One of the most intriguing technologies for me is the translation tool. Sometimes it seems almost magical, other times is painfully evident that a language goes beyond of a machine powers and a truly translation is still far. I think when we manage a true translation tool we going to be closer to Artificial Intelligence and Natural language processing, and even closer to understanding among cultures.

In spite of that the tools we have available today are powerful enough if we compare with the same tools a couple of years ago. That's way I decided to do a small translation experiment comparing three translation engines: Google Translate, Yahoo's Babelfish and World Translate with a published human translation. I wanted to use Babylon but sadly I couldn't find a trial copy that lets you use text translation.

I tried three options, the first one a translation from Spanish to English of the first chapter of "100 years of solitude". The second from French to English of the first chapter of "Candide". And the third from English to German and back to English of the famous Shakespeare's "To be or not to be". You can make the comparatives yourselves. I found really interesting things.

Spanish to English

Human translation

Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice. At that time Macondo was a village of twenty adobe houses, built on the bank of a river of clear water that ran along a bed of polished stones, which were white and enormous, like prehistoric eggs.

World Translate:

Many years later, in front of the shooting platoon, the colonel Aureliano Buendía had to remember that remote afternoon in that its father took it to know the ice. Macondo was then a village of twenty houses of mud and built cañabrava on a river of transparent waters that you/they threw for a channel of refined, white and enormous stones as prehistoric eggs.

Google Translator:

Many years later, he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendia was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice. Macondo was then a village of twenty Lillian mud houses built on the bank of a river of clear water that ran along a bed of polished stones, white and enormous, like prehistoric eggs.

Bable Fish:

Many years later, he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendia was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice. Macondo was then a village of twenty Lillian mud houses built on the bank of a river of clear water that ran along a bed of polished stones, white and enormous, like prehistoric eggs.

French to English

Human translation:

In the country of Westphalia, in the castle of the most noble Baron of Thunder-ten-tronckh, lived a youth whom Nature had endowed with a most sweet disposition. His face was the true index of his mind. He had a solid judgment joined to the most unaffected simplicity; and hence, I presume, he had his name of Candide.

World Translate:

There was in Westphalia, in the castle of M. the baron of Thunder-ten-tronckh, a young boy to that the nature had given the softest customs. His/her/its physiognomy announced its soul. He/it had the right enough judgment, with the simplest mind; it is, I believe, for this reason that one named it Ingenuous.

Google Translate:

There was in Westphalia in the castle of Baron Thunder-ten-Tronckh, a young boy whom nature had given the sweetest manners. His countenance was his soul. It was true judgment, with the simplest mind is, I think, for this reason his being called Candide.

Babel Fish:

There was in Westphalia, in the castle of Mr. the baron de Thunder-ten-tronckh, a young boy to whom it natural had given the softest manners. Its aspect announced its heart. It had the rather right judgement, with l' the simplest spirit; c' is, I believe, for this reason qu' it was named Candide.

English to German and back to English

Original:

To be, or not to be: that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing end them? To die: to sleep;

World Translate:

His/its de to about, you necessarily are yourself to yourself from de l'oder: read is you the meurent matter: Whether 'tis-Adliger Dan le of the intent, mourez reads and loops suffers outrageous arrow de meurent to ability, to de l'oder of the reception a de against poor this sea difficulties, that you finish her/it/them de through de l'und, Opponieren? To it: you sleep to de l'um;

Google Translate:

To be or not to be: that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them? To die to sleep:;

Google babble fish:

Its or Nichtsein: those is the question: Whether ' tis more nobly in the understanding to suffer to the belts and the arrows of the impudent fortune or arms against a sea from troubles to and by opposing, you terminate it? To die, in order to sleep: ;

Conclusion

A perfect translation is impossible, a machine doing it its even harder. Google Translate uses a really smart idea of using webpages already translated to compare and to use them in the translation creating results closer to human´s. World Translate in the other hand leaves the text far from finished giving the human translator some job to polish, but probably helping to do a more professional job.

Post your comment

Submit