“Learn Chinese everywhere!” This saying is not a slogan, but means that learning Chinese can be happening everywhere if you immerse yourself enough in the process of studying. When you were reading the daily newspaper, have you ever tried to translate those headlines or ads into Chinese?
Now is strawberry season and when I flipped through the newspaper a few days ago, I saw this advertizement with mouth watering bright red strawberries in a little delicate green basket with the caption that promotes:
” What’s your signature strawberry dish? No matter what the recipe, you know the star is that one key ingredient: the freshest, sweetest, juiciest strawberries. 1 lb. strawberries 2 for $ 4.”
These are my translation:
[audio:http://www.chinesetolearn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/listen-to63.mp3|titles=listen to]
你最具有代表性的草莓餐点是什么？无论是什么食谱，你知道其中主要成分的名星是：最新鲜，最甜美，汁最多的草莓。1磅份草莓两份卖4美元。
nǐ zuìjùyǒu dàibiǎoxìng de cǎoméi cān diǎn shì shénme ? wúlúnshì shénme shípǔ , nǐ zhīdào qí zhōng zhǔyāochéngfēn de míng xīng shì : zuì xīn xiān , zuì tiánměi , zhī zuìduō cǎoméi . yī bàng fèn cǎoméi liǎng fèn mài sì Měiyuán .
Then, the next page I saw was an even brighter and redder tomato with ads says:
” Red tomatoes on the vine. Have you tried to make fresh salsa? It’s easy. Just chop fresh tomatoes, onions and cilantro. Mix and diced green chiles, a clove of garlic and a squeeze of lime juice. Add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!”
[audio:http://www.chinesetolearn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/listen-to64.mp3|titles=listen to]
藤上的红番茄。你尝试做过新鲜辣茄酱吗？做这很容易。只要切新鲜的蕃茄， 洋葱和香菜。调匀后加上绿辣椒切粒，一颗大蒜并挤些莱姆汁。加上盐和胡椒增加味道。享用！
téng shàng de hóng fān . nǐ chángshì zuò guò xīnxiān là jiā jiàng ma ? zuò zhè hěn róngyì. zhǐyào qiē xīnxiān de fānqié , yángcōng hé xiāngcài . diàoyún hòu jiāshàng lǜ làjiāo qiē lì , yīkēdàsuàn bìng jǐ xiē láimǔzhī . jiāshàng yán hé hújiāo zēngjiā wèidao . xiǎng yòng !
Then I wondered how Google translate would do, and the following is what I found:
“什么是你的签名草莓菜无论什么配方，你知道明星是一个关键因素：最新鲜，最甜美，最丰厚的草莓1磅草莓4美元。”
“藤上的红番茄。尝试新鲜莎莎？很容易。就砍新鲜的西红柿，洋葱和香菜。混合和切粒绿辣椒，1大蒜丁香和紧抱一下石灰汁。添加盐和胡椒的味道享受！”
For the strawberry one, it got general idea about the passage. However, the word juiciest did not get translated properly. For two for four dollars in the second ads, the “two” got omitted here. For 紧抱一下石灰汁 it goes: tightly hold calcium oxide juice a short while. Do you like that passionate translation?
There was once, I was doing a translation on a very famous Chinese proverb
[audio:http://www.chinesetolearn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/listen-to65.mp3|titles=listen to]
复有诗书气自华。(fù yǒu shī shū qì zì huá. ) The literal meaning of the proverb should be something similar to:
If within a person has poetry and books, then the person’s temperament should naturally be gracious. It implies that as long as the person read a lot of poems and books, the person’s appearance, talking will naturally be cultivated and turned out nicely.Thus, the standard translation of this proverb is either “Knowledge makes a gentleman” or “Reading makes a man graceful”. However, if you check Google translate, then its translation goes: “Complex has poetry and gas from China.” Ha Ha you might say?
So, based on the short analysis on a few passages’ translation, we should know that Google translate is a good reference tool, but we should use it with caution. Whenever has doubt, we should get the second opinion. It can be either from a dictionary or from a native speaker. Have you ever encountered any ridiculous or silly translation from Google translate? We would love to hear them:)
Strawberry Avalanche- Owl City music video & lyrics