Google Translate App Now Unblocked in China 谷歌翻译 App 在中国大陆正式可用了

Posted 2021-05-02 MetroStyle新大都会

Google on Wednesday made available in China a new version of its translation app that is accessible without censor-evading software, a move likely to fuel speculation that the internet giant was mending fences with Beijing.

Google shut down its www.google.cn website in 2010, moving its Chinese search service from mainland China to Hong Kong in a row over cyberattacks and censorship.

Chinese have for years been able to utilise a web-based version of Google Translate, but the mobile app has required the use of virtual private network (VPN) software to get around the "Great Firewall", China’s huge system of online censorship.

"Today we’re releasing version 5.8 of the Google Translate apps for android and ios, adding instant visual translation between English and Korean, as well as an improved experience for users in China," Google announced in a blog post.

It provided a link for Android downloads, while saying iPhone users can search Apple’s app store.

It did not explain why the app was now accessible, and a Google spokesman declined to comment on the matter.

"Google Translate has been available in China for more than eight years," the spokesman said, referring to the web version.

"Today, we’re making our Translate app work better for Chinese users."

The move could mark a step forward in China for Google, whose main search engine, its Gmail email service, maps, and other offerings are blocked.

It has maintained a presence in China mainly by helping Chinese companies advertise online overseas and by offering other web ad services within China itself.

The Google-backed Android system powers the majority of the world’s smartphones and is available free for device makers in China and elsewhere.

But the absence of key company offerings in China such as the Google Play app store has allowed a host of Chinese competitors to capitalise on the explosive growth in the country’s online and mobile markets.

China now has a world-leading population of around 700 million mobile Internet users.

Various media reports in recent years have said Google was attempting to negotiate permission to offer Google Play in China, and top company officials including chief executive Sundar Pichai have publicly stated their desire to bring more Google products to Chinese users.

The translation app, however, offers no search function, nor does it require setting up an account, which means no user data is collected.

"Google has an extremely rich line of products and it can offer which are not controversial," said Fu Liang, an independent telecom analyst based in Beijing.

"It’s not clear if Google can find a reasonable solution in news and web searches, but its other non-controversial services should still have chances to enter China."

3月29日，谷歌将旗下翻译软件更新，并且对中国用户正式开放，省去了安装规避审查软件的麻烦。这一举动很可能意在为宣传“谷歌这一互联网巨头有意和中国搞好关系”这一新闻制造噱头。

谷歌在2010年宣布关闭在中国运营的网站，并在接连不断的网络攻击和审查之下将其在中国的搜索服务从内地转到了香港。

多年以来，中国只能使用基于网页版的谷歌翻译，但若想使用其移动应用就需要使用虚拟私人网络（VPN）软件来避开中国庞大的网络审查系统——中国防火墙。

谷歌方在一篇博文中宣布：“Google翻译App的iOS版和安卓版目前已更新至5.8版本。新版本增加了英语和韩语之间的即时视觉翻译功能，同时优化了中国用户的体验。”

与此同时，谷歌方面还为安卓用户提供了一个下载链接，同时表示苹果用户可以在苹果的应用商店中自行搜索。

对于该应用为何突然向中国大陆开放，谷歌方面并没有给出具体原因，其发言人也拒绝就该问题进行任何回应。

发言人就网页版提到：“事实上谷歌翻译的网页端在这 8 年多的时间里一直是可用的。”

“现如今，我们只是优化了中国用户对这款翻译软件的使用体验。”

这一举动算是标志着谷歌在中国又向前迈进了一步，但谷歌的主要搜索引擎、Gmail电子邮件服务、谷歌地图以及其他功能目前仍被封锁。

谷歌一般都是通过帮助中国的企业公司进行海外的在线广告宣传以及在中国国内提供网络广告服务等方式来维持在中国的业务。

世界各地的智能手机大多数都使用谷歌支持的安卓系统，且该系统对中国及其他地区的设备制造商来说均可免费使用。

然而，由于诸如谷歌应用商店等主要产品在中国仍旧未开放，一大批中国竞争者便将目光放在了迅速发展的网络或移动市场，并从中获利。

目前，中国已拥有了约7亿人的移动网络用户，在全世界遥遥领先。

最近几年，各类媒体报道都声称谷歌正在尝试谈判在中国运营谷歌应用商店。包括总裁桑德尔·皮蔡在内的公司高层人员都曾公开表示希望向中国用户提供更多谷歌生产的产品。

然而，此次开放的翻译软件并没有搜索功能，同时也并不需要注册账户，意味着不会留下任何用户数据。

来自北京的独立电信分析师付亮表示：“谷歌拥有极其丰富的在线商品，他们可以提供那些没什么争议的产品。”

“我不清楚谷歌是否会在新闻以及网络搜索方面采取什么方法，但我认为其他一些不存在争议的产品或服务今后还是有机会进入中国的。”