Translation Party

Our friends the McCollums introduced us the website translationparty.com. They say it is like playing the telephone game with Japanese translators. The website seeks to achieve "equilibrium" by translating a phrase from English to Japanese to English until it translates exactly the same way twice. I played with it this morning and got these funny translations:

First, started out with:
The small cats are sleeping on the big desk.
(They are both right here, sleeping on my desk, taking up all the desk space.)

After 5 translations ended up as:
The big cat kitten sleeping in a desk.

Baxter is definitely a big cat kitten, but there is no sleeping in a desk around here.


Next, started out with:
Yesterday's activity went well, except for the missing babysitters.
(This was on my mind because the most of the YW we asked to watch the children during yesterday's RS enrichment meeting never showed up.)

After 5 translations ended up as:
Sitting outside nocturnal unknown.

That one doesn't make any sense to me. Any ideas from you guys?


Next, sarted out with:
The Linguistics department secretary responded quickly to my email.
(Obviously, I have been emailing the department secretary lately.)

After 13 translations became:
Email, email, email is the language of my office.

That is kind of deep and philosophical.

One more. This time, I will show each step the translator makes.
Started out with:
To be or not to be, that is the question.

First translation: May not be a problem or
Second translation: Month and not 5 issues
Equilibrium reached: Instead of this month, 5 issues.

I don't really know were "month" came from. But I think Shakespeare would be interested in having his entire play translated. Definitely.


What funny translations!