Global communication through online translation

Online communication has put global knowledge at year fingertips, crossing time zones and boundaries at whirlwind speeds (depending on your local connection). However, unless you know the language of the people with whom you want to communicate, you could be out of luck. If you're reading this article, you almost certainly speak English, but what about French, Spanish, German, and Portuguese? You skipped those classes? If so, AltaVista's online translation service can translate for you.