Google have always had a reasonably decent translation tool squirreled away on their website, and most recently they have added translations from English to Chinese Simplified, Arabic, Japanese and Korean.

The closest thing I get to a reliability metric is to paste a block of text in English, translate it, translate it back, and compare the generated text to the original. The first block of text I grabbed was from Skype’s website:

Skype Zones BETA is a little piece of software powered by Boingo that gives you access to Skype through thousands of Skype-friendly hot spots, while you’re on the move. So now when you’re at your favourite café or waiting quietly at the airport, you don’t have to count the tic-tac of your watch, instead you can just talk to your friends on Skype.

Translated to Chinese Simplified:

SkypeBETA区是一小片的动力Boingo软件,使您获得通过SkypeSkype数千友善的热点,同时进乔迁. 现在没事做在静静等待你喜爱的餐厅或机场,你必须要有算议会-交通咨询委员会你看,你刚才不是跟你的朋友就Skype.

And back again:

SkypeBETA district is a small piece of motivation Boingo software to enable you passed SkypeSkype thousands of friendly hot and chin on the move. With nothing better to do now at the airport waiting for your favorite restaurant or, you must have a Parliament-the Transport Advisory Committee you can see, you just do not like your friends on Skype.

Interesting outcome - definitely not a reliable measure, but it’s interesting to see where the meanings are being mangled.

Posted May 2nd, 2006 in google.