enough to get by...

I own one but to tell you the truth we didn't ever use it in a restaurant..it would get looks just like here..we did try using it to talk to a guy in Germany...unsuccessfully...it was fun playing with it on a train...go online and locate a menu helper .print it off and study it on the plane you will be surprised how much will sink in...eat the formule and that may help narrow it down..remember its sometimes good to be surprised !