So, who is the most stupid?

Question

Seeing people trusting on-line translators for translating English sentences into other languages makes me quite frustrated.

So, who is the most stupid? The asker who choose a clearly wrong on-line translated answer as the best answer (and sometime over a much better "real" answer) or the person who used an on-line translator in the first place, thinking he/she done a great job (also when the text clearly makes no sense) ?

And also, what should be a fair punishment for these people?

Answer 1

Both of them are stupid. My native language is Turkish and sometimes I see people translate Turkish sentences like that. You don't need to be a Turk to know that the translation is weird. So, I don't accept the argument that the asker doesn't already know the language in question and can't assess what's right or wrong. Once, someone tried to translate a Turkish sentence into English, and came up with the following: Thus be at the you very nice. Now, you don't need to have a Turkish degree to know that the answerer used an online translator and apparently ridiculed him/herself by doing so.

How can we punish them? Well, I do thumbs-down and sometimes make a comment. There's nothing else we can do I guess.

Answer 2

How can askers possibly assess which is the correct answer? It is sometimes the person with most aplomb who wins through, rather than the person who gets it right.

I want to explode when I see voters vote through a clearly incorrect rendering as the "best answer". Voters are just as pernicious as askers!

It is this whole attitude of thinking that by pushing a button one can achieve a correct translation which makes it very difficult for translators to earn a reasonable living nowadays!

The punishment? Well, they must have had a reason for asking. When people snigger behind their hands they'll realise that the chosen answer was the wrong one!

Answer 3

I totally emphasize with your frustration! I have pointed this out often in my replies to requests for translations and have actually got thumbs down for saying that these online translators are inaccurate and can give rise to comical results at best and terrible misunderstandings in worst case scenarios. I have offered my translations in Italian, which is a language I know fluently (and I was a translator for years) and have almost never gotten best answer! I have repeatly seen best answer awarded to totally whacky translations. Go figure!
Of course, if a person is asking for a translation in a language they do not know, I do wonder how they can be in the position to choose which one is the best. I also wonder what they need them for and what feedback they get from the person they direct these translations to. If nothing else, they probably give the addresee a good laugh!

Answer 4

Both are brainless yahoos.

One for providing an "answer" he can't personally vouch for, and not caring it is obviously flawed, and the other for accepting it. The one who accepts an obviously flawed answer (incorrect English, nonsensical sentence) is somehow worse, though.

They should be made plenty ridicule of and digitally tarred and feathered.
(actually, I'd advocate much more severe punishments, but I am known for being a merciless perfectionist and extremist)

Answer 5

well.......
I understand your question, but, there are 2 points.
1...the one who asked, obviously dont know the lang he/she is asking about, so cant know which one is the correct answer
2... The ones that reply using an online translator, think that are helping another person.
I think that they have not bad intentions in what they do. They only want help. So......why to punish pple that want to help???
What i really find bad...are the ones that knowing that the asker cant know if is correct or not, reply with bad words or with phrases that have nothing to do about the question
Anyways......the asker would have to read the sources.

Answer 6

They should be kicked off yahoo answers!!

How's my spelling and grammar?(-;