A first language to second language translator (11) converts text comprising
a message in a first language into text representing that message in a second language.
A text to speech transducer (12) then synthesizes an audiblized version
of the text in the second language. An animated display driver (14) creates
a corresponding display (15) of an image (16) that includes a mouth
(17) that moves appropriately and synchronously with respect to the audiblized
second language. In other embodiments, other facial features can be animated as
well. Such animation can be random and unrelated to the appearance of the original
speaker. Or, such animation can accurately represent at least some alterations
to facial features of the original speaker while speaking. In some embodiments,
the facial features can be altered by correlating specific detected alterations
with specific corresponding substantive content in the original message and the
translated text.
