3 READ IN G
languages between them.
a Read the text quickly. W hat examples o f mistranslation
does it mention?
b Read the text again and match the missing sentences
(A -H ) to the spaces (1 -6 ). There are two sentences you
do not need to use.
A While the email drew chuckles from around the
boardroom, Google took the challenge seriously and set
out to improve Google Translate and stay on top o f the
MT game.
B The first online versions were only capable of translating
single words and phrases and some sentences, and there
were frequent inaccuracies.
C Once popular in the 1990s, Internet cafes have now become
simply cafes where people can bring their own laptops.
D But how accurate can a computer’s translation really
be, given the incredible complexity and never-ending
nuances o f language?
E But in the world o f computer-based translation, it’s clear
that quantity is no substitute for quality.
F While computer translation has come a long way since
the early days, it’s clear that Google and its rivals will
need to continue fine-tuning their software.
The pitfalls of
machine translation
From corresponding with friends overseas, to preparing for a
vacation abroad, to getting a leg up on your French homework,
Internet translation software provides a handy tool for those
who find themselves between two languages. 1__________
Could machine translation systems one day replace human
translators in the business world and beyond? Not likely any
time soon, analysts say, but services like Google Translate are
refining systems and making improvements with the aim of
removing communication barriers around the world.
Machine translation (MT) has come a long way since it was
first introduced by the Silicon Valley company SYSTRAN in
1996. 2__________Flowever, advancements over the past
decade have allowed users to input much longer chunks of text,
from single paragraphs to entire web pages and news articles.
3__________In 2004, Google co-founder Sergey Brin
received an email from a fan in Korea. One sentence from the
original Korean message meant roughly, "Google is a favorite
search engine." However, the resulting Google translation
rendered it "The sliced raw fish shoes it wishes. Google green
onion thing!"4__________Ten years later, Google Translate
28
G Google’s co-founders have studied a vast number of
H All over the Internet, you can find hilarious examples
o f linguistic blunders on signs and menus reflecting
human error.
c Look at the highlighted words and phrases. W hat do
you think they mean? Check your dictionary. Then use
them to complete the sentences.
1 One o f my most embarrassing slip-ups recently was
referring to a friend’s daughter as a boy.
2 At first I couldn’t see my aunt, but then 1___________
her at the other end o f the platform.
3 My dessert was ok, but I didn’t like the big__________
o f chocolate in the ice cream.
4 We were___________ when we saw that someone had
transferred $10,000 into our bank account.
5 The boy’s behavior during the play resulted in _______
from the audience, but his parents were not amused.
6 I love poetry, but 1sometimes have a hard time
understanding the___________ in the language.
7 I can’t go out with you guys tonight. I have a busy week
ahead and I need to ___________ by finishing some
work tonight.
8 After several major___________ , the employee was
asked to resign from her position.
is the leading online translation service, handling over 50
languages and translating roughly enough text to fill one
million books daily.
Of course, web translation users bear some of the
responsibility for accuracy, too. 5__________For example,
there's a no-littering sign in Asia warning that "violators will
be fine," and an item spotted on a menu listed as "Health
demolition tofu recipe" to name a couple. These innocent
slip-ups may have some entertainment value, but can leave
international travelers baffled.
6__________We may yet live in a world where speakers of
all languages can communicate seamlessly through machine
translation.