It’s safe to say that the majority of us are guilty of having used Google Translate at some point in our lives. Whether it be trying to order a meal on holiday abroad or desperately attempting to email a foreign colleague with information on a job, we’ve all given into the temptation and ease of online translation. However, the question of accuracy in official translations or in the public sphere has long been a topic of debate – particularly recently in Wales. Continue reading “Don’t get caught writing ‘Scymraeg’”
Literary myths of unpopular translation
Translated literature has a new hero in the form of Le French Book. Based in New York with the motto “if we love it, we’ll translate it”, they publish French translations, allowing readers from all over the world to enjoy the wide range of fiction currently being produced in France.
Rallying to the defence of translated fiction, they’ve recently put together a list dispelling the most common myths. We’ve summarised them here for your enjoyment. See if any of this sounds familiar!
Don’t be erroneous: Google Translate’s geopolitical blooper
Google Translate has inadvertently strayed into the political choppy waters with an inaccurate translation.
Anyone who uses the site knows that Google translations can sometimes be imprecise or hard to understand. Senior figures at Google itself recognise this, as I have discussed before: Google: “Translations aren’t perfect”
But it is even worse when the translation is the complete opposite of the intended meaning.
Continue reading “Don’t be erroneous: Google Translate’s geopolitical blooper”
Google: “Translations aren’t perfect”
Google Vice President Dr Vint Cerf has warned about relying too much on the accuracy of translation from Google Translate. He should know: not only is he Google’s “Chief Internet Evangelist” but he is widely regarded as one of the “fathers” of the internet.
Continue reading “Google: “Translations aren’t perfect””
timeo googletranslate et dona ferentes
Google took the unusual step of blogging in Latin last week, as they added this ancient language to Google Translate. I’ve written before about the dangers of entrusting a website translation to a machine and how the Mounties took a fall.
But how well have Google done with Latin?
