It’s been a favorite site of mine for some time, maybe because I do a lot of translating. I thought I had mentioned it here before, but can’t seem to find it. If this is the second time I’m sharing this, well… forgive me, I’m getting old.
Lost in Translation combines the old game of Telephone (or Chinese Whispers, as some call it) with modern machine translations. As the site asks, “What happens when an English phrase is translated (by computer) back and forth among five different languages?” Well, the results are often humorous.
I’ll run a few sayings through the babelizer. See if you can guess the original:
- If somebody goes the lady, we correspond to them. If they give return, they were always with you. Don’t, never was they.
- It’s more simply the end to gain the decree that had shutdowns of the resources.
- The definition of the Verrücktheit returns to the same thing many and many signals and examines the diverse results
- Sufficiently in an extension of often – of me to a handspike and an end of the pressure, where the place for movements and me the world
- We are not something therefore of the screen of the light bulb like, than they do not see
As I work with translating on a regular basis, sites like this help to keep me humble.
I hope this is not what the bible represents.
Jesus preaching the Sermon on the Mount (from The Life of Brian, Monty Python.)
JESUS: …who hunger and thirst to see…
MAN #1: I think it was ‘Blessed are the cheesemakers.’
MRS. GREGORY: Ahh, what’s so special about the cheesemakers?
GREGORY: Well, obviously, this is not meant to be taken literally. It refers to any manufacturers of dairy products.
“If you love someone, let them go. If they return to you, they will be yours forever. If not, they were never yours.” (or something like that.)
That’s the only one I can get.
Yay! Lisa got number one.
I hope you are going to give the answers next time.
#5 seems to have to do with hide your light under a basket, but probably not right.
Is #2 it is more blessed to give than receive?
In 1973, when the Easy to Read (Deaf) translation was being done, the original Greek was also being translated. I entered the data in the main frame computer for some of that work. It was very interesting to see how some of the phrases came out.
No, I stayed away from Bible phrases this time. I may do it again with only Bible phrases.
Don’t know who said #2.
#3 is attributed to Albert Einstein
#4 is attributed to Archimedes
#5 is an old English proverb.
If no one gets any of the others in the next couple of hours, I’ll post solutions.
Of course, I was trying to figure out Bible phrases since you were writing about translation – false assumption apparently.
Yeah, I guess I should explain that when I talk about doing translations, it’s translating back and forth between Spanish and English. I’m not good enough with the original languages to do any Bible translating.
Grace and peace,
Tim Archer
#3. The definition of insanity is trying the same thing over again expecting different results.
#2 It is better to give than to receive?
Ooh! #4 Give me a stick long enough and a pivot and I shall move the world.
Bingo on #3. Robert has nailed it. And he’s basically got #4. “Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world.”
#2 is incorrect, however.
it’s probably not right, but #2 reminds me of, “It’s easier to beg forgiveness than ask permission.”
and is 5 it is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness?
Quote #3: Archimedes, ‘If you give me a lever and a place to stand, I can move the world.’
Quote #4: Archimedes, ‘If you give me a lever and a place to stand, I can move the world.’
Nick nails #2. #5 continues to resist being deciphered.
Yep, Bob, that’s right on #4.
I guess #5 just ended up being too far from the original. Here are all five original quotes:
“If you love something, set it free. If it comes back to you, it’s yours. If it doesn’t, it never was.”
“It’s easier to get forgiveness than permission.”
“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results”
“Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world.”
“There are none so blind as those who will not see”