Google Translate strikes again
Thread poster: Jeff Whittaker
Jeff Whittaker
Jeff Whittaker  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 12:20
Member (2002)
Spanish to English
+ ...
May 15, 2017

I wrote a review in English for a German bookseller and wanted to make sure my message would be understood. And this happened. "schrecklich" means dreadful or awful, the exact opposite of my intent.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C_5Bzl8XcAAQgPJ.jpg:large

I wonder if something like this would get caught in rapid, cheap "post editing"

[Edited at 201
... See more
I wrote a review in English for a German bookseller and wanted to make sure my message would be understood. And this happened. "schrecklich" means dreadful or awful, the exact opposite of my intent.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C_5Bzl8XcAAQgPJ.jpg:large

I wonder if something like this would get caught in rapid, cheap "post editing"

[Edited at 2017-05-15 19:34 GMT]
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Thomas T. Frost
Thomas T. Frost  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 16:20
Danish to English
+ ...
Terrible May 15, 2017

Maybe that's the reason for the Berlin Brandenburg Airport fiasco. They wanted a terrific airport, and it came out as "schrecklich".

 
Thomas Pfann
Thomas Pfann  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:20
Member (2006)
English to German
+ ...
Terrific May 15, 2017

Interestingly, the translation changes if you use the article or enter a whole sentence. The translation of "a terrific book" or "This is a terrific book" is rendered correctly.

And while Google translates many terrific things (book, house, car, man) into "schreckliche" things, a "terrific event" is a "grandioses Ereignis" and a "terrific thing" a "tolles Ding".

This shows not only the perils of machine translation but also those of translating sho
... See more
Interestingly, the translation changes if you use the article or enter a whole sentence. The translation of "a terrific book" or "This is a terrific book" is rendered correctly.

And while Google translates many terrific things (book, house, car, man) into "schreckliche" things, a "terrific event" is a "grandioses Ereignis" and a "terrific thing" a "tolles Ding".

This shows not only the perils of machine translation but also those of translating short fragments without any context.
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Thomas Pfann
Thomas Pfann  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:20
Member (2006)
English to German
+ ...
On a lighter note May 16, 2017

Ask Google Translate to translate the following sentence from German into English:

Die Volkswirtschaftslehre (auch Nationalökonomie, Wirtschaftliche Staatswissenschaften oder Sozialökonomie, kurz VWL) ist ein Teilgebiet der Wirtschaftswissenschaft.

Don't worry, it's nothing rude. It's about economics.


 
James McVay
James McVay  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 12:20
Russian to English
+ ...
Classic! May 16, 2017

Thomas Pfann wrote:

Ask Google Translate to translate the following sentence from German into English:

Die Volkswirtschaftslehre (auch Nationalökonomie, Wirtschaftliche Staatswissenschaften oder Sozialökonomie, kurz VWL) ist ein Teilgebiet der Wirtschaftswissenschaft.

Don't worry, it's nothing rude. It's about economics.


For those to busy to do it, here's Google Translate's version of the sentence:

The economics of economics (including economics, economics, economics, economics, economics) is a part of economics.

What an entertaining way to start my day! Thanks, Thomas.


 
Sheila Wilson
Sheila Wilson  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 16:20
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
It's about economics... May 16, 2017

Thomas Pfann wrote:
Don't worry, it's nothing rude. It's about economics.

and nothing but economics.

Classic !


 
Jeff Whittaker
Jeff Whittaker  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 12:20
Member (2002)
Spanish to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
This is a good explanation of why May 17, 2017

"post editing" for anything less than full rate is a waste of your time.


James McVay wrote:

Thomas Pfann wrote:

Ask Google Translate to translate the following sentence from German into English:

Die Volkswirtschaftslehre (auch Nationalökonomie, Wirtschaftliche Staatswissenschaften oder Sozialökonomie, kurz VWL) ist ein Teilgebiet der Wirtschaftswissenschaft.

Don't worry, it's nothing rude. It's about economics.


For those to busy to do it, here's Google Translate's version of the sentence:

The economics of economics (including economics, economics, economics, economics, economics) is a part of economics.

What an entertaining way to start my day! Thanks, Thomas.


 
Thomas T. Frost
Thomas T. Frost  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 16:20
Danish to English
+ ...
I get a truncated version May 17, 2017

James McVay wrote:

The economics of economics (including economics, economics, economics, economics, economics) is a part of economics.



Funny, my Google Translate gives me another version:

"The economics (including economics, economics, economics, economics, economics, economics, economics, economics, economics, economics)"

It has been economical with the verb and object.


 
Andy Watkinson
Andy Watkinson
Spain
Local time: 17:20
Member
Catalan to English
+ ...
Wondering.... May 18, 2017



Funny, my Google Translate gives me another version:

"The economics (including economics, economics, economics, economics, economics, economics, economics, economics, economics, economics)"

It has been economical with the verb and object.


I'd like to see what GT does with a tasting menu...

...Amuse-bouches, sphericated mango ravioli followed by Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam...


 


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