It would awesome if it were possible to connect to Google translate with non-English modern languages the way we can look up Greek words on Perseus.
The Latin capabilities of Google Translate aren't quite as reliable, but I've been impressed with their German, French, and Dutch abilities.
And since the URLs are pretty transparent, so it wouldn't be too terrible to implement.
Consider, for example, the first line of the Iliad in German:
http://translate.google.com/#de|en|%0A%0A%0A%0ASinge%20den%20Zorn%2C%20o%20G%C3%B6ttin%2C%20des%20Peleiaden%20Achilleus%2C%20Ihn%2C%20der%20entbrannt%20den%20Achaiern%20unnennbaren%20Jammer%20erregte%2C%20Und%20viel%20tapfere%20Seelen%20der%20Heldens%C3%B6hne%20zum%20A%C3%AFs%20Sendete%2C%20aber%20sie%20selbst%20zum%20Raub%20darstellte%20den%20Hunden%2C%20Und%20dem%20Gev%C3%B6gel%20umher.%20
Google:
Sing the wrath, O goddess, of Achilles,
Him, who roused the Achaeans flared ineffable sorrow,
And a lot of brave souls of the heroic sons to the AIS
Sent, but they represented themselves as a prey to dogs,
And the birds around.
Murray's translation (Loeb):
The wrath sing, goddess, of Peleus’ son, Achilles, that
destructive wrath which brought countless woes upon the
Achaeans, and sent forth to Hades many valiant souls
of heroes, and made them themselves spoil for dogs and
every bird;
That's not bad. That's not bad at all--and with Google's ability to let you see alternative translations for particular words and phrases, you can find translates that do pretty well.
