Using tranlators

Question

Hi,

I have the requirement to send emails in Spanish. What I have been doing is taking the translated spanish (using google) and reverse translating it back to english. I then tune the Spanish (very time consuming) so the english output makes sense to me. I find that the him/hers are often reversed as well as the odd word missing or just wrong.

I understand translators aren't perfect but I am going about this all wrong? Should I leave the original translation alone and just change the odd word that I really feel is wrong?

Thanks!

Answer 1

I would not trust a translator to check your Spanish. Many times the translator will affirm that a sentence is correct when it is absolute gibberish to a native. I would suggest you rely on your best knowledge and other Spanish-speaking natives "(SpanishDict has many helpful people), as well as dictionaries and phrasebooks. Not only that, you learn faster and better this way, making your reliance on a translator diminish.

Welcome to the forum!

Thanks for the response. I think I will continue with the translator until I grasp more of the language otherwise I will be on here asking way too many questions. je je je - easygoin, Mar 25, 2010

Answer 2

I agree with Renaerules. Even the best translator software available is only good for "general gist" interpretation. Nothing today will give you reliable translation, and the problem definitely gets compounded if you attempt to "reverse translate". You can always tell when something is the product of an automated translator, because even in the best cases, the results are odd and unnatural.