Pack-saddles to listen
After reading this Italian blog review of The Nines, I’m convinced that the translation technology behind Babelfish is actually Icelandic singer Björk.
I confess. They are remained struck by lightning from the film The Nines, of which for other I do not have news regarding the distribution in Italy. To the foreign country it is already exited in DVD. Which thing has of special The Nines?
Beh, is an independent film that it knows to astonish with one apparently simple weft, but much deep one. Three episodes in which the same actors they interpret various parts, in some way tied. It will be only discovered to the end. A film that leaves numerous interrogated to you and that it deserves of being discussed and see again.
Which thing alloy The Nines to the net? The director and scripteriter of the film, John August, have a blog. In its blog he has published the audio comment to the film, bonus that in kind he only finds himself on the DVD, free of charge. He has commented the escape of the film in the exchange circuits rows with sobrietà , convinced that it is only a good for the film that is seen and that if of it speaks.
In order to promote the film it has been opportunely launch a competition in order to realize a trailer beginning from “social” some material puttinges to disposition of the navigators. The sonorous column is simply sublime. Pack-saddles to listen to the topic of Alex Wurman in order to convince itself. In Italy, but that it has participated to the Festival of Venice 2007, probably nobody has seen this film and is a true sin. It deserves.
UPDATE: The original author noticed the link, and wrote up his own English translation.
Articles
February 15th, 2008 at 6:46 am
Try this:
http://www.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pandemia.info%2Fpost%2F1765043.html&langpair=it%7Cen&hl=en&ie=UTF8
February 15th, 2008 at 7:02 am
Just as a point of reference: I woke up WITHOUT a headache this morning. Unfortunately, that ship sailed after reading that review.
On numerous occasions I have tried to use online translators to try and make sense of foriegn language messages/e-mail/comments I have received and in every case I have gotten results similar to yours. This leads me to believe that the automated translators are far from ready for primetime.
February 15th, 2008 at 7:04 am
Four knives I give it! With such churning! Grand scheme!
February 15th, 2008 at 7:22 am
I just got of the phone with Björk, she said although she does a lot of work for Babelfish this particular piece was done by Yoda.
February 15th, 2008 at 7:30 am
I always tell my students if you don’t understand something, skip it and pay attention to what you do understand.
“probably nobody has seen this film and is a true sin. It deserves.”
That’s all you really need to know, right?
Last time I went to Blockbuster on Larchmont they were completely out of copies.
February 15th, 2008 at 7:52 am
That’s why professional translators will never go out of business!
The short version, which I’m sure you’ve already figured out, is that the blogger was captivated by this film and is dismayed that it hasn’t been more widely discussed and distributed. I could do the longer version for you, if you’re interested.
“Sonorous column” should be the title of your next movie.
February 15th, 2008 at 9:39 am
I love that broken English. Like reading a manual for anything out there made in China.
February 15th, 2008 at 9:51 am
It’s okay, John. Don’t let the translation weird you out. We all know which thing has of special about you.
February 15th, 2008 at 10:21 am
What I also love about the Babelfish translations is using the utility and then translating the piece back to its original language. It can only get better.
February 15th, 2008 at 11:07 am
The cinema was if misfiring if revision, which as a misfiring if this comment was.
The original comment: “The movie was as confusing as the review, which was as confusing as this comment” was put thro the babelfish translator in the order of English->German–>Dutch->French back to English (I think), and the crux was lost in translation.
Befittingly
February 15th, 2008 at 11:42 am
And there’s the title of your autobiography.
February 15th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
I just saw The Nines the other day and that review is spot on. Sounds like they’re rating it 4 out of 5 meatballs. I wonder what they thought of Big Fish?
February 15th, 2008 at 12:44 pm
I agree with Frank that this gave me a little bit of a headache from straining to try to comprehend it. But it was worth the effort on entertainment factor. My one thought is that you’re blaming Babelfish for a whacked-out translation but perhaps it is an exact translation of an whacked-out blogger?
February 15th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
It’s easy to make fun of, but the translation added a sense of stark, doe eyed wonder to the review’s tone that’s hard not to like.
Which thing alloy The Nines to the net? He has commented the escape of the film in the exchange circuits rows with sobrietà , convinced that it is only a good for the film that is seen and that if of it speaks. The sonorous column is simply sublime. It will be only discovered to the end.
There is a kind of poetry in that.
February 15th, 2008 at 3:04 pm
I think it actually works quite well… I mean, you get the gist of what the reviewer is saying, no? More than if you read the review in Italian I bet.
February 15th, 2008 at 4:15 pm
the power of instant world wide communication: the author has already translated the piece for you!
http://luca.wordpress.com/
February 15th, 2008 at 4:54 pm
It sounds like the neighborhood spastic translated that after a bad batch of heroin. But at least it’s positive nature shined through like a ray of ball stroking awesome.
February 15th, 2008 at 5:34 pm
email or post it in italian and i’ll translate it. i live in rome. least i can do…***i mean, cancel that.
February 15th, 2008 at 11:17 pm
He seemed worried about his own translation, but I think the blogger did a much better job…
February 16th, 2008 at 12:34 am
So, that’s what the “Nines” is really about. I was rather confused after watching the movie and now I know.
February 16th, 2008 at 8:14 am
Is much bursting on heart. I am exit a theater with sorrows. A cat to pet.
February 16th, 2008 at 9:36 am
John - I’m a big fan and I respect your work, so I say the following with love. I watched The Nines the other day and sad to say, I didn’t get it, man. I thought it was semi entertaining/quirky, but when a friend asked me what it was about - I couldn’t tell him! I got as far as… “Well… it’s about this guy…. yeah…” Anyway, maybe it’s just me ’cause it looks like everyone else “gets it.” Glad you guys are back to work - God knows you need the practice… just kidding.
February 16th, 2008 at 11:51 am
Translator of yahoo-pipes can automate this
February 16th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
It’s almost like a Boris & Natasha deal….is looking for moose and squirrel in tree…
February 16th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
Stelios, Thanks for the luca. link. That was great. We Americans are much too quick to criticize when we need to spend more of our effort trying to realize. Sidney/SydrycalWorks
February 17th, 2008 at 9:31 pm
It is a direct word translator. It unfortunately doesn’t grasp synonyms nor slang. On top of that, it does not adjust for grammatical structure differences. Some languages are better than others, some are so vastly different, that your brain starts trying to beat it’s way out of your skull in an attempt to escape. Asian languages in relation to european languages.
Occasionally, I can tell when there is a mistranslation, then have to search for the various meanings a certain line of context can have. Then again, you get the same academically. Beowulf, for instance or Perhaps the Interlinear translation of the Gallic Wars from Cambridge Press. Either way, you can usually look and say, but not only is word X a synonym for the word they used in the translation, it also is close to the word that is on the page. I often wonder why there aren’t MORE wars just due to bad translations.
February 18th, 2008 at 9:19 am
I recently bought a watch that came with directions that were apparently translated to English by Babelfish. I still don’t know how the watch works, but have gotten much enjoyment from reading the instructions out loud at parties.
February 18th, 2008 at 11:56 am
Scott: The directions on your watch were actually translated by professional Japanese psyops agents who are trying to slowly drive all English speakers insane by thwarting any and all attempts to get our various imported devices to properly function. Once this goal is achieved, then we will be easily rounded up and reprogrammed to work in the giant robot factories. Hopefully this will occur in time to build enough giant robots that they can thwart the alien armada bent on destroying earth.
Babelfish is but a pale imitation of the fine craftsmanship that goes into the instructions for imported electronics and appliances.
February 19th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
I wonder if writers ever use computer translation software to generate intentionally “off” text or dialogue?
I’ve always been tempted to try it out to create song lyrics - start with something pedestrian and turn it into something that is warped but could be mistaken for poetic and metaphorical.