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Babelfish and the art of translation

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Babelfish and the art of translation

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Old Jan 19th 2008 | 9:14 am
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Default Babelfish and the art of translation

For those of you who think Babelfish is a great tool, here is our three year old's reading book from school translated from Castellano to English. Nothing tricky. Short sentences. No problem for a computer with a brain the size of a planet...

We go of birthday.
The children very are entertained. Between all they mount a house. David paints the face of colors. What there you hide? - Lucia asks. Is an inhabitant for our house. Aaaaah! It is a mouse! - Outcry Lucia. Santiago loves the mouse by his fulfills but Cellophane gives a bus to him. Santiago proposes to play the meals. Its favourite gift is the cocinita.
(Source: Babelfish)

...Hmm... needs work I think. I tried the same translation with Google translate, and was surprised that it fared a little better...

Let birthday
Children are very entertaining. Among all mounted a house. David paints the face of colors. What is hiding there? -- Asked Lucia. It is an inhabitant for our house. Aaaaah! It's a mouse! Scream Lucia. Santiago wants a mouse for his plays but Celofán gave him a bus. Santiago intends to play meals. His favorite gift is the kitchen.
(Source: Google Translate)

Finally, I tried the same thing in FreeTranslation.com - again yet another different outcome - so these guys aren't simply using the same software. In this case I'd say the software had given up on our book and had started to read a different story about half way through!

We go of birthday
The children are very entertained. Among all they mount a house. David the face of colors is painted. What do you hide there? - Question lit up Is an inhabitant for our house. Aaaaah! He is a
mouse! He shouts he lit up Santiago he wants the mouse by his he complies But Cellophane he gives him a bus. Santiago proposes to play the foods. Its gift preferred is the cocinita.
(Source: FreeTranslation.com)

Finally, despite being called 'FreeTranslation.com', we were then offered a professional translation of the above for just $50. We made our excuses and left
 
Old Jan 19th 2008 | 11:01 am
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Default Re: Babelfish and the art of translation

Originally Posted by twyntub
For those of you who think Babelfish is a great tool, here is our three year old's reading book from school translated from Castellano to English. Nothing tricky. Short sentences. No problem for a computer with a brain the size of a planet...

We go of birthday.
The children very are entertained. Between all they mount a house. David paints the face of colors. What there you hide? - Lucia asks. Is an inhabitant for our house. Aaaaah! It is a mouse! - Outcry Lucia. Santiago loves the mouse by his fulfills but Cellophane gives a bus to him. Santiago proposes to play the meals. Its favourite gift is the cocinita. (Source: Babelfish)

...Hmm... needs work I think. I tried the same translation with Google translate, and was surprised that it fared a little better...

Let birthday
Children are very entertaining. Among all mounted a house. David paints the face of colors. What is hiding there? -- Asked Lucia. It is an inhabitant for our house. Aaaaah! It's a mouse! Scream Lucia. Santiago wants a mouse for his plays but Celofán gave him a bus. Santiago intends to play meals. His favorite gift is the kitchen. (Source: Google Translate)

Finally, I tried the same thing in FreeTranslation.com - again yet another different outcome - so these guys aren't simply using the same software. In this case I'd say the software had given up on our book and had started to read a different story about half way through!

We go of birthday
The children are very entertained. Among all they mount a house. David the face of colors is painted. What do you hide there? - Question lit up Is an inhabitant for our house. Aaaaah! He is a
mouse! He shouts he lit up Santiago he wants the mouse by his he complies But Cellophane he gives him a bus. Santiago proposes to play the foods. Its gift preferred is the cocinita. (Source: FreeTranslation.com)

Finally, despite being called 'FreeTranslation.com', we were then offered a professional translation of the above for just $50. We made our excuses and left
Obviously Son of Spain II
 
Old Jan 19th 2008 | 3:28 pm
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Default Re: Babelfish and the art of translation

If you need a laugh all you have to do is type something on one of those machine translators, they are absolutely hilarious!!
 
Old Jan 19th 2008 | 6:42 pm
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Default Re: Babelfish and the art of translation

Originally Posted by anabella
If you need a laugh all you have to do is type something on one of those machine translators, they are absolutely hilarious!!
You have to remember most of this stuff is American and a lot of Americans don`t know anything the other side of their boarders.

Malaga Not an uncommon word outside of USA, see spill chucker in pic
Attached Thumbnails Babelfish and the art of translation-malaga.jpg  
 
Old Jan 19th 2008 | 6:49 pm
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Default Re: Babelfish and the art of translation

Originally Posted by twyntub
... here is our three year old's reading book from school...
Ah, the strange world of the three year old! Enter the Play Area on your hands and knees, and all shall be revealed...

What's the saying? "A good worker/translator doesn't blame his tools?"
 
Old Jan 19th 2008 | 6:54 pm
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Default Re: Babelfish and the art of translation

It seem almost impossible to make such a crap translation, I bet even your three year old could do it better. lol
 
Old Jan 19th 2008 | 7:01 pm
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Default Re: Babelfish and the art of translation

Stay with the castellano version. Make up your own story in english!
 
Old Jan 20th 2008 | 10:48 am
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Default Re: Babelfish and the art of translation

Originally Posted by jdr
You have to remember most of this stuff is American and a lot of Americans don`t know anything the other side of their boarders.

Malaga Not an uncommon word outside of USA, see spill chucker in pic
Those machines are only as good as the information you feed them, this is only vocabulary wise, grammar and syntax are more complicated and this is where they fail. I am very familiar with them and how they work, I wrote a thesis about them
 
Old Jan 20th 2008 | 5:39 pm
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Default Re: Babelfish and the art of translation

Originally Posted by anabella
Those machines are only as good as the information you feed them, this is only vocabulary wise, grammar and syntax are more complicated and this is where they fail. I am very familiar with them and how they work, I wrote a thesis about them
Set the B E spell check up to recognize MALAGA then.
 
Old Jan 27th 2008 | 9:14 am
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Default Re: Babelfish and the art of translation

Originally Posted by twyntub
For those of you who think Babelfish is a great tool, here is our three year old's reading book from school translated from Castellano to English. Nothing tricky. Short sentences. No problem for a computer with a brain the size of a planet...

We go of birthday.
The children very are entertained. Between all they mount a house. David paints the face of colors. What there you hide? - Lucia asks. Is an inhabitant for our house. Aaaaah! It is a mouse! - Outcry Lucia. Santiago loves the mouse by his fulfills but Cellophane gives a bus to him. Santiago proposes to play the meals. Its favourite gift is the cocinita.
(Source: Babelfish)

...Hmm... needs work I think. I tried the same translation with Google translate, and was surprised that it fared a little better...

Let birthday
Children are very entertaining. Among all mounted a house. David paints the face of colors. What is hiding there? -- Asked Lucia. It is an inhabitant for our house. Aaaaah! It's a mouse! Scream Lucia. Santiago wants a mouse for his plays but Celofán gave him a bus. Santiago intends to play meals. His favorite gift is the kitchen.
(Source: Google Translate)

Finally, I tried the same thing in FreeTranslation.com - again yet another different outcome - so these guys aren't simply using the same software. In this case I'd say the software had given up on our book and had started to read a different story about half way through!

We go of birthday
The children are very entertained. Among all they mount a house. David the face of colors is painted. What do you hide there? - Question lit up Is an inhabitant for our house. Aaaaah! He is a
mouse! He shouts he lit up Santiago he wants the mouse by his he complies But Cellophane he gives him a bus. Santiago proposes to play the foods. Its gift preferred is the cocinita.
(Source: FreeTranslation.com)

Finally, despite being called 'FreeTranslation.com', we were then offered a professional translation of the above for just $50. We made our excuses and left
There is the version of Babelfish of English to Spanish? I ask, because it would be interesting. Many people would avoid to make the ridicule, like a British lady (I say British, but it could be American, Australian...I don't know it) . She wanted to buy a chicken (pollo), and like she didn't know how to say " pollo " it began to cackle (with the hilarity of all the public of the butcher shop). Yes

Although it seems lie, I have seen it
 
Old Jan 27th 2008 | 9:19 am
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Default Re: Babelfish and the art of translation

Originally Posted by sonofspain1973
There is the version of Babelfish of English to Spanish? I ask, because it would be interesting. Many people would avoid to make the ridicule, like a British lady (I say British, but it could be American, Australian...I don't know it) . She wanted to buy a chicken (pollo), and like she didn't know how to say " pollo " it began to cackle (with the hilarity of all the public of the butcher shop). Yes

Although it seems lie, I have seen it
Google is your friend
 
Old Jan 27th 2008 | 9:36 am
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Default Re: Babelfish and the art of translation

Originally Posted by sonofspain1973

Although it seems lie, I have seen it
Yerp, you are correct.
 
Old Jan 27th 2008 | 9:49 am
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Default Re: Babelfish and the art of translation

Originally Posted by anabella
Google is your friend
As in the movies, the reality overcame to the fiction
 
Old Jan 27th 2008 | 9:51 am
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Default Re: Babelfish and the art of translation

Originally Posted by sonofspain1973
As in the movies, the reality overcame to the fiction
you could just speak Spanish to Anna, since you are both Spanish.
 
Old Jan 27th 2008 | 9:53 am
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Default Re: Babelfish and the art of translation

Originally Posted by sonofspain1973
As in the movies, the reality overcame to the fiction
Que?
 


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