Google Translate Sucks

Started by: Salt | Replies: 33 | Views: 3,932

Phaxtolgia
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Sep 10, 2015 2:40 PM #1402976

The only thing decent about Google Translate is interpreting individual words; it cant translate whole sentences correctly.

Salt
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Sep 10, 2015 6:14 PM #1402992

Quote from Exilement
how do you think widespread, accurate, real-time translation will change the world? any ideas?

Hey HEY HEY don't you ask the big questions on MY thread like you're the one who made it and steal the spotlight. Nohohohoho way baby.
jk

With a world more connected than ever, trade and economy will skyrocket. A more interwined system of trading, coupled with people who are more understanding and empathetic of each other, and more educated due to even bigger access to all information will decrease the likelihood of violence and war more than ever. It's going to have similar effects to what modern communication technology and the Internet did, but on a different level.

Kieran.
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Sep 10, 2015 7:19 PM #1402998

Quote from Exilement
how do you think widespread, accurate, real-time translation will change the world? any ideas?

Relevant Douglas Adam's quote (Hitchiker's guide) "Meanwhile the poor Babel fish, by effectively removing all barriers to communication between different cultures and races, has caused more and bloodier wars than anything else in the history of creation."

In reality I guess the first thing would be a lot of translators going out of business. The second would probably be "easier" negotiations both politically and in business but who knows what that would really result in.

Apex-Predator
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Sep 10, 2015 7:42 PM #1403006

We would all be sitting around the camp fire, singing kumbaya?

Unbounded

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Sep 14, 2015 3:08 AM #1403459

Quote from Exilement
how do you think widespread, accurate, real-time translation will change the world? any ideas?

I mean, I feel this is as relevant as it could possibly be:

(Yes, this app exists, yes, it works pretty much as described in the video, yes, it's free.)

Obvious ones are people who create translators losing a significant amount of business, language becoming less of a necessity in schools, leading to a decline in language in schools and a decline in language as a marketable skill.

One that I'm not too sure about is whether we'd actually be more or less connected. On one hand, now everyone can communicate with everyone. On the other hand, there's kind of a technological barrier. As can be seen through the internet, (or even in this thread), things like tone of voice are lost when putting something through a technological filter.

Stracked
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Sep 14, 2015 3:15 AM #1403461

That app, if it works as described then it would be really cool, in a way its not a barrier, more like an aid for tourists in my opinion, finding a toilet might be 10 times easier now. : >

Ashlander
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Sep 14, 2015 4:37 AM #1403467

Quote from Salt
When people are able to properly communicate with each other, they are able to understand each other better. Humans have a tendency to feel that they are the center of everything. There's even a special word when you realize other people have as much of a life as yours, called sonder. The more this feeling is there, the more empathetic and understanding people are of each other. When people are more empathetic they are better at working together, and eventually improving life for everyone. I find it appalling that in the midst of all our technological advancement, it is still extremely difficult to be able to communicate with a person that speaks another language unless you dedicate a significant amount of time to learning their language, and even then you will never really reach a level at which you will be able to have really meaningful conversations unless you use the language frequently. I'm no programmer and I don't know how any of these translation services work, but it seems like a lot more work should be dedicated to improving them.

This whole thing came to mind when a Chinese person joined Hyuns Dojo. She wasn't able to speak proper English at all and no one their could speak Chinese (until lf2 showed up). Google translate would give some extremely butchered results, and for some reason she felt offended when told her she should speak English. Who knows? Maybe the translation of an otherwise neutral statement sounded passive aggressive when translated literally to Chinese? Translation blunders could have significant effects larger than just some random girl on the Internet getting offended:

http://www.lackuna.com/2012/04/13/5-historically-legendary-translation-blunders/
Some of these could be a bit of a stretch, but it's not difficult to imagine a scenario were miscommunication due to language barriers could lead to serious problems.

Her being insulted could be due more to cultural differences than the translation. If you throw up the 'peace sign' in the UK you may as well be flipping everyone off. I also called someone spunky in the UK and they got offended because it is used entirely differently there. And this is the US and UK, two very similar countries.

Quote from Superterry
The only thing decent about Google Translate is interpreting individual words; it cant translate whole sentences correctly.

I've used to Google Translate to effectively communicate with Mexicans that didn't speak any English numerous times for work.

Drone
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Sep 14, 2015 5:56 AM #1403476

Well spanish and english are fairly similar languages

Salt
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Sep 14, 2015 11:40 AM #1403511

Quote from Ashlander
Her being insulted could be due more to cultural differences than the translation. If you throw up the 'peace sign' in the UK you may as well be flipping everyone off. I also called someone spunky in the UK and they got offended because it is used entirely differently there. And this is the US and UK, two very similar countries.
.

Wait is this a joke or are you serious.

Magi

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Sep 14, 2015 11:55 AM #1403512

Quote from Salt
Wait is this a joke or are you serious.

He's serious

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=V+Sign

Jeff
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Sep 14, 2015 10:32 PM #1403575

I'm not sure how anything you said equates to "Google Translate Sucks". Google Translate is amazing for what it is. The idea that something sucks because the technology isn't currently at where it may potentially go in the future is ridiculous. If Google Translate can't do something that's not even currently possible, how does that detract in any way from what it can do now? If a competing service offered better results then I would agree, but I'm pretty sure Google Translate is one of the leaders in it's field. It's not like someone's already unlocked the secret to perfect translations and Google just hasn't added it to it's service. Languages are insanely complex on their own, translating that complexity between them makes things exponentially more difficult. The fact that it can get it right even a fraction of the time is a feat in itself. I don't understand why people like to simplify complex issues and then criticize the issue like a solution is easy and the people involved just aren't doing enough. It's such a negative view to hold about anything. I'd rather have an appreciation and understanding for how far we've come than waste time complaining about things that are still years away. That's like saying Terkoiz' animations suck now because in the future he will be better. Give them some credit.

Zed
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Sep 15, 2015 12:53 AM #1403606

Quote from Exilement
how do you think widespread, accurate, real-time translation will change the world? any ideas?

Real-time isn't so much an issue, but perfect translation would have a huge impact on research. One of my friends studies the work of Gottlob Frege and one of his books was only translated last year (by someone in our department, who as far as I know may have only done it for my friend's research). And I'm doing research on Moritz Schlick, all of whose published works are translated but his academic year 1936/37 lecture notes are entirely in German and I would desperately like to read them. I'm learning German but it's slow progress and I doubt I'll be proficient enough before my thesis is due. Google translate helps me piece together sentences when I need them but it's not good enough yet, and I certainly can't cite anything which has been run through Google.

Admittedly, this is all philosophy stuff. I have no idea whether the same applies in the sciences, and I fully understand people who don't think philosophy is worth the effort.

On topic: Google Translate Sings:

Unbounded

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Sep 15, 2015 2:10 AM #1403627

Quote from Zed

Admittedly, this is all philosophy stuff. I have no idea whether the same applies in the sciences, and I fully understand people who don't think philosophy is worth the effort.

It does to an extent. In terms of finding information most books are readily available and translated in most languages, and (as far as I know, at least) most research papers are published in, well, English. The problem is translating those papers in the first place.

One of my previous professors has been collaborating with an experimental group in Japan, and a big part of it is him having to proofread all of their papers which apparently takes a considerable amount of time on top of his already huge workload. If he could spend time yknow, not translating those papers then life would we way easier for everyone. He could get more work done and productivity would overall increase.

Now this is just one anecdotal situation, but with the amount of scientists all over the world it's not too hard to imagine that there are multiple situations where a language barrier could lead to some serious issues in either interpreting or presenting information. I can easily point out a bunch of situations with International Students where I've had way too much lost in translation in explaining a concept to them or something similar, leading to a substantial amount of lost time.

Hewitt

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Sep 17, 2015 7:12 AM #1404016

Slightly topical, can anyone tell me what does a Cunt mean in Britain and why is it okay compared to using it in America

mx
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Sep 17, 2015 9:13 AM #1404037

Quote from Hewitt
Slightly topical, can anyone tell me what does a Cunt mean in Britain and why is it okay compared to using it in America

It means the same thing, Americans just get offended easily :^)