Automatic Translations

[Tim May <tcmay@got.net>]

I just discovered an amazing, wonderful service which translates text into and from various European languages. Samples included here, of this text.

Ich entdeckte gerade ein �berraschen, wundervollen Service, den Text in und von den verschiedenen europ�ischen Sprachen �bersetzt. Proben hier umfa�t, von diesem Text. 

J'ai juste d�couvert stup�fier, le service merveilleux dans lequel traduit le texte et de diverses langues europ�ennes. �chantillons inclus ici, de ce texte.

Ho scoperto appena uno stupore, servizio meraviglioso in cui traduce il testo e dalle varie lingue comunitarie. Campioni inclusi qui, di questo testo.

Acabo de descubrir sorprender, el servicio maravilloso en el cual traduce el texto y de varios lenguajes europeos. Muestras incluidas aqu�, de este texto.

The URL is http://babelfish.altavista.digital.com/cgi-bin/translate?

For a more challenging series, here's the following Cypherpunkish text translated into a language, back into English, then into another language, etc., just to see what sorts of interesting things happen. (I mistyped "here" as "hear," through inattention, and this will screw up some of the translations still further...oh well.)


Cypherpunks write code. Crypto anarchy. Big Brother Inside. We're from the government, and we're hear to help. National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway. Abandon all hope, all ye who enter here. The tentacles of Medusa are torturing my mind. What have you got to hide?

Cypherpunks schreiben Code. Schl�sselanarchy. Grosser Bruder Nach innen. Wir sind von der Regierung, und wir sind h�ren, um zu helfen. Nationale R�nder sind nicht gleichm��ige Geschwindigkeitsst�sse auf der Informationsautobahn. Verlassen Sie alle Hoffnung, alles ye, das hier eintragen. Die tentacles der Medusa qu�len meinen Verstand. Was haben Sie erhalten, zu verstecken? 

Cypherpunks write code. Schluesselanarchy. Large brother inward. We are from the government, and we are hear, in order to help. National edges are not even rate impacts on the information motorway. Leave all hope, all ye, which enter here. Those the tentacles Medusa torment mean understanding. What did you receive to hide? 

Cypherpunks �crivent le code. Schluesselanarchy. Grand fr�re centrip�te. Nous sommes du gouvernement, et nous sommes entendons, afin d'aider. Les bords nationaux ne sont pas des  impacts �gaux de cadence sur l'autoroute de l'information. Laissez tout l'espoir, tout le ye, qui entrent ici. Ceux la compr�hension moyenne de torment de m�duse de tentacles. Qu'avez-vous re�u pour cacher? 

Cypherpunks write the code. Schluesselanarchy. Big centripetal brother. We are government, and we sums hear, in order to help. The national edges are not equal impacts of rate on the motorway of information. Leave all the hope, all the ye, which enters here. Those the average comprehension of torment of jellyfish of tentacles. What did you receive for hiding? 

Cypherpunks scrive il codice. Schluesselanarchy. Fratello centripeto grande. Siamo governo e sommiamo ci sentiamo, per aiutare. I bordi nazionali non sono effetti uguali del tasso sull'  autostrada delle informazioni. Lasciare tutta la speranza, tutto il ye, che entra qui. Quelli  comprensione media del torment delle meduse dei tentacles. Che cosa avete ricevuto per  nascondersi? 

Cypherpunks writes the code. Schluesselanarchy. Large centripetal brother. We are government and we add we feel ourselves, in order to help. The national edges are not equal effects of the rate on the freeway of the information. To leave all the hope, all the ye, that it enters here. That medium understanding of the torment of the jellyfishes of the tentacles. Which thing you have received for nascondersi? 

Cypherpunks escreve o c�digo. Schluesselanarchy. Irm�o centripetal grande. N�s somos governo e n�s adicionamos-nos sentimo-nos, a fim ajudar. As bordas nacionais n�o s�o efeitos iguais da  taxa no freeway da informa��o. Para deixar toda a esperan�a, todo o ye, que entra aqui. Essa compreens�o m�dia do torment das medusas dos tentacles. Que coisa que voc� recebeu para o nascondersi? 

Cypherpunks writes the code. Schluesselanarchy. Great centripetal brother. We are government  and us we add ourselves we feel ourselves, the end to help. The national edges are not equal effect  of the tax in freeway of the information. To leave all the hope, all ye, that it enters here. This average understanding of torment of the jellyfishes of tentacles. That thing that you received for  nascondersi? 

Cypherpunks escribe el c�digo. Schluesselanarchy. Gran hermano centr�peto. Somos gobierno y  nosotros nos agregamos que nos sentimos, el extremo para ayudar. Los bordes nacionales no son  efecto igual del impuesto en la autopista sin peaje de la informaci�n. Para dejar toda la esperanza,  todo el ye, que entra aqu�. Esta comprensi�n media del torment de las medusas de tentacles. Esa  cosa que usted recibi� para el nascondersi? 

Cypherpunks writes the code. Schluesselanarchy. Great centripetal brother. We are government  and we added ourselves that we felt, the end to help. The national edges are not equal effect of the  tax in the freeway without toll of the information. In order to leave all the hope, all ye, that enters  here. This average understanding of torment of medusas of tentacles. That thing that you received for nascondersi?


---and so on---

I like some of the new versions better! "Great centripetal brother" indeed! And this definition for the 1998 tax code: "The national edges are not equal effect of the  tax in the freeway without toll of the information."

Not surprisingly, once a translation picked a word not in the reverse translation, as with "Schluesselanarchy" and "nascondersi," the word then persisted in later attempts at translation. A kind of fixed point for the cycle.

Anyway, this was a lot of fun.

--Tim May



The Feds have shown their hand: they want a ban on domestic cryptography
---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:----
Timothy C. May              | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money,  
ComSec 3DES:   408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero
W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA  | knowledge, reputations, information markets, 
Higher Power: 2^2,976,221   | black markets, collapse of governments.
"National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway."