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 Language
is a funny thing. Ever hear someone say
that the meaning of something was "lost in the translation?"
Well, we were sitting around with a lot of time
on our hands, looking for something socially constructive
to do and we hit upon this capper idea: Let's take
some famous literary passages and use cutting-edge
technology to translate them into foreign languages
and then back again.
 What?
That's right--using easily available Internet resources,
we were able to take a passage, translate from English
to, say, French, and then take the French version
and translate back into English. You'd think both
English versions would be pretty much that same,
wouldn't you? At least you would if you believed
all your high school foreign language teachers.
You'd also think we would have something better
to do with our time, but that's another story.
NOTE: The name of both this experiment and the technology
used (the popular Babel Fish online translator--available
at several of your favorite search engines) is taken
from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, where
a tiny fish--the Babel Fish--allows instantaneous
translation when inserted into your ear. If you've
never heard of any of this, don't worry--your cultural
illiteracy won't be held against you.
So, for your reading pleasure, here is the Babel
Fish Experiment, part one.
Test Subject One
Moby Dick by Herman Melville
Original Text
Call me Ishmael. Some years ago -- never mind how
long precisely -- having little or no money in my
purse, and nothing particular to interest me on
shore, I thought I would sail about a little and
see the watery part of the world. It is a way I
have of driving off the spleen, and regulating the
circulation.
Translated to French and back into English
Call Me Ishmael. A few years there is -- never spirit
how long with precision -- having little or not
money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest
me on the shore, I thought that I would navigate
about and see the aqueous part of the world. It
is a way which I have to drive out the spleen, and
traffic control.
Analysis
Not bad. Famous first line survives intact. Although
I get a little lost when Ishmael and his spleen
get a ticket for making an illegal left turn on
red.
Test Subject Two
The Lurking Fear, By H.P. Lovecraft
Original Text
There was thunder in the air on the night I went
to the deserted mansion atop Tempest Mountain to
find the lurking fear. I was not alone, for foolhardiness
was not then mixed with that love of the grotesque
and the terrible which has made my career a series
of quests for strange horrors in literature and
in life. With me were two faithful and muscular
men for whom I had sent when the time came; men
long associated with me in my ghastly explorations
because of their peculiar fitness.
Translated to German and back into English
There was thunder in air on the night, which I went
finding lurking the fear to the abandoned mansion
on Tempestberg. Of I was not alone, because foolhardiness
with this love grotesque and the terrible were not
then mixed, which formed my career for series searches
for strange Grausigkeiten in the literature and
in the life. With me two were reliable and muskuloese
men, for whom I had transmitted, when the time came;
Men connected long with me in my graesslichen research
because of their strange suitability.
Analysis
Surprisingly accurate take on this X-Files-like
passage. In some ways the translation is almost
better than the original, with the narrator's henchmen
described as having a "strange suitability" as instead
of a "peculiar fitness."
Test Subject Three
U.S. Constitution
Original
Text
We the People of the United States, in Order to
form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure
domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense,
promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings
of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain
and establish this Constitution for the United States
of America.
Translated to Italian and back into English
People
of the United States, in order to form a more perfect
union, we establish the justice, assure the tranquility
domestic, supply to the common defense, promuoviamo
the general well-being and assure blessings of the
same freedom and to our Posterity, we make the ordain
and we establish this constitution for the United
states
Analysis
Uh...yeah...sounds good to me.
Copyright
© 1999 Dan Ackerman
NYC-based
writer and editor Dan Ackerman explores technology
and communication issues on Axiom (www.axiomonline.com),
the media lifestyle magazine.
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