That looks nice, Marco, but it's not going to work for Marvin.
Among the terms of use for the dictionaries you linked, the very first condition says:
Quote:
Using the data within computer programs is permitted, as long as the following terms are observed: - Programs using data of dict.cc must be subject to the terms of the GPL.
This means, amongst other rules, that the source code of the program must be made available to the public.
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This just doesn't apply to Marvin, and surely we can't expect Kris to abandon his development model for the sake of those dictionaries. On the other hand, Kris could develop the "empty"
interface, leaving it up to the responsibility of individual Marvin users to only load dictionary sets in accordance with their terms of use.
Also, while the dictionaries certainly look nice and usable, I'm betting you will get a better quality when purchasing those Oxford or Collins dictionaries, even if it were for $10 per dictionary. As a linguist, I'm willing to pay for quality dictionaries. I recommend the Lingvo app, because you can load many top-quality dictionaries there. Many dictionaries inside Lingvo are free, while many top-notch dictionaries can be added to Lingvo as an in-app purchase.
What has me worried more is that paltry
usability of dictionary lookups in Marvin. It's not primarily (or at all) Marvin's fault, of course. I find that the display of dictionaries is best handled by
Kindle: pop up the dictionary definition/translation at the top or bottom of the screen; tap there to read more, if necessary. That seems better to me than popping up a bubble overlaying the text you are reading -- let alone switching to a different screen/app completely, and having to return to Marvin manually every time. If iOS allowed for
split screens, which might make it possible to
simulate the Kindle functionality in Marvin (definition/translation might pop up towards the bottom or top edge of the screen), that would go a long way towards improving the usability of dictionary lookups in Marvin.