# babelfish is cool!
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/babelfish-is-cool/109893
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [May 20, 2002, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/babelfish-is-cool/109893 "2002-05-20T02:50:18Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)
#### Post date: [May 20, 2002, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/babelfish-is-cool/109893/1 "2002-05-20T02:50:18Z")
Désolé si c’est TROP le mundand mais…
J’ai juste découvert les plaisirs du babelfish des altavista.
Maintenant je peux feindre pour être français!
---
### Author:  [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)
#### Post date: [May 20, 2002, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/babelfish-is-cool/109893/2 "2002-05-20T02:52:58Z")
If I must. The translation is this.
> [@](#):
>
> Sorry if this is TOO mundand but…
>
> I’ve just discovered the delights of altavista’s babelfish.
>
> Now I can pretend to be french!
I’m gonna get hours of fun from it!
---
### Author:  [@fighting\_ignorant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fighting_ignorant)
#### Post date: [May 20, 2002, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/babelfish-is-cool/109893/3 "2002-05-20T02:53:05Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by lobley \*
> \*\*Désolé si c’est TROP le mundand mais…
>
> J’ai juste découvert les plaisirs du babelfish des altavista.
>
> Maintenant je peux feindre pour être français! \*\*
It told me:
> [@](#):
>
> Afflicted if it is TOO the mundand but… I have right overdraft the pleasures of the babelfish altavista. Now I can pretend to be French
So. Babelfish, huh? Too the mundand, I think.
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### Author:  [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)
#### Post date: [May 20, 2002, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/babelfish-is-cool/109893/4 "2002-05-20T02:54:28Z")
Spot the mistake. I mispelled mundane so it didn’t get translated. DOH!
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### Author:  [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)
#### Post date: [May 20, 2002, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/babelfish-is-cool/109893/5 "2002-05-20T02:56:17Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by fighting ignorant \*
> \*\*
>
> It told me:
>
> Afflicted if it is TOO the mundand but… I have right overdraft the pleasures of the babelfish altavista. Now I can pretend to be French
>
> So. Babelfish, huh? Too the mundand, I think. \*\*
I am laughing so hard!
I know it’s not perfect. but fun!
---
### Author:  [@fighting\_ignorant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fighting_ignorant)
#### Post date: [May 20, 2002, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/babelfish-is-cool/109893/6 "2002-05-20T02:57:22Z")
Some friends of mine and I used to play a game with Babelfish. Write something, then translate into another language, then back to English again. Kinda like the kids’ game “telephone”.
So, for instance:
“The Straight Dope is a great tool for fighting ignorance!”.
Translate into German, then back to English:
"The straight lubricant is a large tool for fighting of ignorance! "
Hmm…
---
### Author:  [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)
#### Post date: [May 20, 2002, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/babelfish-is-cool/109893/7 "2002-05-20T02:58:03Z")
I am laughing even harder! I just reversed the translation of the first line and got this
> [@](#):
>
> Afflicted if it is TOO society man but…
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### Author:  [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)
#### Post date: [May 20, 2002, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/babelfish-is-cool/109893/8 "2002-05-20T03:00:04Z")
I guess I can’t pretent to be french afterall. (well maybe french and mental will work)
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### Author:  [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)
#### Post date: [May 20, 2002, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/babelfish-is-cool/109893/9 "2002-05-20T03:01:42Z")
The sixth sick shiek’s sixth sick sheep.
From English to German and back to English.
The 6th ill 6th ill sheep shieks.
Could someone explain how ‘shiek’ has suddenly become the verb of the sentence?
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### Author:  [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)
#### Post date: [May 20, 2002, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/babelfish-is-cool/109893/10 "2002-05-20T03:17:59Z")
bloody hell! it actualy improved on this! (slightly)…
> [@](#):
>
> See Forum Rules (below) for more information about what codes you are allowed to use in your posts.
Changed to french and then back to English resulted in this…
> [@](#):
>
> See the rules of the forum (below) for more information on which codes one allows you to employ in your posts.
---
### Author:  [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)
#### Post date: [May 20, 2002, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/babelfish-is-cool/109893/11 "2002-05-20T03:30:01Z")
Sorry for hogging all the posts guys but this new french to english, back to french thing is too funny. see if you can make sense of this story…
> [@](#):
>
> A friend (Gary) and I walked to the top of a shaded way of the splendid day sunny by trees only on one side (so that it was still possible to see what good day it was) that the way functioned between a court of tennis on a side (increased way by a plate) and a cabin of fishing (a certain distance from the way in bottom of a hill which contained the trees) the side of the way was muddy and I went by mud. I sought and saws Paula (a girl whom I know, and the subject of several of my dreams). It looked at if ordered (it likes to wear very smart clothing of type of businesses, clothing which seems rotten expensive too) and o-so beautiful. It went the manner opposite and seemed happy to see us. I was more than happy to see it - I was elated. And making me happier still (if it were possible) it walk of didn.t after, it joined to us.
FYI I never mentioned anything even remotely to do with fish or cabins or plates in the original.
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### Author:  [@LolaBaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaBaby)
#### Post date: [May 20, 2002, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/babelfish-is-cool/109893/12 "2002-05-20T06:53:49Z")
:eek:
**lobley**!
Je suis heureux vous suis de retour! Je vous espère sentir mieux aujourd’hui! 😃
I have lots of fun with this site also.
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### Author:  [@Flamsterette\_X](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flamsterette_X)
#### Post date: [May 20, 2002, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/babelfish-is-cool/109893/13 "2002-05-20T07:08:23Z")
I used to have lots of fun with this site, as well. Pretty hilarious stuff!
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### Author:  [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)
#### Post date: [May 20, 2002, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/babelfish-is-cool/109893/14 "2002-05-20T15:48:25Z")
LolaBaby.
I _will_ try to smell better today.
> [@](#):
>
> I am happy am back to you! I hope for you to smell better today!
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### Author:  [@LolaBaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaBaby)
#### Post date: [May 20, 2002, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/babelfish-is-cool/109893/15 "2002-05-20T20:18:41Z")
😃
Actually, I typed in
> [@](#):
>
> I’m glad to see you back. I hope you feel better today.
I’m sure you smell good already.
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### Author:  [@Anubis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anubis)
#### Post date: [May 20, 2002, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/babelfish-is-cool/109893/16 "2002-05-20T21:56:13Z")
I put in this:
> [@](#):
>
> sixty-six degrees. around the area the temperatures will be getting warmer. we have had record breaking lows for the past few days. no huge weather systems out west right now. snow on portions of lake eerie. clearing tonight. no rain likely friday, but you never know. tomorrow, partly sunny, cool. we hope to have some warm weather return soon.
and got this:
> [@](#):
>
> degrees of sixty-six. around the sector the temperatures will obtain the heater we had bottoms of rupture of disc for the last days aucuns enormous systems of time out of west in this moment snows on parts of lake eery. to get clear this evening any rain probable Friday, but never do not know you tomorrow, partially sunny, expenses we hope to have a certain hot return of time soon.
---
### Author:  [@Flamsterette\_X](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flamsterette_X)
#### Post date: [May 20, 2002, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/babelfish-is-cool/109893/17 "2002-05-20T22:09:05Z")
I decided to have some fun with this site once again. The following text is from _Too Good to be True: The Colossal Book of Urban Legends_ by Jan Harold Brunvand. (I borrowed it from the library last week)
> [@](#):
>
> A sweet, grandmotherly widow was convinced by her son to start carrying a small handgun in her purse for self-protection in these perilous times.
>
> The first week she had the gun, she came out of a shopping mall to the parkind lot and found two men sitting in her car drinking beer and eating. With a firm determined air, she pulled the gun, advanced on the car, aimed it directly at the men, and ordered them out.
>
> The men jumped out of the car and ran away in great panic. But when the woman got into the car, she found that her ignition key did not fit.
>
> Then she noticed her own car, identical to theirs, parked one two over in the lot.
This is the translation from English to French, and back again:
> [@](#):
>
> A candy, grandmotherly widowed was convinced by his/her son to start to carry small a handgun in its purse for individual-protection during these perilous time. The first week it had the gun, it in left a shopping centre to the fate of parkind and found two men to sit down his drinkable beer of car and to eat. With given air closes, it fired the gun, advanced on the car, aimed to him directly the men, and ordered their outside. The jumped men of the car and ran far in great panic. But when the woman entered the car, it noted that its key of lighting did not adapt. Then it noted its own car, identical to their, parked surplus two in the fate.
Hmm… pretty funny! 🙂
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### Author:  [@Ferrous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferrous)
#### Post date: [May 20, 2002, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/babelfish-is-cool/109893/18 "2002-05-20T22:23:21Z")
It gets really fun if you throw Japanese or Korean into the loop.
> [@](#):
>
> “The Straight Dope is a great tool for fighting ignorance!”.
>
> Translate into German, then back to English:
>
> "The straight lubricant is a large tool for fighting of ignorance! "
Translate that to Korean and back, and you get:
"The straight lubricating oil for the battle of solid color the big tool is,! "
Gotta love babelfish. Generally, the more loops you put it through, the wackier it gets.
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### Author:  [@Flamsterette\_X](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flamsterette_X)
#### Post date: [May 20, 2002, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/babelfish-is-cool/109893/19 "2002-05-20T22:47:39Z")
Let’s see what multiple translations do for my sig:
> [@](#):
>
> This life is the only one you get, so be careful with it!
>
> On the Hydro Flame Planet, nothing is as it seems… so watch yourself!
From English to French, and back again:
> [@](#):
>
> This life is the only one that you obtain, pays attention with it thus! On hydraulic planet of flame, nothing is while it seems… thus the watch yourself!
Translate that into Chinese, and back again:
> [@](#):
>
> This life is only 11 you obtains, gives the attention and it thus! In the flame water power planet, 无事 is when this seems… thus wristwatch you own!
Um… sure…
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### Author:  [@Milossarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Milossarian)
#### Post date: [May 21, 2002, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/babelfish-is-cool/109893/20 "2002-05-21T03:05:38Z")
Mere seconds ago, a person I occasionally chat with from Russia submitted this translated sentence to me, in response to the question, “How are you?”
> [@](#):
>
> Well
> I’m only give the coach of lamps and now I take the acceptance and unload
Oh. That’s good.
(???)