Do you need an internet connection for the Lonely Planet Mandarin iPhone app to work.?

I am going to China soon and it would help if I had a translator, i tried one that was free its just called Translator but it requires an internet connection. I was wondering does the Lonely Planet Mandarin iPhone application work without a wi-fi or 3G internet connection? This is because i have an iPod Touch and i wont be able to translate anything if I need the internet. I also don't really want to waste a whole bunch of money on an app that I wont use. THANKS ! :)