Translation/Writing "right to left" Non-Anglo languages

[MysteriousJZ]

Hi, I am trying to get into freelance translation work by translating English
into my mother tongue Pashto (and also Urdu). They both go from right to left
and have non-anglo, more like "Arabic" alphas. How can I start writing
documents in Word by using my regular laptop? I cant seem to find any option
to change the language into Pashto or Urdu. What do I need to do to be able
to start writing in those languages in Word document? Any help would be
greatly appreciated.

 

[Opinicus]

Hi, I am trying to get into freelance translation work by translating
English
into my mother tongue Pashto (and also Urdu). They both go from right to
left
and have non-anglo, more like "Arabic" alphas. How can I start writing
documents in Word by using my regular laptop? I cant seem to find any
option
to change the language into Pashto or Urdu. What do I need to do to be
able
to start writing in those languages in Word document?

You first need to install support for those languages in Windows:

Control Panel > Regional and Language Options > Languages

Since Pashto is a right-to-left language, you'll probably need to check the
box on that page. (I've never had to do this.) From "Details" you can select
the keyboard you need.

I suggest you check with someone who's actually done this, such as at a
university etc.

 

[Renee [MSFT]]

What version of Word are you using?
After enabling RTL languages on the system and installing the correct
keyboard, you should also enable Office for those languages.
Start->Programs->Microsoft Office->Microsoft Office Tools->Microsoft Office
Language Settings. There should be an Enabled Languages tab where you can
add Urdu and Pashto.

If one or the other has "(limited support)" after it in parentheses, this
means you don't have operating system support for the language. Vista
supports Pashto but I don't think WinXP does. WinXP does support Urdu though.

Once you've done those two things, you should be able to boot Word, switch
your keyboard language to Urdu or Pashto, and start typing. There are a
variety of features to support right-to-left languages, such as paragraph
direction markers, justification with kashidas, columns that flow from right
to left, and so forth. Try doing a search on right to left in help to read
about the available features. The easiest way to get your paragraph
alignment RTL is Ctrl+right shift key.