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View Full Version : Why You Should Never Use an Online Translator . . .


Fictionluverkdm
08-20-2005, 06:00 PM
Just a small experiment I did, using this site ( http://babelfish.altavista.com/). I first typed in part of an "anime-into-book" project I'm doing, purely for my own enjoyment. (It's basically that I take my favorite anime, Inuyasha , and make it into a book. So I take the key moments, stuff like that. It's quite a nice writing exercise).

Anyway, here's the part I put into the translator:

"He looked at his clawed hands, his golden eyes wide with horror as he stared at the blood staining them.

"Inu- Inuyasha?" Kagome asked timdly as she started forward, one hand reaching out uncertaintly. He spoke, not to her, but to himself, almost as if he wasn't aware that anyone else was listening.

"The power I wanted- the power I desired- it wasn't supposed to be like this . . ." He looked up for the first time, his eyes locking with Kagome's in a horror she could only imagine. "It wasn't supposed to be like this!" He yelled, and, without another word, ran into the forest, leaving his friends behind in his wake."

Placed it into the translator (Note: I don't know if this will appear as Japanese, or just a bunch of squares, as my computer doesn't support Japanese.)


彼は彼がそれらを汚す血を凝視したと同時に彼の引き裂かれた手、恐怖の彼の金目を広く見た。 "Inu- Inuyasha はか。" Kagome は彼女が先に始まったと同時に、uncertaintly 達する1 つの手をtimdly 頼んだ。彼は彼女に、彼自身にだれでも他に聞いていたこと彼がわかっていなかったように、ない、ほとんど話 したが。 "力私は私がそれをこれのような仮定されなかった望んだ力がほしいと思った。。。" 彼は、彼女が想像ただできる恐怖のKagome と締まる彼の目はじめて調べた。"これのようであることを仮定しなかった!" 彼は、別の単語なしで、叫、彼の航跡に彼の友人を後ろ残す森林に走った。

And re-translated back into English:

He pulled that the blood where he pollutes those was scrutinized that simultaneously and looked at that gold eye of the hand and the fear which tear widely. "As for Inu- Inuyasha? "As for Kagome that she started first, simultaneously, uncertaintly one hand which reaches timdly was asked. As in her, thing he whom in him himself everyone has heard in other things is not recognized, there is no he, almost you spoke, but. "Power I me that am this way, you thought that was not supposed the power which was desired wants. . . "As for him, her Kagome of the fear which the imagination simply it is possible that eye which tightens you inspected for the first time. You did not suppose that "it is this way! "He, without another word, 叫, rear ran that friend to the forest which is left in that wake.

So, in conclusion . . . never use an online translator. :D

Inuyasha copyright Rumiko Takahashi, the written bit above copyright Kathleen Margeotes (me), Inuyasha and all related characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi.

KujiInRetsu
08-20-2005, 06:09 PM
... This has been an established fact for many a year now. Only true novices in Japanese would even stoop to using an online translator.

Fictionluverkdm
08-20-2005, 07:08 PM
Ah, yes, but many people still do it, and it's nice to remind them now and then.