Major Function (English)

Major Functions:

Input the English expressions in the Main Window to get the expected translation.
Input the Chinese charcters to consult English synonyms.
When the Main Window is hidden, you may get the English or Chinese translation from the Promting Toolbar by positioning your pointer on the expressions you want to consult.
Click the Dynamic Chinese Translation Button in the Main Window or "EC" button in the Prompting Toolbar, you'll get the entire screen translation.
Record and store new words for later learning.

Input (Hot key : ALT_I )
The Input area is for keyboarding the word you want to consult. The meaning, transcription and the translation of the consulted word is then demonstrated in the Translation Browse area, and meanwhile, there is a list of words and expressions related to the chosen one displayed in the Selecting Related Words area for your reference. Here, if you keyboard a Chinese word, in addition to the list of related Chinese words shown in the Selecting Related Words window, another small window will pop up on the screen with a list of English synonyms for your choice.

To help you record new words and expressions, in the Main Window, the dictionary offers a toolmenu "History" with the function of recording and storing new words and expressions. The new words and expressions will be recorded and stored by double- clicking them in the Selecting Related Words area or in the Translation Browse area, or by clicking the Vocabulary button in the Prompting ToolBar, or by pressing the "Enter" key on the keyboard.
To help you find out the word you cannot memorize accurately, the dictionary provides you with an automatic search function, i.e. when you type the first letter of an English word or one Chinese character, the dictionary will automatically start searching for the word you want and display a list of possible words for your reference and inference. There is a switch for this function in the dictionary configuration area. You may switch it off if you want to stop this function, because frequent search of possible words may slow down the translation result display speed.
The Store Word button in the Main Window will record any word you keyboard in the Input area if you click this button.
In the Input box, the page scroll arrows (up, down) can help you check the words that have been keyboarded and consulted. These words are stored in this page which serves as a buffer.

Translation Browse (Hot Key: ALT_R )
This is an area for displaying the translation results. For the convenience of using results in different places, the dictionary offers a strong cut-paste function in this area. This tool includes the following functions:

Click the left key of the mouse to copy the chosen translation to the clipboard and highlight it so that you can paste it to the place you need.
You may also copy it automatically to the clipboard by pulling and dragging the cursor to any part of the translation.
Position the pointer at any word or phrase in the Translation Browse area and double click it, the chosen word or phrase will be copied to the Input box, and you'll get the translation for this word or phrase and its synonyms. The procedure of getting the expected translation and synonyms is the same as you keyboard a word in the Input area.

Selecting Related Words ( Hot Key: ALT_S )
This area is for displaying words or phrases related to the keyboarded word in the Input area so as to help the user find out new words or words that can not be retrieved from memory. For convenience, this area also provides you with a list of functions:

If any word or phrase is selected in this area, it is highlighted.
You may read through the items in this area by moving the up and down arrow keys and the corresponding translations are displayed in the Translation Browse area.
The translation will also be displayed in the Translation Browse area if you click the selected word or phrase once.
If you click the selected word or phrase twice, the item will be copied to the Input area and will be stored in the buffer so that you may record and review it in the History list. Meanwhile, the translation of this item is displayed in the Translation Browse area.

Selecting Synonyms
This area is to display the English synonyms of the inputted Chinese word or phrase. The English synonyms in this area refer to those English words which are similar in meaning and express the meaning the Chinese character or phrase conveys. This function is very useful for those who often write articles in English, because it may help them to find accurate and appropriate English expressions if their Chinese is good but they have limited English vocabulary. This area shares a big window with the Translation Browse area, and it only appears when a Chinese character is inputted. It has the same functions as the Selecting Related Words area.

Prompting Toolbar
The Prompting Toolbar contains most of the functions of the dictionary. It is convenient in use, flexible in configuration and small and exquisite in size. It is the cream of the dictionary.

Brief introduction to the functions of the Prompting Toolbar:

Tooltips of the buttons: tips of the functions of the buttons.
Prompting Toolbar Locked/Not.
Quit/Not Earth Village Internet Dictionary.
Hide/Not the Prompting Toolbar.
Configure (lay out)/Not the dictionary setting.
Use/Not the Self-supplying (self-complementing) Chinese supporting system.
Activate/Not the dynamic Chinese translation system.
Record current new words for later use.
Show current word: click the button to get detailed information/hide the Main Window.
Translation result: position the pointer at the translation result and click the right key of the mouse, the result will be copied to the user's working window.
The Prompting Toolbar is movable.
Set up the reaction and the existing time of the Prompting Toolbar.
Auxiliary keys for catching word.

Prompting Toolbar Lock Button:
The Prompting Toolbar can be "nailed" to a certain area on the screen so as to let it show all the time in a proper place. This will prevent it from prompting below the cursor and blocking your reading. You can fix it easily to a certain place by clicking the button with a "nail" on the left corner of the toolbar.

Quit Button:
When you click the button with a "X", you'll quit the dictionary. Then, the system will automatically save the configuration of the dictionary.

Hide Prompting Toolbar Button:
You may click this button and hide the Prompting Toolbar if you feel inconvenient for its presence on the screen. It will appear again when you position a word by clicking and want it to do some translation.

Activate Self-supplying Chinese Supporting System Button:
This dictionary carries in itself a self-supplying Chinese supporting system which provides a simple Chinese operating environment. Therefore, if you click this button, any Chinese characters, whether in the simplified form or in the original complex form, can be displayed on the screen. The self-supplying system prevents the screen from being confused by various systems, yet, there are not many types of Chinese Characters in this system..

Activate Dynamic Chinese Translation System Button:
This dictionary has the function of dynamic Chinese translation system. Thus, once this function is activated or this button is clicked, all words on the screen will be translated into Chinese automatically and immediately. This function may help you understand accurately the English menus and other explanations in the dialogue windows if your English does not satisfy you. This function may also assist you in your English reading. The dynamic Chinese translation system can translate the whole file from English into Chinese or from Chinese into English immediately, once you click this button. Thus, if you have problems with words or expressions in English or in Chinese, you may find help from this dictionary. You may, of course, read in either way. This function is still not perfect at present. It can only translate the menus, tips or Help information of some kinds of common software. If it is used to translate long passages or articles, it can only bring you fun.

Record New Words Button:
Once you have accomplished consulting the new words you met in your reading, you might expect to record it for later learning. Then, you just click this button, and all words and results will be recorded and stored in the History list for your later learning. Please refer to the Main Window for the buttons of "Opening Words-Storing File" and "Configuring the Dictionary".

Current Word Button:
This Button area displays the current word your pointer positions and keeps in touch with the Main Window dynamically. Click this button once, the Main Window will be activated to help you get more detailed information for the current word; and click this button twice, the Main Window will disappear.

Translation Result Button:
Translation results including transcriptions are displayed in this area (an elastic button bar). This button is also in dynamic contact with the user's working window. Position your pointer in this area and click the right key of your mouse, the translation results will be copied to your working window, which gives you much convenience.

Movable Prompting Toolbar:
The Prompting Toolbar is movable. When you move your mouse to the frame of the Prompting Toolbar area, the mouse pointer is changed into a cross. At this time, you may move the Prompting Toolbar to any area on the screen. The system will record the last position of the toolbar. Once you lock the Prompting Toolbar, each time you activate EV DICT, the Prompting Toolbar will be shown in the area you fixed it last time.

The Reaction Time and the Existing Time of the Prompting Toolbar:
You may set up the Reaction Time and the Existing Time of the Prompting Toolbar. The Reaction Time refers to the duration between the last action and the following action of catching word by the mouse. This duration can be adjusted or set up from 0.1 second to 2 seconds. The Existing Time refers to the duration between the display of translation results and the end of the display. This duration can be adjusted or set up from 3 seconds to 20 seconds.

Auxiliary Keys for Catching Words:
The mouse catches words automatically and continuously. It stops working only when it comes to an area without words. Sometimes, you may expect to control it and make it work when you need it. This dictionary provides two function keys ( "Shift" and "Ctrl") for you to control the mouse. In the Configuring the Dictionary area, you may switch these two keys on. The mouse will stop catching words. Then, the mouse can only work when you press the "Shift" or "Ctrl" key.

Control Bar
The Control Bar is positioned below the Main Menu in the Main Window. It is designed for the convenient operation in the Main Window.
Brief Introduction to the functions of the Control Bar:

ToolTips of the Buttons
On-line Help of the dictionary
Configuration of the dictionary
Button for Mouse Catching Word
Opening Words-Storing File
Recording and Storing Words
Opening History Records
Storing History Records
Activating Self-supplying Chinese Supporting System (Simplified form, Original Complex form)
Activate Dynamic Chinese Translation System

ToolTips of Buttons:
This dictionary offers you the function of displaying tooltips each time you move your pointer and position it on one function button. The tooltips are brief names and introductions of basic functions to the function buttons. They are displayed below the button in a frame with yellow background colour and front black colour. At the same time, on the bottom line of the Main Window, there is a status bar providing information about the current status of the Control Bar, the Main Window and the Main Menus.

On-line Help:
This button functions as guiding you to the use of the dictionary. Click this button, you will get detailed information about all the functions provided by the dictionary. If you have a browser (e.g. Netscape) in your system, the Help menu you get is HTML, otherwise, your Help menu is the simplified text form. You can also get Help for the current status including the Input, the Translation Browse, and the Selecting Related Words by pressing F1.