I remember a story I heard when I was in school. Mark Twain (it\’s always him, isn\’t it?) was curious about why his books didn\’t sell well in France. Working on the theory that the humor didn\’t translate well, he took \”Jumping Frog\” or one of his other stories, had it translated into French and back into English, and published the result, which was terrible.
Now, thanks to the miracle of the Internet, you can do the same thing to your own work. In her \”Neat New Stuff I found on the Internet this week\” column, Marylaine Block published a link to Lost In Translation. This fun bit of Perl scripting uses the Babelfish translation service to turn a meaningful phrase into a shadow of its former self. Here\’s my example:
\”I know you believe you understand what you think I said, but I\’m not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.\”
After translation into French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish (translating back into English at each step) this became:
\”I know they to them he the creed include/understand, of which the thoughts said, but are not only safe you of the later calculation I, of whom you I are not you sensation, that what to say to me wished me.\”
See below for the step-by-step translation.
———-
I remember a story I heard when I was in school. Mark Twain (it\’s always him, isn\’t it?) was curious about why his books didn\’t sell well in France. Working on the theory that the humor didn\’t translate well, he took \”Jumping Frog\” or one of his other stories, had it translated into French and back into English, and published the result, which was terrible.
Now, thanks to the miracle of the Internet, you can do the same thing to your own work. In her \”Neat New Stuff I found on the Internet this week\” column, Marylaine Block published a link to Lost In Translation. This fun bit of Perl scripting uses the Babelfish translation service to turn a meaningful phrase into a shadow of its former self. Here\’s my example:
\”I know you believe you understand what you think I said, but I\’m not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.\”
After translation into French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish (translating back into English at each step) this became:
\”I know they to them he the creed include/understand, of which the thoughts said, but are not only safe you of the later calculation I, of whom you I are not you sensation, that what to say to me wished me.\”
See below for the step-by-step translation.
———-
Original English Text:
I know you believe you understand what you think I said, but I\’m not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.
Translated to French:
Je vous connais vous crois comprends ce que vous pensez I dit, mais je ne suis pas sûr vous me rends compte que ce que vous avez entendu n\’est pas ce qu\’ai voulu dire je.
Translated back to English:
I know you believe you include/understand what you think I said, but I am not sure you return account to me only what you heard is not what I wanted to say.
Translated to German:
Ich kenne Sie glaube Ihnen include/understand, was Sie gesagtes I denken, aber ich bin nicht Sie Rückrechnung zu mir nur sicher, was Sie sind nicht hörten, was ich sagen wollte.
Translated back to English:
I know you believe you include/understand, what you think said I, but I am not only safe you of back calculation to me, which you are not heard, what I to say wanted.
Translated to Italian:
Li conosco li credo include/understand, che cosa pensate la I detta, ma sono non soltanto sicuro voi del calcolo posteriore me, che non siete sentiti, che cosa I da dire ho desiderato.
Translated back to English:
I know them them creed include/understand, than what thoughts the said one, but they are not only sure you of the posterior calculation me, than you are not you feel, that what to say I have wished.
Translated to Portuguese:
Eu sei-os eles o credo include/understand, do que que pensamentos dito, mas eles é não somente certo você do cálculo posterior mim, do que você não sou você sensação, que o que dizer-me desejei.
Translated back to English:
I know them they it creed include/understand, of that that thoughts said, but they are not only certain you of the posterior calculation me, of whom you I am not you sensation, that what to say I desired me.
Translated to Spanish:
Los sé ellos él el credo include/understand, de eso que los pensamientos dijeron, pero están no solamente seguros usted del cálculo posterior yo, de quien usted yo no es usted sensación, que qué decirme me deseó.
Translated back to English:
I know they to them he the creed include/understand, of which the thoughts said, but are not only safe you of the later calculation I, of whom you I are not you sensation, that what to say to me wished me.
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