How Well Does Computer Translation Work?

Find Out for Yourself

Part I
http://www.translationdirectory.com/article337.htm
By Alex Gross
From this page, you'll be able to connect directly with Altavista's computer
translation program "BabelFish" and evaluate how well it truly works.
But before we do thatand before this website expresses any further opinion
about the quality of "machine translation"let's listen to what the promoters of
this program have to say about its quality.
The following quote comes directly from the home page of BabelFish:
"Why Can't I Understand the Translation?"
"Translating languages is a very complex task. The translator works best when
the text you wish to translate uses proper grammar. Slang, misspelled words,
poorly placed punctuation, etc. can all cause a page to be translated
incorrectly."
"Can I Trust the Translation?"
"Machine translation produces reasonable results in many cases. But you
should not rely on it. As in other areas of life, honesty pays. If you want to use a
translated text always acknowledge the translator, and append or reference the
original text. This will put the translation into the right context and will help you
avoid embarrassing misunderstandings."
In other words, what they are saying rather clearly is that there are still some
problems connected with "machine translation." It took many decades for the
developers of a few such systems to finally admit even this much. And even
today it isn't too hard to encounter computational linguists who are still
convinced that language and translation are a "trivial task," one that can easily
be cracked once they have finally "discovered the key," and there is no way of
talking them out of this.
It is the frequently expressed opinion of this authorboth in other articles on
this website and in professional presentations to groups of linguists and
translatorsthat the "key" or the "right method" will never be found. And that
any key or method that will more or less "work" for certain kinds of texts will fail
to work for others.
But that's enough editorializing...

So let's take a look at our little evaluation test...

As time goes on, we will enrich this page with many different kinds of text, so
you can see what kind of results "BabelFish" produces with legal briefs, medical
studies, novels, plays, poetry, perhaps even some Shakespeare.
But just to be a bit fair and reasonable, let's start with the kind of text that the
makers of these "MT" programs claim are absolutely ideal for this purpose: a
straightforward business text, even one with a slight computer slant.
Take a look at the following paragraph and try to become familiar with it. You'll
be seeing it in quite a few versions as we go along.
The Green Map System is a globally connected, locally adaptable framework for
community sustainability. Green Maps chart the sites of environmental
significance in urban places around the world. Each map is created locally in a
unique way by mapmaking teams of all ages and backgrounds. Everyone uses
our collaborativly designed Green Map icons to identify, promote, and link their
home's ecological resources, along with the places that make the environment
special. See all the Green Maps at our website, www.greenmap.org. Find out
about joining this global effort to cultivate the interconnections between nature
and culture through Green Maps.
This text has been chosen not only because it is written in simple,
straightforward English but because it is accompanied by both a Spanish and a
French version that are equally well written and straight forward in each of those
two languages. Although they are themselves quite likely translations from the
English, they are good translations, good enough to qualify as original texts in
their own right.
We are about to submit the Spanish version of this same text to BabelFish in
order to see how well it translates it into English. And we will be able to judge
this quite objectively because we have the original English text just a few mouse
clicks above us.
At this point, our evaluation test will proceed on two tracks...

If you want to connect to BabelFish and submit the Spanish version for
yourself, click here.

If you would rather save time and see the results right away, simply go
on reading this page.

When we submit the Spanish equivalent of this paragraph to BabelFish and ask
it to translate the text into English, here is precisely what it produces (in other
words we are not responsible for any of the mistakes):
The System of Green Maps is a frame global, and at the same time modifiable
on local scale, to obtain sustentables communities. The green Maps show
2

environmental sites of importance in the cities around the world. Each map is
locally created in unique form by groups of all the ages and experiences. Each
one of them, uses the icons of the Green Map to identify, to promote, and to
conectar the local ecological resources, along with the places that make of the
atmosphere a special place. Visit the page Web: www.greenmap.org where it
will be able to see the variety of created maps and like participating in this
colaborativo effort of interconectar nature and culture through the Green Maps.
Now let's look at them side by side:
English Original:
The Green Map System is a globally
connected,
locally
adaptable
framework for community sustainability.
Green Maps chart the sites of
environmental significance in urban
places around the world. Each map is
created locally in a unique way by
mapmaking teams of all ages and
backgrounds. Everyone uses our
collaborativly designed Green Map
icons to identify, promote, and link their
home's ecological resources, along
with the places that make the
environment special. See all the Green
Maps
at
our
website,
www.greenmap.org. Find out about
joining this global effort to cultivate the
interconnections between nature and
culture through Green Maps.

Translation from Spanish:

The System of Green Maps is a frame
global, and at the same time modifiable
on local scale, to obtain sustentables
communities. The green Maps show
environmental sites of importance in
the cities around the world. Each map
is locally created in unique form by
groups of all the ages and experiences.
Each one of them, uses the icons of the
Green Map to identify, to promote, and
to connectar the local ecological
resources, along with the places that
make of the atmosphere a special
place.
Visit
the
page
Web:
www.greenmap.org where it will be
able to see the variety of created maps
and
like
participating
in
this
colaborativo effort of interconectar
nature and culture through the Green
Maps.

Since some viewers have already read this text once in its correct form, they
may just imagine that it sounds close enough to the original and conveys the
meaning well enough. But this is because they are already familiar with the
meaning, a kind of "persistence of memory" illusiontry reading this text to
others and see how much sense they will be able to make of it.
But for most readers, the problems of this version will be only too obvious:
it contains actual errors, for instance "atmosphere" for "environment" and
"frame global" for "global framework;"
where it cannot translate a word, it simply throws in that word in Spanish,
for instance "sustentables" and "interconectar;"
the full meaning is simply not clear;
and, of course, it is not even remotely written in correct English.
Naturally, it is for the reader to decide how disturbing such an error level may
be. Reading a brief paragraph in this style may not be particularly painful, but
what would it be like if one were forced to read an entire technical manual

written in this manner? (And yes, it would be worse than reading technical
manuals as they are currently written!)
At this point there is no need for the author to intrude his judgment in any way.
The whole object of this exercise all along has been a simple one: Let Readers
Decide for Themselves!
And as a form of "lagniappe" (here that word is especially appropriate), let's
take a look at what happens when the French version of this same text is
translated into English. It's a bit more comprehensible, but all the problems
noted above are still very much in evidence.
But once again, let readers decide for themselve. Here it comes now (with the
same disclaimer about errors)...
While being open on the world, the green system of cartography is a framework
of work locally adaptable for a durable development of the communities. The
green cards identify the significant environmental sites located inside an urban
framework. Each card is created locally and in a single way by multi-field teams
of all ages. By using the collective icons, one identifies, causes and binds the
ecological resources of the medium and the places which make our
environment remarkable. Look at each green card on our Web site,
www.greenmap.org. Initiate you with the green cartographic system and the
manner of taking part in this collective effort in order to discover the link
between nature and the culture.
Now let's put these two side by side:
English Original:
The Green Map System is a globally
connected,
locally
adaptable
framework for community sustainability.
Green Maps chart the sites of
environmental significance in urban
places around the world. Each map is
created locally in a unique way by
mapmaking teams of all ages and
backgrounds. Everyone uses our
collaborativly designed Green Map
icons to identify, promote, and link their
home's ecological resources, along
with the places that make the
environment special. See all the Green
Maps
at
our
website,
www.greenmap.org. Find out about
joining this global effort to cultivate the
interconnections between nature and
culture through Green Maps.

Translation from French:

While being open on the world, the
green system of cartography is a
framework of work locally adaptable for
a durable development of the
communities. The green cards identify
the significant environmental sites
located inside an urban framework.
Each card is created locally and in a
single way by multi-field teams of all
ages. By using the collective icons, one
identifies, causes and binds the
ecological resources of the medium
and the places which make our
environment remarkable. Look at each
green card on our Web site,
www.greenmap.org. Initiate you with
the green cartographic system and the
manner of taking part in this collective
effort in order to discover the link

between nature and the culture.

The overall structure of this "translation" is better than the one from Spanish,
but at the considerable cost of translating "maps" as "cards"thus making the
piece potentially incomprehensibleand merging the first two sentences so that
neither of them truly comes through. Plus which, "unique" becomes "single,"
"promotes" becomes "causes," and "find out about joining" becomes "Initiate
you with..."
If you now want to switch to the active track and submit these or any other texts
to BabelFish, you can start to do so by clicking here.
Or if you simply want to satisfy your curiosity about what the Spanish and
French texts look like, here they are.
First the Spanish text:
El Sistema de Mapas Verdes es un marco global, y al mismo tiempo
modificable a escala local, para lograr comunidades sustentables. Los Mapas
verdes muestran sitios ambientales de importancia en las ciudades alrededor
del mundo. Cada mapa es creado localmente en forma nica por grupos de
todas las edades y experiencias. Cada uno de ellos, usan los iconos del Mapa
Verde para identificar, promover, y conectar los recursos ecolgicos locales,
junto con los lugares que hacen del ambiente un lugar especial. Visite la pgina
web: www.greenmap.org donde podr ver la variedad de mapas creados y de
como participar en este esfuerzo colaborativo de interconectar naturaleza y
cultura a travs de los Mapas Verdes.
And here the French text as well:
Tout en tant ouvert sur le monde, le systme de cartographie vert est un cadre
de travail localement adaptable pour un dveloppement durable des
communauts. Les cartes vertes identifient les sites environnementaux
significatifs situs l'intrieur d'un cadre urbain. Chaque carte se cre
localement et de faon unique par des quipes pluridisciplinaires de tous ges.
En utilisant les icnes collectives, on identifie, suscite et lie les ressources
cologiques du milieu et des endroits qui rendent notre environnement
remarquable. Regardez chacune des cartes vertes sur notre site web,
www.greenmap.org. Initiez-vous au systme cartographique vert et la manire
de participer cet effort collectif afin de dcouvrir le lien entre la nature et la
culture.