Skype's got the Chinese translators if you've got the money

Skype has teamed up with a service called Language Line to add real-time translation services to its SkypeOut product, we and more than 13,500 people have read on Skype's Developer Zone blog:

Do You Need An Interpreter Now?

Introducing…Language Line® “Personal Interpreter” Service.

Be on the phone with an interpreter within seconds. Now all Skype subscribers can have immediate access to live, high-quality professional interpreters, who speak over 150 languages.

Whether for business or personal use, our “Personal Interpreter” pay-as-you-go service allows quick and easy access highly skilled & certified interpreters in more than 150 languages directly from your Skype phone, for only $2.99 USD per minute. Service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Sounds like a helpful service, especially for those looking for wives doing business in China, or elsewhere. And, wow, interpreters who can speak more than 150 languages. That's impressive and, we would guess, some kind of record -- what are they doing working for Skype?

Mandarin is the second most requested language behind Spanish and "interpreter availability is 99+% with average connection times to reach a live interpreter of less than 45 seconds."

Not bad. But only $180 an hour? Perhaps some poor yet enterprising translators and English teachers in China can team up, start a competing service and cut that price in half, or more. Seems doable.

Image from childcarenet.org.