When using the internet to translate a document or even sentences, the translation whatever the language, is given word by word and would not make sens. Only single words translations are reliable.
2006-11-15 05:26:32 · 4 answers · asked by Francis Cikku 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
because it's only a computer and can't possibly (at least not yet) make you a nice pretty sentence, the way you and only you want it, in that language--it can only give you literal translation. there's nothing like a human for translating, so far.
2006-11-15 05:42:24 · answer #1 · answered by KJC 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Yes, it's partly nuances, partly idioms, and partly GRAMMAR! The grammar of different countries differs - even if only slightly - and that confuses auto-translations no end..!
When it comes to European languages with similar grammar to English, the worst problem is the idioms ... I had to use one for a French error-message that popped up to annoy me, and the translation engine had never heard of the term 'vis-Ã -vis'..! Any fool knows it has NOTHING to do with screws, but a translation engine is WORSE than a fool, because it can't THINK!!
Imagine if you tried to define the phrase "raining cats and dogs" to someone - in English - using the dictionary style of translation. "An assortment of household pets falling from the clouds in the sky." You can see the problem...
; )
2006-11-15 19:45:33 · answer #2 · answered by _ 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Because their dictionaries are not really that extensive yet. And because it is hard for their text recognition to pick out phrases, slang and idioms. It is just not well developed enough to do more than literal word-for-word translations that are not always correct.
2006-11-15 13:47:59 · answer #3 · answered by joannaserah 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
The big answer is NUANCE! Only the human brain can deal with nuance. Machines just don't have that kind of creativity.
2006-11-15 13:50:20 · answer #4 · answered by Brigid O' Somebody 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋