The ability to gain even an insight as to something written in a foreign language can do so much good!
Having seen a language I like mangled into a meaningless jumble of phrases and touted as an answer makes me feel sad.
What are your opinions?
Are they the best thing since sliced cheese (which I suppose would translate very badly),
Or have online translations contributed adversely to languages and should be made illegal?
2007-07-10 23:01:32 · 6 answers · asked by Bonbu 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
Because I was asked... A favourite poem of mine: enjoy!
Does hitting the [ri] foot where the fly does the hand is done
2007-07-10 23:46:25 · update #1
Or how about this grammatically simple English phrase translate to Chinese and back using an online translator-
House built Darling
Any ideas?
2007-07-10 23:56:50 · update #2
"Good and evil" would credit online translators with more importance than they deserve. Professionals and genuine speakers don't use them at all, or very, very, very rarely (?). Full stop.
These 'things' are indeed a true nuisance when you look at the answers given in this Forum to some genuine questions. But it is a (relatively) free world...
2007-07-11 18:16:49 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I hardly ever use machine translations, but at times they help you in getting an idea about what is being discussed or shown.
If you search for something and get a site in a language you do not understand but with pictures that look promising, you can use an on-line translator to see if it is worth going further.
But they will not do for real translations.
And I think it will be a long time still till they can, although they are improving. That is because there are so many words with several meanings that will translate into different words, which are already hard for people.
2007-07-11 15:45:30 · answer #2 · answered by Willeke 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Oh, they're so evil!!!! Actually I don't understand how come so many people still use them, everybody knows they don't do any good. When I see translations made through one of these services I start to laugh...they're ridiculous. I just hope nobody takes those websites seriously. Maybe making them illegal would be too much, but the owner of the website should advise everyone who enters it that the translation they're going to get will be inaccurate and not professional, and also that it works better to translate just one word instead of a whole sentence. I don't know, just an idea! :-)
2007-07-11 08:59:39 · answer #3 · answered by Chiara C 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Rank the Most Evil online translations.
There is no greater evil in the world as online translations on the timeline of evilness.Just think of some of your recent awful online translations .
You could Post your favorite evil online translations moments in the comments, and check back here soon for the timeline!
2007-07-11 06:22:39 · answer #4 · answered by virgil 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
They are not good at translating complex sentences. But if you put something in there short and simple it should be accurate.
Like,
The sun is red.
or something like that.
2007-07-12 03:15:28 · answer #5 · answered by me 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
They are good for one thing -- laughter. Laughter, they say, is the best medicine. In that way I find them of benefit whenever I am feeling in need of some amusement.
2007-07-11 06:05:41 · answer #6 · answered by Doethineb 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋