function externalLinks() {
  // does the browser support the DOM?
  if (!document.getElementsByTagName) { return; }

  // create an array of the anchors present in the document
  var anchors = document.getElementsByTagName("a");

		var readC = readCookie("language");
		//alert(readC);
      
		var lang = readCookie('language');
		var transPage='';
		switch(lang){
			case 'fre':
				transPage='http://translate.google.com/translate?langpair=en%7Cfr&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=';
				break;
			case 'ita':
				transPage='http://translate.google.com/translate?langpair=en%7Cit&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=';
				break;
			case 'kor':
				transPage='http://translate.google.com/translate?langpair=en%7Cko&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=';
				break;
			case 'spa':
				transPage='http://translate.google.com/translate?langpair=en%7Ces&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=';
				break;
			case 'ger':
				transPage='http://translate.google.com/translate?langpair=en%7Cde&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=';
				break;
			default:
				transPage='';
		}

  // loop through the anchor array
  for (var i=0; i<anchors.length; i++) {

    // get various anchor properties
    var anchor	 = anchors[i];
    var rel	 = anchor.getAttribute("rel");
    var title	 = anchor.getAttribute("title");


    // set the regexp to test for
    var external = /external/;


    // if the anchor has a href and a rel attribute containing the string 'external'
    if (anchor.getAttribute("href") && external.test(rel)) {

      // set the anchor target to blank
      anchor.target = "_blank";

      // append a helpful message to the title attribute
      anchor.title += " [opens in a new window]";
      
      if(transPage!='' && 
      			anchor.href.substring(anchor.href.length-3, anchor.href.length).toLowerCase()!='pdf' &&
      			anchor.href.match('theepochtimes.com') == null &&
      			anchor.href.match('travel.canoe.ca') == null
      	){
      	var oldText = anchor.innerHTML;
      	anchor.href=transPage + escape(anchor.href);
      	anchor.innerHTML = oldText;
      }
    }
  }
}

function readCookie(name) {
	//alert('reading: '+name);
	var nameEQ = name + "=";
	var ca = document.cookie.split(';');
	//alert('ca.length: '+ca.length);
	for(var i=0;i < ca.length;i++) {
		var c = ca[i];
		while (c.charAt(0)==' ') c = c.substring(1,c.length);
		if (c.indexOf(nameEQ) == 0) return c.substring(nameEQ.length,c.length);
	}
	return null;
}