Terrestrial Translator

Translation software doesn't handle the diversityAllan T. El precio es un autor creativo que trabaja
of language, yet. However it will, which mayen M6. Red: ¿? la compañía
encourage both an expansion of English, and theacogedora web para los humanos. ¿? M6. La
growth of an easily-translatable 'meta-language'red trabaja duramente para ayudar a la
using words shared by and clearly understood byhumanidad a conocer el poder y la libertad de
most languages. Star Trek has a wonderful devicedesarrollar su propia parte de Internet, compartir
called the universal translator. It translates spokensu información y comunicar con alguien,
and written alien languages into English, and woulddondequiera, anytime.
probably translate different human languages, ifFinally, that Spanish version back into English:
there were more than one in that specificallyAllan T. The price is a creative author who works
created future. Though it doesn't know how toin M6. Network? The cozy web company for the
translate isolated foreign words like Russian orhuman beings? M6. The network works hardly to
French, it is a truly marvelous technology. Almosthelp the humanity to know the power and the
never fails. Never loses power, even when thefreedom of developing its own part of Internet,
rest of the ship does, same as the artificialsharing his information and communicating with
gravity. No moving parts, in fact, no parts at all. Itsomeone, anywhere, anytime. So, I become 'Le
is just 'around', always there, always doing its jobprix', 'El precio' or 'The Price'. Web-hosting
without anyone having to think about it. A little likebecomes 'cozy web', and 'anyone' becomes
the Internet is becoming now, just a banal fact of'someone'. On the whole, the meaning gets a little
life.mangled, but still survives.
Sadly, it is based on the false premise that wordsLet's use two more famous pieces of text and
in other languages have a one for one relationshipsee how they become after computer translation.
with words in English. That Turkish doesn't have'We consider these truths by itself to be
two words for 'know', and Russian doesn't haveunderstood, that all men are equally created, that
two words for 'Blue'. It dictates that languagesthey were subsidized with its founder the certain
don't have both an inclusive and an exclusive 'we'.rights not a subject sale which are under this life,
(We (inclus) = 'Me, you, and maybe other people'.freedom and prosecution Gappiness. - that to
we (exclus) = 'Me, and other person or peopleguarantee these rights, the governments are
excluding you'.) There is a false belief that allconstructed among men, its fair authorities of the
languages have only singular and plural constructs,consent adjusted allocating,''We of people of the
and not up to five categories. Some languagesUnited States to form more perfect association,
have dual as well as singular and plural, andwe appoint validity, we assure internal silence, we
different categories so 'every computer' clearlycare of the general protection, we promote the
means either 'every computer in sight' or itgeneral social security, and we guarantee approval
means 'every computer that exists, has existed,of freedom to ourselves and to our future
and ever will exist', but the two forms of 'everygeneration, you accept really and you base this
computer' can't be confused with each other.structure for the United States America.
We've started building our own 'universal'They're kind of close, but definitely not close to
translators' which naturally are on the Internet. Ibeing exactly the same.
can have paragraphs translated into French orThanks to the Internet, and improving translation
German, or from French to German. Or, I can getprograms, English speakers will soon realize the
whole websites in other languages translated fortrue diversity of other languages. It will become
me. I've never had a website translated, but Icommonly understood that you can have an
sometimes get phrases translated when I want ainclusive and an exclusive 'we', or dual and
fictional character to say something in anotheruniversal as well as singular and plural meanings.
language. I sometimes, just for fun, translateWe'll know that Turkish has two different words
something through two other languages and thenfor the English word 'know', seçmek - to
back into English to see how good onlineperceive or distinguish, and bilmek - to be
translations are getting. It is also to reassureinformed of or be aware of, and no word
myself that computers won't completely replacecovering both 'perceive' and 'be informed'. So if
humans in the next week or two.someone tells you in Turkish 'I know he stole it',
This is my standard signature block after ayou always know whether or not they witnessed
computer has translated it into French (usingthe crime, or were simply told who did it. Like
Original English version: Allan T. Price is a creativeEnglish speakers for a millennium or more, people
writer working at M6.will quietly 'mug' these other languages, and
Net: 'The web-hosting company for humans.''rummage around in their pockets' adding what
M6.Net is working hard to help humanitythey find useful to English. At the same time,
experience the power and freedom to developpeople all around the word might 'smooth' their
their own part of the Internet, to share theirlanguage out to make them easier for translation
information and connect with anyone, anywhere,software, choosing words that can be easily and
anytime.clearly translated into other languages. Eventually
Allan T. Le prix est un auteur créateurthis would create an easily shared, translated
travaillant sur M6. Filet: ?la compagnie accueillantemeta-language for International communication, at
web pour les humains.? M6. Le filet travailleleast when lawyers aren't involved. Plus, comedies
durement pour aider l'humanité àof the future can have people meet face-to-face
connaître le pouvoir et la liberté defor the first time and find they don't speak a
développer leur propre partie d'Internet,shared language. They could have the characters
partager leurs renseignements et communiquerstanding facing each other, sending auto-translated
avec quelqu'un, n'importe où, anytime.text messages via their palmtops while the
Now I get that French version translated intoaudience laughs at the incredibly zany situation.
Spanish: