I need simple reference books or dictionaries that will give me translation from English to: French, Spanish, Chinese, German, and Italian. A wide variety of words is needed, not just basics. Any suggestions please submit. Grace

Try this link, Grace. Welcome to the board

http://www.lexicool.com/

You could also try Systran (do a search for it on Google), it has quite a wide range of languages.

Welcome to the Board, Grace and bonzaialsatian!
Hope you will stick around and enjoy the banter and tomfoolery.
Aloha.

Thanks for the welcome - stick around? Definnissimo!

How about http://www.freelang.com? I've downloaded an electronic dictionary program there, and then you can get word lists from whatever languages you like. You can also add to them. Some languages have larger word lists than others. I suspect the laguages you mentions should be no problem (I actually have the Italian list, it's pretty good). FWIW, the Turkish one certainly sucks.

bonzaialsatian? Which bits do you prune to achieve that?

Well, it's after my dog's nickname and, come to think of it, he WAS neutered...
Enough said I think.

I like the expression "toxic microcosm" in your profile. The sound of it alone speaks volumes.

German Shepherd person, what's the difference between bonzai and bonsai? Somehow I'm thinking kamikaze pilots instead of miniature trees here....

what's the difference between bonzai and bonsai?

I may be confused, too, but I suspect all possible interpretations apply:

1. "Banzai!" as per kamikaze or a popular and silly UK Channel 4 program.

2. "Bonzer" as per the Aussie term of endearment.

3. "Bonsai" as per the little trees, or perfect miniature replicas.

But I'll leave it to the hound himself to describe how this all fits together.

hound himself

Or herself, as the case may be.

Me, I'm waiting with baited [sic] breath....

Or herself

Whatever!

Errr... I thought that's how bonsai/bonzai, as in the little trees, is spelt. Though, I suppose if the word bonzai doesn't exsist it means I could really call it my own - bonzaialsatian®
In fact, I quite like the combination between bonsai and bonzer - an endearing little tree? Hmmm...

You go, girl!

You go, girl!

Dead right, mate! [solid slap on the back]
Pint as usual?

banzai, bonzer and bonsai - an enthusiastic and endearing little tree.

As for the "alsatian" bit, well, dogs do find trees endearing.

The little teeny tiny trees are, indeed, bonsai. The bon part refers to the tray that these things are normally grown in and the sai part means to plant.

Bonzai is, at least supposedly, a term meaning, literally "ten thousand years", with an implied "may you live" stuck in there somewhere. I can't find any corroboration for this in either of my Japanese dictionaries, so it may just be some gaijin fairy tale.

Edit:
Oh, d'oh! Banzai. Yup. Ban, ten thousand. Zai (or sai all by itself), years. My one dictionary translates it as Hurrah!

Pint as usual?

Yep, in fact, pint o' the usual, good buddy!

(No water for me. You know what WC Fields said about that.)

A ten-thousand year old minature potted-tree that is enthusiastic, and endearing to dogs... I think I'll just stick to bonzaialsatian!

No water for me. You know what WC Fields said about that

Indeed I do, nauntie, and it's true. OTOH, we fish wouldn't get very far without it. Cycling is thirsty work.

a term meaning, literally "ten thousand years", with an implied "may you live" stuck in there somewhere

Makes the Polish toast Sto lat, "may you live a hundred years", look pretty tame.

I still like it, though, especially if you add an implied "..in one night" at the end.

Incidentally, I just read that "Banzai" is traditionally repeated three times. Surprisingly similar to our "Three Cheers" isn't it? With the difference that we don't actually repeat "hooray" three times.

similar to our "Three Cheers"

Hip, hip!
   Hooray!

Hip, hip!
   Hooray!

Hip, hip!
   Hooray!

Gets more difficult as you grow older and have to have replacement hips.

This isn't exactly what you are looking for, but this site is fascinating! It takes your phrase and runs it through a series of translators back to English. FAR too much fun. I am going to start a separate thread so people can report what they put in and what they got out!

http://www.tashian.com/multibabel/