Google translate VS DeepL

I tried to do a quick translation experiment,
because a while ago I realized, that google translate is much better in
translating German to English than I am,
which was a bit of a shock in the beginning,
because I can remember times when machine translations have been really bad.

“Diesen an sich unnötigen, absichtlich etwas langen und verschachtelten Text,
schreibe ich, um testen zu können,
wie sich meine eigenen Übersetzungen und die von google translate
nach englisch und japanisch, in den jeweiligen Sprachen, voneinander unterscheiden.”

my translation:

I write this not really necessary text intentionally long and nested,
in order to be able to compare the difference between my own translation and
that of google translate to Japanese and English respectively.

google translate:

This in itself unnecessary, intentionally somewhat long and nested text,
I write to be able to test how my own translations and those of google translate
according to English and Japanese, in the respective languages, differentiate from each other.

my translation:

この基本的に不要な態と長くて、
ネスト構想のある文章を書いた理由が
自分とgoogle翻訳の英語と日本語の翻訳をそれぞれ比較できるためである。

google translate:

これ自体は不要で、意図的にやや長く、ネストされたテキストです。
私はテストできるように書きます
私自身の翻訳とグーグルの翻訳がどのように翻訳されるか
英語と日本語によると、それぞれの言語で、お互いを区別します。

Conclusion:

I am better in Japanese than in English,
or, my English is even worse than my Japanese…

2 Likes

For fun, here’s how DeepL handles the German to English:

I am writing this unnecessary, intentionally somewhat long and convoluted text to be able to test how my own translations and those of google translate into English and Japanese, in the respective languages, differ from each other.

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Google’s not bad at European languages, but it sucks at Japanese. Try https://www.deepl.com/ instead - it’s not perfect, but it’s better.

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What brought you to that conclusion?

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In my impression my Japanese translation makes more sense than the translation from google.

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Maybe that’s the case… I guess I would still put your English translation above your Japanese translation.

The Japanese Google translation has some strange word choices, but no real grammar issues. Your Japanese translation has some grammatical mistakes that machine translators tend not to introduce.

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Thank you for the tip, I did not know it because I usually avoid this type of translations.
However it is fun to play with translating back and forth with google translate:

The Road Not Taken

Summary

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

iteration 1:

Summary

とられていない道

黄色い森の中で分岐した2本の道、
そして申し訳ありませんが私は両方を旅行することができませんでした
そして一人の旅行者になりなさい、長い間私は立っていた
そして、私ができる限り1つを見下ろしました
下草で曲がったところまで。

次に、他の人も同じように公平に取りました。
そしておそらくより良い主張を持っている、
それは草が茂っていて、着たいと思ったからです。
それはそこを通過するのに
それらを本当にほぼ同じように着用していました、

そしてその朝は両方とも等しく横たわっていた
葉では、黒を踏んだステップはありませんでした。
ああ、私は別の日のために最初を保ちました!
しかし、道がどのように道につながるかを知っている、
私は戻ってくるべきかどうか疑問に思いました。

ため息をついてこれを伝えます
どこかで年齢とそれ故に年齢:
2本の道が森の中で分岐しました。
旅の少ない方を連れて行って、
そして、それがすべての違いを生みました。

Untaken road

Two roads branching in the yellow forest,
And sorry I couldn’t travel both
And be a traveler, for a long time I stood
And I looked down on one as much as I could
To the point where it bends in the undergrowth.

Then others took it fairly as well.
And probably have a better claim,
It’s because the grass is overgrown and I wanted to wear it.
It goes through there
I wore them really much the same,

And that morning both lay equally
On the leaves, there were no steps to step on black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
But I know how the road leads to the road,
I wondered if I should come back.

Sigh and tell this
Age somewhere and therefore age:
Two roads diverged in the woods.
Take the one with less travel,
And that made all the difference.

iteration 2:

Summary

未踏の道

黄色い森に分岐する2本の道、
そして申し訳ありませんが私は両方を旅行することができませんでした
そして旅行者になって、長い間私は立っていました
そして、私はできる限り1つを見下ろしました
下草で曲がるところまで。

それから他の人もそれを公正に受け止めました。
そしておそらくより良い主張があります、
草が生い茂っていて、着たかったからです。
そこを通り抜けます
私はそれらをほとんど同じように着ていました、

そしてその朝は両方とも等しく横たわっていた
葉の上には、黒を踏むステップはありませんでした。
ああ、私は別の日のために最初を保ちました!
しかし、私は道路が道路にどのようにつながるかを知っています、
私は戻ってくるべきかどうか疑問に思いました。

ため息をついてこれを伝えます
どこかの年齢、したがって年齢:
森の中で2本の道が分岐した。
旅行の少ないものを取り、
そして、それがすべての違いを生みました。

Unexplored road

Two roads that branch into the yellow forest,
Interpretable
On the way back i had this
, I took down another one
Bend in the undergrowth.

Then please like it for others.
You can do it better, you can do it
The grass was overgrown and I wanted to wear it.
Is it
I wore to come,

This is the return morning
Hadoka, there was no way to step on black.
Oh, I was on another day!
Or I know if the road is on the road,
I also got sick.

I’m breathing more and more
Where and from now on:
Forest House Two roads diverged.
Call things for travel,
It gave birth to a thankful reference.

iteration 3:

Summary

未踏の道

黄色い森に分岐する2本の道、
解釈可能
帰りに私はこれを持っていました
、私は別のものを降ろしました
下草を曲げます。

それなら他の人にも気に入ってください。
あなたはそれをより良くすることができます、あなたはそれをすることができます
草が生い茂っていたので着たかった。
それは…ですか
私は来て着ていました、

これは帰りの朝です
はどか、黒を踏む方法はありませんでした。
ああ、私は別の日にいました!
または、道路が道路上にあるかどうかを知っています、
私も病気になりました。

私はますます呼吸しています
どこで、そしてこれから:
フォレストハウス2本の道路が分岐しました。
旅行のために物事を呼ぶ、
それはありがたい参照を生み出しました。

Unexplored road

Two roads that branch into the yellow forest,
Interpretable
On the way back i had this
, I took down another
Bend the undergrowth.

Then please like it to others.
You can make it better, you can do it
I wanted to wear it because it was overgrown with grass.
Is it …
I came and wore

This is the morning of my return
There was no way to step on black.
Oh, I was on another day!
Or know if the road is on the road,
I also got sick.

I’m breathing more and more
Where and from now on:
Forest House Two roads have branched.
Call things for a trip,
It has produced a thankful reference.

iteration 4:

Summary

未踏の道

黄色い森に分岐する2本の道、
解釈可能
帰りに私はこれを持っていました
、私は別のものを降ろした
下草を曲げます。

それなら他の人にも気に入ってください。
あなたはそれをより良くすることができます、あなたはそれをすることができます
草が生い茂っていたので着たかったです。
それは…ですか …
来て着ました

これは私の帰りの朝です
黒を踏む方法はありませんでした。
ああ、私は別の日にいました!
または、道路が道路上にあるかどうかを確認します。
私も病気になりました。

私はますます呼吸しています
どこで、そしてこれから:
フォレストハウス2本の道路が分岐しています。
旅行のために物事を呼び出す、
ありがたい参考になりました。

Unexplored road

Two roads that branch into the yellow forest,
Interpretable
On the way back i had this
, I dropped another
Bend the undergrowth.

Then please like it to others.
You can make it better, you can do it
I wanted to wear it because the grass was overgrown.
Is it …?
Came and wore

This is my return morning
There was no way to step on black.
Oh, I was on another day!
Or check if the road is on the road.
I also got sick.

I’m breathing more and more
Where and from now on:
Forest House Two roads branch off.
Call things for a trip,
Thank you for your reference.

iteration 5:

Summary

未踏の道

黄色い森に分岐する2本の道、
解釈可能
帰りに私はこれを持っていました
、私は別のものを落としました
下草を曲げます。

それなら他の人にも気に入ってください。
あなたはそれをより良くすることができます、あなたはそれをすることができます
草が生い茂っていたので着たかったです。
それは…ですか …?
来て着た

これは私の帰りの朝です
黒を踏む方法はありませんでした。
ああ、私は別の日にいました!
または、道路が道路上にあるかどうかを確認します。
私も病気になりました。

私はますます呼吸しています
どこで、そしてこれから:
フォレストハウス2本の道路が分岐しています。
旅行のために物事を呼び出す、
ご参考いただきありがとうございます。

(same from here)

Result:

Unexplored road

Two roads that branch into the yellow forest,
Interpretable
On the way back i had this
, I dropped another
Bend the undergrowth.

Then please like it to others.
You can make it better, you can do it
I wanted to wear it because the grass was overgrown.
Is it …?
Came and wore

This is my return morning
There was no way to step on black.
Oh, I was on another day!
Or check if the road is on the road.
I also got sick.

I’m breathing more and more
Where and from now on:
Forest House Two roads branch off.
Call things for a trip,
Thank you for your reference.

I like it better than the original :rofl:

I am sure you can translate it better!

I’ll have to learn German first :slight_smile:

4 Likes

Please don’t!
You would realize that the initial sentence already is a bit questionable…
I realized that, that’s why I repeated the test with input not coming from myself.

I’ve been interested in it at various times… but I always get scared off by the quirks of European languages. Pronunciation, gendered words, etc.

1 Like

I can imagine, a lot of irrational things have accumulated in European languages, I think English is the most rational.

Much better, thank you.

I repeated the experiment with the poem in Deep L,
and the result is:

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in the yellow forest.
Unfortunately, I could not travel both.
It’s a pity I couldn’t be the only traveler.
I kept my eyes on one path.
Until that road bent in the underbrush.

Then I chose the other path, just as fair.
Then I chose another path, just as fair.
For it was grassy and worn.
But those who pass through there
But by going through there, it was actually worn out too.

That morning, both were lying the same way
That morning, both were lying the same way, but not a single step had been trodden in black.
Oh, how I wish I’d saved the first step for another day!" .
But the path leads to the road, doesn’t it?
I wondered if I could ever come back.

I would tell this story with a sigh.
Somewhere far away from now.
Two paths diverged in the forest, and I .
I took the road less traveled.
It made all the difference.

I think this is amazingly good altogether and DeepL also kept the original title after translating back and forth several times.
But if I want to create a Dadaistic poem, I will stick to google translate, I like especially the fact, that the end of the original and the google translation is a rhyme:

And that has made all the difference -
Thank you for your reference.

Can definitely second this. I often use it. It actually writes better Japanese to English translations than I come up with :joy:.

Except when it randomly decides to skip half of the sentence, because tl;dr I guess :stuck_out_tongue:

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Sometimes it’s the opposite, though. Yesterday I was translating a sentence from a book with some setting-specific details and it filled in the bits I haven’t copied over. Magic!

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Yeah. Whatever the case, IMO deepl cannot be trusted too much when it comes to Japanese, because it will always strive to output some readable English - but wheter it’s accurate or not is an entirely different matter. Sometimes it will randomly skip half of your input, while the other time it will randomly guess the context, but if the user doesn’t know Japanese, they’ll be clueless.

That overall randomness is the worst.

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Or repeat the translation of the previous sentence, which I’ve seen on occasion.

Aye, it heavily emphasises smooth-sounding English over an accurate translation, so if you’ve written nonsense Japanese, you’d never be able to tell from the output.

Garbage In, Perfectly Sensible English (But Probably The Wrong English) Out.

Still better than Google, though, which quite often seems to be just guessing at random, especially when the sentence is pretty kana-heavy.

8 Likes

I’ve had some fun trying to test how Deepl works. It’s insistence on producing natural English from nonsense is precious. I’ve tried to make sense of some complex Japanese sentences by deleting parts of them and looking to see how the translation changes, but that doesn’t always help, because Deepl insists on a natural translation versus accuracy, sometimes adding in details that just aren’t there. Spelling and grammar mistakes in the original are glossed over. I’ve read of cases where even basic stuff like dates were translated wrong. I’ve come to the conclusion that the way it works is, it’s been fed a huge amount of Japanese text along with its translation, and then it just looks for pattern similarities and copies whole translations from its database, even if they don’t fit 100%. Most of the time its translations are uncannily good, but sometimes you just wonder what’s wrong with it.

Google on the other hand, I never use for Japanese at all. I don’t even read Japanese on my Android phone, even though I’d like to, because the only dictionary I’ve been able to use with Bookwalker is Google translate, and I just can’t stand it. If someone knows how to use a different dictionary with Bookwalker on Android, please, please let me know.

1 Like