Posted by spoc on May 5, 2004, at 11:18:26
In reply to Re: This is all I've been using... » All Done, posted by All Done on May 5, 2004, at 10:14:21
> http://babelfish.altavista.com/babelfish/
>
> Wie geht es Ihnen, kid?----
<<<<<< AH! I see YOUR translator utility is just as accurate as the one I used! Which was:http://dictionary.reference.com/translate/text.html
Here, for example, is a recent message I tried to translate from English to Spanish (no, I can't even speak Spanish!), and then for kicks, back again using its own translation. There seems to be just a TAD bit of an accuracy problem GOING BACK to the original language, so we can probably assume there is also one on the first half of the journey... which as non-speakers of that language, we will never KNOW about before we offend, confuse or offer to perform acts we we didn't mean to (but may find we like anyway)!
Here is the sentence using your site, All Done:
Ok, I'll be ready in about an hour! I'll meet you there, ok?
TRANSLATED TO SPANISH:
¡La autorización, I'll sea lista sobre alrededor de una hora! ¿Reunión de I'll usted allí, muy bien?
TRANSLATED *BACK*:
The authorization, I'll is ready on around one hour! Meeting of I'll you there, very well?
----
USING MY TRANSLATION SITE:
Ok, I'll be ready in about an hour! I'll meet you there, ok?¡Autorización, seré listo sobre alrededor de una hora! ¿Le satisfaré allí, muy bien?
TRANSLATED BACK:
Authorization, I will be ready on around one hour! I will satisfy him there, very well?
---
Hey, at least my site has a better sense of humor and may get me more dates!This reminds me of an instance of Fun with AOL Spell Check, of which there can be many if you don't check the checker! It's a mischievous little devil! Once, in a work-related email, I had misspelled "surprised" as "suprised." And in haste, I accepted AOL's suggested correction. Instead of ending up saying "I've surprised you," I said "I've SURPASSED you!"
Better think twice about trusting any of these utilities when it matters, like the next time you write letters welcoming any foreign ambassadors in their native tongues! And no, I have no clue what I may have ended up saying in my post yesterday (which, for those being driven mad by wanting to access the secrets of the universe contained in it, was about caulking bathroom tile). I *swear* that to my knowledge, I broke no rules in it (although you HAVE to keep in mind that authors of such subjects tend to be a pretty spirited and passionate bunch)! ;- )
poster:spoc
thread:340747
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20040430/msgs/343640.html