Tuesday, January 24, 2023

A Technicolor Translation Experiment: How Much Gets Lost In Translation?

Native Translator
OK, so I have often wondered how accurate the Google translation app is. To put it to the test, I asked ChatGPT to create a 100 word story which I would then use Google to translate, translate and re-translate from English to Spanish to French to Dutch to German to Italian and then back to English. How similar would the final English version be to the first version of this story?

Well, I'd been carrying this idea in my head for some time now and I finally got around to it. The result was interesting, and with the exception of a minor blip the meaning of the story (for the most part) came through quite faithful to the original in intent.

Here's the story. Whatcha think?

* * * * *

FINDING ONESELF

Can you write a 100 words story about a man trying to find himself?


Once upon a time, there was a man who felt lost and alone. He didn't know who he was or what he wanted in life. He set out on a journey to find himself, traveling to different places and trying new things. He climbed mountains, swam in the ocean, and even volunteered at a homeless shelter. But no matter what he did, he still felt empty. One day, while sitting alone on a park bench, he had an epiphany. He realized that finding himself was not about external experiences, but rather looking within. He began to meditate and reflect on his past, his passions and his goals. He slowly discovered what truly made him happy, and thus he finally found himself. In this manner he became a man both confident and content with who he was.


SPANISH

ENCONTRARSE A SI MISMO

¿Puedes escribir una historia de 100 palabras sobre un hombre que intenta encontrarse a sí mismo?


Érase una vez un hombre que se sentía perdido y solo. No sabía quién era ni qué quería en la vida. Empezó un viaje para encontrarse a sí mismo, viajando a diferentes lugares y probando cosas nuevas. Escaló montañas, nadó en el océano e incluso se ofreció como voluntario en un refugio para personas sin hogar. Pero sin importar lo que hiciera, todavía se sentía vacío. Un día, mientras estaba sentado solo en un banco del parque, tuvo una epifanía. Se dio cuenta de que encontrarse a sí mismo no se trataba de experiencias externas, sino de mirar hacia adentro. Empezó a meditar y reflexionar sobre su pasado, sus pasiones y sus metas. Poco a poco descubrió lo que realmente lo hacía feliz, y así finalmente se encontró a sí mismo. De esta manera se convirtió en un hombre confiado y contento con quien era.


FRENCH

POUR SE TROUVER

Pouvez-vous écrire une histoire de 100 mots sur un homme essayant de se retrouver ?


Il était une fois un homme qui se sentait perdu et seul. Je ne savais pas qui j'étais ni ce que je voulais dans la vie. Il a commencé un voyage pour se retrouver, voyageant dans différents endroits et essayant de nouvelles choses. Il a escaladé des montagnes, nagé dans l'océan et a même fait du bénévolat dans un refuge pour sans-abri. Mais peu importe ce qu'il faisait, il se sentait toujours vide. Un jour, alors qu'il était assis seul sur un banc de parc, il eut une épiphanie. Il s'est rendu compte que se trouver n'était pas une question d'expériences extérieures, mais de regarder à l'intérieur. Il a commencé à méditer et à réfléchir sur son passé, ses passions et ses objectifs. Petit à petit, il a découvert ce qui le rendait vraiment heureux, et c'est ainsi qu'il s'est enfin retrouvé. De cette façon, il est devenu un homme confiant et satisfait de qui il était.


DUTCH

OM JEZELF TE VINDEN

Kun jij een verhaal van 100 woorden schrijven over een man die zichzelf probeert te vinden?


Er was eens een man die zich verloren en alleen voelde. Ik wist niet wie ik was of wat ik wilde in het leven. Hij begon een reis om zichzelf te vinden, reisde naar verschillende plaatsen en probeerde nieuwe dingen. Hij heeft bergen beklommen, in de oceaan gezwommen en zelfs vrijwilligerswerk gedaan in een opvangcentrum voor daklozen. Maar wat hij ook deed, hij voelde zich nog steeds leeg. Op een dag, terwijl hij alleen op een bankje in het park zat, kreeg hij een openbaring. Hij besefte dat zichzelf vinden geen kwestie was van uiterlijke ervaringen, maar van naar binnen kijken. Hij begon te mediteren en na te denken over zijn verleden, zijn passies en zijn doelen. Gaandeweg ontdekte hij wat hem echt gelukkig maakte, en zo vond hij uiteindelijk zichzelf. Op deze manier werd hij een man die zelfverzekerd en tevreden was met wie hij was.


GERMAN

UM SICH ZU FINDEN

Können Sie eine 100-Wörter-Geschichte über einen Mann schreiben, der versucht, sich selbst zu finden?


Es war einmal ein Mann, der sich verloren und allein fühlte. Ich wusste nicht, wer ich war oder was ich im Leben wollte. Er begann eine Reise, um sich selbst zu finden, reiste an verschiedene Orte und probierte neue Dinge aus. Er ist auf Berge geklettert, im Meer geschwommen und hat sich sogar freiwillig in einem Obdachlosenheim gemeldet. Aber egal was er tat, er fühlte sich immer noch leer. Eines Tages, als er alleine auf einer Parkbank saß, hatte er eine Erleuchtung. Er erkannte, dass es nicht um äußere Erfahrung ging, sich selbst zu finden, sondern darum, nach innen zu schauen. Er begann zu meditieren und über seine Vergangenheit, seine Leidenschaften und seine Ziele nachzudenken. Allmählich entdeckte er, was ihn wirklich glücklich machte, und so fand er schließlich zu sich selbst. Auf diese Weise wurde er ein selbstbewusster und zufriedener Mann mit dem, was er war.


ITALIAN

PER TROVARE SE STESSI

Puoi scrivere una storia di 100 parole su un uomo che cerca di trovare se stesso?


C'era una volta un uomo che si sentiva perso e solo. Non sapevo chi fossi o cosa volessi nella vita. Ha iniziato un viaggio per ritrovare se stesso, viaggiando in luoghi diversi e provando cose nuove. Ha scalato montagne, nuotato nell'oceano e si è persino offerto volontario in un rifugio per senzatetto. Ma qualunque cosa facesse, si sentiva ancora vuoto. Un giorno, mentre era seduto da solo su una panchina del parco, ebbe un'illuminazione. Si rese conto che trovare se stessi non riguardava l'esperienza esteriore, ma il guardarsi dentro. Ha iniziato a meditare e pensare al suo passato, alle sue passioni e ai suoi obiettivi. A poco a poco scoprì cosa lo rendeva davvero felice ed è così che finalmente si ritrovò, diventando così un uomo sicuro di sé e contento di quello che era.


ENGLISH --final version--

TO FIND YOURSELF

Can you write a 100 word story about a man trying to find himself?


Once upon a time there was a man who felt lost and alone. I didn't know who you were or what you wanted in life. He started a journey to find himself, traveling to different places and trying new things. He has climbed mountains, swum in the ocean, and even volunteered at a homeless shelter. But whatever he did, he still felt empty. One day, while sitting alone on a park bench, he had an epiphany. She realized that finding yourself wasn't about experiencing the outside, it was about looking inside. He started meditating and thinking about his past, his passions and his goals. Little by little he discovered what really made him happy and that's how he finally found himself, thus becoming a self-confident man and happy with who he was.


THE ORIGINAL STORY

Once upon a time, there was a man who felt lost and alone. He didn't know who he was or what he wanted in life. He set out on a journey to find himself, traveling to different places and trying new things. He climbed mountains, swam in the ocean, and even volunteered at a homeless shelter. But no matter what he did, he still felt empty. One day, while sitting alone on a park bench, he had an epiphany. He realized that finding himself was not about external experiences, but rather looking within. He began to meditate and reflect on his past, his passions and his goals. He slowly discovered what truly made him happy, and thus he finally found himself. In this manner he became a man both confident and content with who he was.



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