Anyone actually tried Babelfish with good results?

Question

For translation questions, many posters tell you to try Babelfish and give you a link such as this : http://babelfish.altavista.com/
Just as a test, I tried a Japanese to English translation. It resulted in the following:

Please insert the restriction item to the yellow receipt sack. To be entered by exchange proof, (also full name please writes name) please takes exchange proof. Please insert in the bag which at the check-in counter exchange proof receives the article in exchange, checks in. In Narita the customer who would like you to receive please requests that time. Cooperation thank you.

Just goes to show how accurate these translation engines are....Anyone had any GOOD results?

Answer 1

No, machine translation is REALLY hard. And Japanese (and Chinese) is really hard to translate for a machine as there are so many possible contexts, subtexts and modifiers. It works (slightly) better on translation between euro languages, although it still makes idiotic connections.

It's fun to take it through a couple of iterations, like I took your text and then did something like English > Russian > English > French > German > Dutch > English > Portuguese > English:

"How much for on toi, how much for Ayto ' is that you think that we want that one, the point ackbegrenzung is recovered the publication of the yellow the obviousness. Because of obviousness exchange, which imports (and roofridge-guessed/advised the complete name the fact that it writes thinks), that, how much toi, which we want, begins on, is ayto ' that you think that we want the obviousness of the exchange. How much for on toi, how much for Ayto ' is the fact that you think that we want that one recovers you with bag and control, where tegenuitwisselingsbewijs in the duration of control receives the exchange article. With Narj ' your time receives the customer, whom you invite too alstublieft in the desired thing. Common evaluation."

Yeah, put that on the sign!

Answer 2

I use Babelfish to talk to friends in Italy once a week. They know I don't speak Italian & their English is limited. Our chats are great, even if a little slow with typing & translating.

Answer 3

Just good enough to figure out approximately what a label or ad was trying to say. But English into whatever (or visa versa) always has grammatical mistakes; or sometimes it won't translate the simplest words, and will leave them in the original language.

But it is free, so.......

Answer 4

I think you have to pay for babelfish if you want the really good results. The free one should really be used just for translating one or two words, as you have just found out, it's not very accurate for whole passages! : )

Answer 5

i used to to translate from german to english worked great. Only problem I had it did not work the first time I had to put the link in twice.

Answer 6

The babel fish is good, but imperfect. I once translated something from english to a spanish speaking friend of mine, and apparently the grammar was just TERRIBLE! *lol*

No WONDER the Babel Fish as caused more and bloodier wars than anything in creation. *lol* :P

Answer 7

I think it works when you translate words, but long sentences make no sense at all most of the time...

Answer 8

like with all online translators, you cant use sentences as they translate on a word per word basis. i only use it sometimes for single word translations, and even then they translate it in the wrong context

Answer 9

well , reading babelfish translations i really have a good laugh.... so i think they are good! at least it makes me laugh!!!

Answer 10

I HAVE IT IS NICE A WEBSITE