From Newsgroup: alt.tv.star-trek.tos
From Address: liiam{at}valentijn.nu
Subject: Re: Microsoft emulates Star Trek...

ToolPackinMama schreef op 4-6-2014 01:08:
> That's what the article says...
>
>
http://www.geek.com/microsoft/microsoft-emulates-star-trek-turns-skype-into-a-universal-translator-1595044/
>

Cool. But like the regular translation service on the web, it still 
needs a lot of work. There are some translation errors and a lot of the 
time grammar is just off. I think grammar is the great weak point. And 
if you get to stuff like 'figures of speech' I think an automatic system 
(for now) is completely lost. It would need to find cultural 
counterparts first.
For instance: "Out of sight, out of mind", would, translated back and 
forth, in Dutch be "Out of the eye, out of the heart."
I read once about an early computer system that tried translating such a 
thing. It came up with something like: "Blind idiot."

For the moment I would rely more on well trained human translators.

BTW, I think Microsoft has always been in love with Trek.
Ever notice the colors of the logo? Homage to TOS shirt colors?  :-)



-- 
Wouter Valentijn http://www.j3v.net

"Nothing in Hell can stop the Timberwolves"

Motto of the 104th Infantry Division (United States)

http://zeppodunsel.blogspot.nl/

liam=mail
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