More…
*
Walloon, you pompous-assed psychonaut of Nazi of the grammar of prescriptivist
“the campaign announcing of the real Cancun”
that he is one attends a course in YOU, and one attends a course in you…and yes, one attends a course in YOU!
Osprey of beanses of the jar. Dave Winfield and Randy Johnson unavailable for the commentary
I have a new neighbor and I taste of it
wherein I do not start lightly vapor-grilled in the shower *
The opening paragraph of The Hitchhiker’s guide to the Galaxy, whence the term babelfish originated:
Distance outside in uncharted of the ponds of the unfashionable end of the Western arm in spiral of the lies of galaxy that small a unregarded yellow sun. To put into orbit this at a distance from roughly quatre-vingt-douze million miles is completely unimportant a small planet blue-green of which monkey- is descended the forms from the life is so much surprisingly primitive that they always think the numerical watches are a pretty ordered idea.
English to French and back.
quatre-vingt-douze <brain:accessing high-school french>
422?
quatre-vingt-douze <brain:accessing high-school french>
422? Babelfish - "four twenty twelve " which I guess would be 432? so I was out by 10.
Oddly enough, the actual number is originally ninety-three.
That’s “four score and twelve”, ninety-two. What’s a million miles or so among friends?
My own story, English to French to English (which worked fairly well) to Spanish to English:
It had adventures in transit in two winches of bus this week. It damages before back-A last that somebody finished the bus… whereas we seated down with a shutdown! How cannot you see a bus? At night I found a telephone of the cells yesterday to that somebody had left and given return him inside to the conductor. A pair of the minutes advanced more called the telephone of a shutdown inside some blocks before (I continued in the end of the line, therefore we moved behind.) The conductor drew in the shutdown, he gave the telephone behind, and obtained to be a hero! It is not that one ventures better?
(That first bit is about somebody rear-ending the bus as we sat at a stop. The rest is sort of understandable.)
Mary Had a Little Lamb, from the German:
Mary had a small lamb, was white its fleece as snow, and everywhere, that could be done to Mary, their lamb reliably was to be gone.
So whatever was done to Mary, the lamb could relied upon to abscond with itself… good to know.
Roses are Red from the Korean and back:
*The rose is deep-red, see the light the green onion lah all, the sugar sweetness lop are like that you c. *
A green onion?
But the best one is the first few lines of Nabokov’s Lolita…
*Lolita, my Sin, my heart. Lolita. The top of the language which takes a voyage of three stages to the cock, with three, on the teeth. *
Don’t ask me how the cock got onto the teeth… wait a minute…:smack:
I’ve bought electronic equipment that was made in Korea or Taiwan that came with manuals that looked exactly like they they run through babelfish like this. Let’s try it:
To the handguard which to the normality of hind part of transformation is high price with the Nokia under removing ten:00 bedspreads. This handguard bit in place. To dry cell battery contact regarding 1 thing the mote meter which it counts it inserts afterwords, u as remove the lever tool to on direct rectangular hole internal. When you see on rectangle hole internal, it spreads out, thay pu will see. If to the lower part of this tab and the lever your lever tool it arrives at upper direction, the handguard will break at the outside. The lever worker which is visible it acts and it is a L-shaped female wizard key which is small. The straightened the season company overcoat hanger works and well.
Which was this originally:
Remove the cover that has the Nokia logo at the top of the backside of the phone. This cover is snapped on place. Remove by inserting a pry tool about 1 centimeter inside the rectangular hole next to the battery contacts. If you look inside the rectangular hole, you will see a tab. Reach your pry tool under this tab, pry upwards and the cover will pop out. Pry tool shown is a small L-shaped hex key. A straightened wire coat hanger also works well.
English to Korean and back.
My day was very boring, so here’s the opening for Star Trek Tos translated into German then back:
Area, the locking border. These are the journeys starship of the enterprise. Their five-yearly mission: new worlds investigate, new life and civilizations select, over courageously to go where no man before went!
Finnegans Wake:
English->Chinese->English->French->German->English->Spanish->English->Japanese->English
This is English to German, back to English, to Spanish, then back to English again:
*I went to sleep for the approximately eleven night to this morning.For I, these absolutely unusual. My married man woke up me for above ignited on five thirty, because a friend had come to visit. We left to eat in a restaurant that the Applebys was called. I ate cheesesteak of sand-render Philly and Pommes Frites. We returned to house and we presented/displayed to our friend to the SDMB, that had been a subject of the discussion in the supper. He was approximately 1 in the morning, when one went away. I was the our memory of the store of twenty four especieros of the hour, oscillation of Harris and made the purchase of the weekly magazine. I came to house, cautious outside a small television with my married man, then behind I entered the straight lubricant. *
I can only imagine what the Bible originally said.
“I came to house, cautious outside a small television with my married man, then behind I entered the straight lubricant.”
BWAHAHAHAHA!!! 
(It originally read “I came back home, watched some television with my husband, then logged onto The Straight Dope.”)
Here is the same entry from above translated backwards, hopefully to the original:
I went sleeping, for night approximately eleven to this morning.For I, unusual these absolutely. My married man woke up me for above ignited in five thirty, because a friend had come to visit. We were even for the meal in a restaurant that the Applebys was designated. I ate cheesesteak am passed Philly and Pommes Frites. We returned to the house and to presented/displayed to our friend to the SDMB, of which we had been a topic of the discussion in the dinner. It was approximately 1 in the morning, when it left. It was that our memory of the camp of twenty four especieros the hour, oscillating motion of Harris and I locked the acquisition of the weekly subject. I came to contain, carefully outside of a small television with my married man, later behind me entered the straight lubricant.
It didn’t work.
Notice how, in the first one (above), I entered the straight lubricant. In this one, the lubricant is entering me!
BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
I have found my entertainment for the evening.
[ul]
[li]English: Out of sight, out of mind.[/li][li]Japanese: 心からの視力から, 。[/li][li]English: From vision from heart.[/li][/ul]
[ul]
[li]English: To be or not to be, that is the question.[/li][li]Korean: 이고기 위하여는또는 이지 않기 위하여, 저것은 질문 이다.[/li][li]English: And the flag it respects and in order not to be or intelligence, that is question.[/li][/ul]
[ul]
[li]English: Not at a little cost,[/li] Hardly by prayer or tears,
Shall we recover the road we lost
In the drugged and doubting years.
[li]Chinese: 不是于一点费用, 几乎不由祷告或泪花, 我们将恢复我们丢失了在服麻醉剂的和怀疑的岁月的路。[/li][li]English: Is not to one expense, nearly by does not pray or the tear, we will restore us lose in clothing anesthetic and the suspicion year road.[/li][/ul]
You can lead a horse to water but you cannot make it drink.
English => Japanese => English
**As for you as for you who can lead the horse to the water it is not possible to do the beverage to that. **
Not that these are not funny- But I could swear that when I first discovered the joys of babelfish it’s results were far funnier. I suspect they’ve ‘improved’ it since then. (in other words it comes up with slightly less bizare translations)
I’m feeling patriotic.
English - German - English - Chinese - English - Japanese - English:
i allegence pledge to American condition symbol symbol. And under republic God too, it stands, the country, all is free and justly as a result of indivisable.
English - Chinese - English:
Oh, the word can you look, by the daybreak early light, what our that arrogant underground hail finally glitters to the twilight? Who broad stripe and is bright —º¯, by way of this dangerous fight, O’er we watches, then gallantly flows out rampart? And the rocket red glare, the bomb bursts in the air, produced the proof by way of the night, our flag still was there. The O word, that vice- star glitters the banner waves the O’er freedom and family’s land is brave?
US critics might agree with the “arrogant underground hail” part!
Origional:
I woke up, showered and staggered to my car. After nearly slamming into the exit gate when I saw a neighbor trying to put on her stockings I had an uneventful trip to work.
It is hot and humid and the monkeys stink today. Luckilly the AC system is running in the BSL-3 so my elisa wasn’t too painful to do.
And now I sit, sit here and wait for the enzymes to react… I think I’m going to go play in the decon shower, it’s hotter than crap in here…
English -> French -> German -> French -> English -> Spanish -> English -> Portuguese -> English
I woke up, I spilled and with my car he doubted. Later that it has almost in gehnallt of the door, if I to come the attempt to a neighbor to put in the superior its arguments, I must work I have me a trip uneventful. It is warm, and it wet and the monkeys today puent. Luckilly that works system A.A. in Bsl-3 consequently, mine was not elisa too much last it to make. Now I place and one feels here for low and waits enzymes, to react… I think of I I will incorporate one econdusche of the game, it more with taste of that this crap for inside here…
Conclusions: Apparently the highly of my story, my near miss with the gate entrance has been removed by the language fairies. And there was much sorrow. However, to make things up to me there was an anti aircraft system install in the BSL-3…
From English to Italian and then back:
I have waked up a lot soon, in forecast of my last day of the codes category here to the university. In my first code category, I have had a test and was really hard. I do not know why it gives to such difficult tests the week to you before the exams. I suppose I must rifinire to regard the material. Then they have gone down to the self-service for lunch. They are seated to me with my friends and we have tradet the history approximately the codes category, until that it was not time for me to go to work. I have obtained domestic from job not too much along ago and hour I am stretching myself on the straight stimulant.
Original: I didn’t go to bed last night, instead I stayed up and drank coffee. I still haven’t slept. Oh dear!
From english > french > german > french > english
“I did not go the night spent, with the place of which I am different high and the coffee has the drinkable bed. I did not sleep yet. Expensive Oh!”
Here are some cliches translated from English to another language and back, using babelfish. I did these a few years ago, so you might not get the same results today:
English:
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
French:
A bird in the hand is worth the sorrow two in the bush.
German:
A bird in the HandIST two in the shrubs worth.
Portugese:
A bird in the hand valley penalty two in the shrub.
English:
Once burned, twice shy.
French:
Once that burned, twice timid.
German:
As soon as burned, twice shyly.
Portugese:
A time that burnt, two times shy.
English:
You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.
German:
They can lead a horse to the water, but you cannot form it for beverage.
Portugese:
You can lead to a horse to the water, but you cannot make to it drunk it.
Spanish:
You can lead a horse to the water, but you cannot do the drink to him.
English:
Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
French:
The absence makes the heart develop more affectionate.
Portugese:
The absence makes the heart to grow more become attached.
English:
Out of sight, out of mind.
French:
Out of the sight, of the spirit.
German:
From sight from understanding out.
Italian:
From sight, the mind.
Portugese:
Except of the sight, it are of the mind.
Spanish:
Outside Vista, the mind.
English:
You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.
French:
You cannot teach with an old dog of new turns.
German:
They cannot an old dog new cheat inform.
Italian:
You cannot teach to an old dog the new ones makes up.
English:
What goes around, comes around.
Portugese:
What it surrounds, comes around.
English:
When it rains, it pours.
Portugese:
When it rains, special tax.
English:
It’s always darkest before the dawn.
French:
It is always darkest before the paddle.
English:
An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
French:
An apple per day maintains the doctor left.
Portugese:
An apple one the day keeps the absent doctor.
English:
A stitch in time saves nine.
French:
A point in time backs up nine.
German:
An attaching in the time protects nine.
English:
Better late than never, but better never late.
French:
Better late than never, but never improve late.
German:
Improve late as never, but you improve never late.
Italian:
To never improve in delay that, but to never improve in delay.
Portugese:
It improves late of that never, but it improves never late.
Spanish:
Improve late that never, but it never improves late.
English:
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
French:
Nothing dared, anything gained.
Portugese:
It swims risky, nothing profit.
English:
The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
French:
The spirit is laid out, but the flesh is weak.
Italian:
The spirit is arranged, but the meat is weak person.
Portugese:
The spirit is made use, but the meat is weak.
Spanish:
The alcohol is arranged, but the meat is weak.
English:
Neither a borrower nor a lender be.
German:
Neither are a borrower still another credit-giving place.
English:
Penny-wise and pound-foolish.
French:
Penny-wise and deliver-idiot.
German:
Penny-intelligently and lbs stupidly.
Italian:
pound-foolish Penny-test and.
Portugese:
Currency of a cent-scholar and pound-pound-foolish.
Spanish:
free-absurd Penny-wise person and.
English:
Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.
French:
Do not count your chickens before they chop.
Italian:
Not to count yours before polli that they brood.
Portugese:
It does not count its hens before they shock.
Spanish:
It does not count its chickens before they plot.
English:
Still waters run deep.
French:
Water functions always deeply.
Italian:
Still the waters work in depth.
Portugese:
Still the waters function deeply.
Spanish:
Still the waters are executed deeply.
English:
When the cat’s away, the mice will play.
French:
When the left cat, the mice plays.
German:
If the away cat, which plays mice.
English:
Discretion is the better part of valor.
Portugese:
The discretion is the part best of the value.
English:
Better safe than sorry.
Spanish:
A strong box better than grieved.
English:
Every cloud has a silver lining.
French:
After the rain beautiful time.
German:
Each cloud has a silver fodder.
English:
Hope springs eternal.
Spanish:
The eternal loose hope.