The Babel fish thread

Zaph

According to the Guide, the Babel fish is small, yellow and leech-like, and probably the oddest thing in the Universe. It goes on to say that the poor Babel fish, by effectively removing all barriers to communication between different races and cultures, has ccaused more and bloodier wars than anything else in the history of creation.

What it doesn't say is that Yahoo call their online translation service Babel fish. However, does it really make things easier, or is it likely to be the cause of WWIII? To put it to the test I tried the following simple phrase:

The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy is my favourite book of all time.

Which I then translated into Dutch:

De gids van Lifters voor de Melkweg is mijn favoriet boek van al tijd.

And then French:

Le guide des autos-stoppeur pour la galaxie est déjà mon livre favori du temps.

Followed by Italian:

La guida del autos-stoppeur per la galassia è già il mio libro favorito del tempo.

And finally back to English:

The guide of the autos-stoppeur for the galaxy is already my favorite book of the time.


So, will this translation tool save mankind from itself in the future, or will we all get so confused that killing all foreigners is the only solution? Post your Babel fish gibberish here.

Goodshape

"I really like the french and don't want to start a war with them at all."

from english... to spanish... to french... to english... to dutch... to french.. and back to english again :

"J' ; truly if the taste of the French has and don' ; ; T wants to start absolutely with a war with them."

eek.

johnnyskeleton

Zaphod is just this guy, you know?

into French:

Zaphod est juste ce type, savez-vous ?

into Spanish:

¿Zaphod es justo este tipo, sabe?

back into English:

Zaphod is right east type, knows?

Hours of fun. By the way, when did the HHG2G forum appear? I remember searching for one before but there wasn't one.

takola

johnnyskeleton wrote: »

By the way, when did the HHG2G forum appear? I remember searching for one before but there wasn't one.

I requested one a couple of weeks ago. Zaff got it for us in the end!

Steve

According to the googlefish:

The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy is my favourite book of all time.

= ヒッチハイカーガイドして銀河が私のお気に入りの本のすべての時間です。in Japanese.

= HITCHIHAIKAGAIDO the galaxy is my favorite books of all time.

:D:D:D:D

Now you know you know why they have cameras.

Steve

takola wrote: »

I requested one a couple of weeks ago. Zaph got it for us in the end!

FYP.

Lucky it wasn't marvin, you'd never hear the end of it.

takola

Bah. You know nothing Steve! Nothing! :mad:

It's Zaff. Always will be. Don't fight it. It's pointless!

nkay1985

takola wrote: »

Bah. You know nothing Steve! Nothing! :mad:

It's Zaff. Always will be. Don't fight it. It's pointless!

Check this out. In keeping with Tak's little mission and also on-topic :cool:

It rhymes with safe, dammit.

Into Dutch...then French...then English:

he rhyme with the fire cupboard, dammit :eek:

Zaph

SteveC wrote: »

FYP.

Long story there Steve, even I've given up at this stage

Tzetze

Kurzweil and Co. are working on embedding software 'babelfishes' into our mobile phones. Won't be long 'til all of us Westerners will have a babelfish in our pockets. How long til phone and fish become embedded in our ears?

Zaph

Interesting, although I think I'd rather have a phone embedded than a fish.

leninbenjamin

Zaphod Beeblebrox is a c*nt.

english->Greek->French->German->French->Portugese->Chinese Simplified->Chinese trad->English

think there are some others i'm forgetting...

but anyway: the finale (I quite like it)

Some beeblebroxzaphod vaginal orifice 絕 right.

mike65

So long and thanks for all the fish >

Zo lang en dank voor alle vissen >

Et le remerciement si long pour tous poissons >

Und der so lange Dank für alle Fische >

And the so long thanks for all fish

Not bad! There will be no war.

Mike.

MOH

Zaph wrote: »

So, will this translation tool save mankind from itself in the future, or will we all get so confused that killing all foreigners is the only solution? Post your Babel fish gibberish here.

I posed your question to Bablefish, and following your lead translated it back to English via Dutch, French, and Italian.

The result is worrying. I fear war. Unless we can find some alien dead women.

"Thus, this vertaalhulpmiddel saves thus a lot l' humanity s' to l' future, or they esserciconfusci that the dead women of any alien are l' only solution? Yours thus brabbeltaal it sends here Babelfish."

New Home

Here it is. Funny, I thought it'd look different.

https://www.pigsback.com/en-ie/offer/423124/jy

Steve

Eventually it'll all come true.

Hope I'm still around to see it.

New Home

Not the dolphins, though... Or the poor whale...

I'd like to meet Marvin, though, he's my kindred spirit.

Steve

New Home wrote: »

Not the dolphins, though... Of the poor whale...

I'd like to meet Marvin, though, he's my kindred spirit.

You think you could deal with his manic depression?

# carbonfiber artificial lives matter...

New Home

I don't consider that manic depression, I consider that realism. :pac:

Steve

Marvin would disagree...

s1ippy

New Home wrote: »

Here it is. Funny, I thought it'd look different.

https://www.pigsback.com/en-ie/offer/423124/jy

I would give my left leg to be able to travel right now knowing that this exists.

I would be in Spain right now

Except I learned Spanish, so I wouldn't really need it there...

But I'd probably whip it out for the novelty.

Steve wrote: »

Marvin would disagree...

New Home

See? Realism.

New Home