PHP Localization and dynamic data

So I need to make a site available in different languages. Using PHP 5.x and MySQL 5.x. I believe I will be using gettext which seems fine for static text throughout the site but what about dynamic data that is stored in the db? Im referring to things like stories, events business listings etc. How do I get those to display in a different language? My initial thought was in the backend have them be able to enter multiple versions of a story, event or listing, one for each language they want to use on the site. But there could be thousands of entries times how many languages they want to show. Is there a better solution/idea that some开发者_StackOverflow中文版one can point me to?

Also another issue I was thinking is currently the site allows you to search events/stories/listings, how would that work in different languages? Im assuming if someone selected the site to show in spanish they are going to use spanish words to search the site, but if the information in the db is in english I dont know that would work. Any suggestions on that?

If you want the stories to be correct in all languages, then you need them stored in all languages and provide the backend to do the translations or enter the stories on different languages as you initially thought.

If you don't like that, you might add the google translate element in your pages, to provide automatic (not correct) translation.

For the search question, I would only search for the keywords in the fields of the database in the same language as the user. If Joe is visiting your page in English, only look for the search terms in title_en, content_en, description_en fields of your database (or the ones with language='en' if you have one row per article and translation in the database, instead of one row per article (with all translations inside)). Obviously, this does only work if you put all the translations on the database.

The best solution I have seen described is this.

As i18n CMS sites as you describe are in a constant state of flux, with new articles being added, some of which have had translations, in some languages.

If an article in a chosen language has not yet been translated then show a default language (English?).

Then pick any ideas which appeal to your case:

a) If showing a default article in English also throw onto the page an input box and invite your audience to translate it for you.

b) If showing a default article in English also put on the page an offer to send the content to google translate as well as doing a) above

c) put a bounty on the translation and optionaly do a) and/or b) above.