Translating between Bangla and English
One of this site’s guides or task texts from Bangla into English, or English into Bangla: plainly, adding nothing and leaving nothing out.
- Doable from anywhere
- 0/2 people
- About 4 hours
- 25
- points
About this task
Translating one of this site’s guides or task texts: Bangla into English, for foreign organisations or second-generation Bangladeshis abroad; or English into Bangla, for people in the villages. Paragraph by paragraph, then a second bilingual reader checks them side by side.
Why it matters
Good writing stuck in one language misses half its readers. Machine translation often shifts the meaning, and in safety advice that mistake is dangerous.
What changes after
The original and the translation side by side in one file, checked by a second reader, ready for staff to put on the site.
Who can join
Anyone who knows both Bangla and English well.
Step by step
0 of 4 steps doneHow to do it, in order.About 4 hours across all steps
- 1
Choose the text
Which text, which way (Bangla to English or back), due when: one line on the task page.
20 min
Not startedIn hand:Nobody yet - 2
Translate
Paragraph by paragraph. Keep names, numbers and dates exactly as they are. If a machine helps, read and fix every line yourself.
150 minকম্পিউটার
Not startedIn hand:Nobody yet - 3
A second reading
Another bilingual person reads the original and the translation side by side.
60 min
Not startedIn hand:Nobody yet - 4
Hand it in
A two-column file: the original on the left, the translation on the right.
10 min
Not startedIn hand:Nobody yet
When it counts as done
- Every paragraph of the original has its translation beside it
- Names, numbers and dates match the original exactly
- The second reader is named in the file
Proof required
- Document
The full guide
What it takes, and how to do it
Never done this before? No matter. The cost, the timeline, who does what, whom to speak to, the day hour by hour, the risks and ready words to send are all here.
- About
- ৳0–500
- People
- 2
- Time in all
- 4 hours
- Age
- 16 or older
Best timeAny time of year, in your own hours. Handed in before the cyclone and monsoon seasons (March–April, September), field teams can use it most.
PermissionNone for this site’s texts. To translate someone else’s writing, ask their permission.
What it costs
Prices differ by district and season; this is a 2026 estimate. Keep receipts and put them in the proof.
| What | How much | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile data or internet (nothing if you already have it)1 monthWhere: Mobile operator pack | 1 month | ৳0–500 |
| Software: free (LibreOffice, Google Docs or Sheets)—Where: Free online | — | ৳0 |
| Total (about) | ৳0–500 | |
Getting ready, step by step
Day one
- Fix the text and the direction; note it on the task page.
- Agree a second reader.
Day two
- Translate paragraph by paragraph in a two-column file.
Day three
- Correct by the second reader’s notes.
- Hand in the file.
Who does what
Translator1
Translates plainly, keeping the meaning.
Second reader1
Reads the original and the translation side by side and asks questions.
Whom to speak to first
Site staff (the reviewer on the task page)
- Why
- They accept the file handed in and put it on the site.
- How
- At the start, write one line on the task page: what you will hand in, and when.
The readers
- Why
- A village reader or a young person abroad: both need plain words.
- How
- For a hard word find a plain one; if needed, explain in brackets.
The day, hour by hour
- 20:00Read the whole text once.
- 20:20Translate paragraph by paragraph.
- 21:30Match names, numbers and dates to the original.
- 21:45Send it to the second reader.
How to take the proof
- The final file is the proof; upload it on the task page.
- Two columns: original left, translation right; the second reader named at the end.
Common first-time mistakes
- Word-for-word translation that reads unnaturally.
- Skipping the hard parts.
- Handing in with no second reading.
What can go wrong, and what to do
Machine translation shifting the meaning
Read every line yourself; when unsure, ask the second reader.
A number or date going wrong
Keep digits exactly; check them separately at the end.
Ready words to send
Copy, fill the [brackets], send.
Request to a second reader
[name], I have translated [text] into [language], about [pages] pages. Could you read the original and the translation side by side and comment by [date]? File: [link]
Note with the hand-in
Text: [name and link]. Direction: [Bangla to English / English to Bangla]. Second reader: [name]. Where I am unsure: [paragraph numbers and why].
After it is done
- If the original changes, update the translation.
- Keep a short glossary of hard words for the next translator.
Questions people ask
Can I do this from outside the country?
Yes. All of it is done on a phone or a computer; internet is enough. Hand it in on the task page.
Must it be word for word?
No. Keep the meaning, in plain words. Only names, numbers and dates stay exactly as they are.