Google's Translation Service: How Good Is It?
© Ugur Akinci
I’m fascinated by Google’s translation service since it promises to translate texts among over three dozen languages, including some quite exotic ones.
So I decided to test the reliability of Google’s translation engine by performing a simple test.
1) I took two sentences in English and translated them into a foreign language by using Google Translate.
2) Then I took that translated sentence, copied and pasted it back into Google Translate, switched the direction of the languages, and translated it back into English to see if the fidelity would be preserved.
I called that the1st Roundtrip of translation.
3) I repeated the same process two more times, for 2nd and 3rd roundtrip Google translations.
The results are way short of satisfactory. Google’s translation engine faltered even in some closely related European languages like German.
So how (and what) good is Google Translate? I have no idea but I know this much: you certainly would not want to use it for any serious professional translation tasks. Beware.
Having said that, I also have to admit that it is fun to play around with in your spare time.
Here are the results…
ORIGINAL SENTENCES:
Thus began the day, full of promise but also a tinge of fear. The sea was foaming with the signs of an afternoon storm gathering somewhere around the turn of the bay.
CHINESE (Simplified) Translation:
After 1st roundtrip:
Therefore, beginning a day filled with hope, but the fear of color. Signs of the sea foam, afternoon storm gathering around the turn of the Bay.
After 2nd roundtrip:
Therefore, beginning a day filled with hope, but it is worried about color. Signs of the sea foam, afternoon storm gathering around the turn of the Bay.
After 3rd roundtrip:
Therefore, beginning a day filled with hope, but it is worried about the color. Signs of the sea foam, afternoon storm gathering around the turn of the Bay.
ORIGINAL SENTENCES:
Thus began the day, full of promise but also a tinge of fear. The sea was foaming with the signs of an afternoon storm gathering somewhere around the turn of the bay.
ARABIC Translation:
1st
Thus began the day, full of hope but also the appearance of fear. The sea was blowing with the signs after the storm gathering around the back of the evolution of the Gulf.
2nd
Thus began a day, full of hope, but also the emergence of fear. The sea was blowing with the signs after the storm gathering on the background of the evolution of the Gulf.
3rd
Thus began a day, and full of hope, but also the emergence of fear. The sea was blowing with the signs after the storm gathering against the backdrop of the evolution of the Gulf.
ORIGINAL SENTENCES:
Thus began the day, full of promise but also a tinge of fear. The sea was foaming with the signs of an afternoon storm gathering somewhere around the turn of the bay.
TURKISH Translation:
1st
Thus the day, it was exactly the fear started to play. A place in the afternoon a storm the sea and return with the blast happened around the collection and marks.
2nd
Thus began playing days, this was exactly the fear. Return to the sea and exploded around the collection and marks a place in the afternoon was a storm.
3rd
So the day began to play, this was exactly the fear. Return to the sea and exploded in the afternoon and gather around a storm was a sign.
ORIGINAL SENTENCES:
Thus began the day, full of promise but also a tinge of fear. The sea was foaming with the signs of an afternoon storm gathering somewhere around the turn of the bay.
VIETNAMESE Translation:
1st
Therefore, start the day, full of promise but also a tinge of fear. Sea is foaming with signs of a storm in the afternoon somewhere around the turn of the bay.
2nd
Therefore, start the day, full of promise but also a tinge of fear. Foaming with the sea is a sign of a storm in the evening somewhere around the turn of the bay.
3rd
Therefore, start the day, full of promise but also a tinge of fear. Foaming with the sea, is a sign of a storm at night somewhere around the turn of the bay.
ORIGINAL SENTENCES:
Thus began the day, full of promise but also a tinge of fear. The sea was foaming with the signs of an afternoon storm gathering somewhere around the turn of the bay.
FRENCH Translation:
1st
Thus started the day full of promises, but also a hint of fear. The sea was foaming with the signs of a thunderstorm in the afternoon around the collection of any tour of the bay.
2nd
Thus started the day full of promises, but also a hint of fear. The sea was foaming with the signs of a thunderstorm in the afternoon around the collection of any tour of the bay.
3rd
Thus started the day full of promises, but also a hint of fear. The sea was foaming with the signs of a thunderstorm in the afternoon around the collection of any tour of the bay.
ORIGINAL SENTENCES:
Thus began the day, full of promise but also a tinge of fear. The sea was foaming with the signs of an afternoon storm gathering somewhere around the turn of the bay.
GERMAN Translation:
1st
Thus began the day full of promise, but also a touch of fear. The sea was foaming with the character of an afternoon storm gathering around the bay.
2nd
Thus began the day of promise, but also a touch of fear. The sea was foaming with the character of an afternoon storm around the bay.
3rd
Thus began the day of promise, but also a touch of fear. The sea was foaming with the character of an afternoon storm around the bay.
