From: Tim May <tcmay@got.net>
Date: Sat, 20 Dec 1997 08:06:35 +0800
To: cypherpunks@Algebra.COM
Subject: Automatic Translations
Message-ID: <v03102808b0c0a5dcb374@[207.167.93.63]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/enriched



I just discovered an amazing, wonderful service which translates text into and from various European languages. Samples included here, of this text.

Ich entdeckte gerade ein Überraschen, wundervollen Service, den Text in und von den verschiedenen europäischen Sprachen übersetzt. Proben hier umfaßt, von diesem Text. 

J'ai juste découvert stupéfier, le service merveilleux dans lequel traduit le texte et de diverses langues européennes. Échantillons inclus ici, de ce texte.

Ho scoperto appena uno stupore, servizio meraviglioso in cui traduce il testo e dalle varie lingue comunitarie. Campioni inclusi qui, di questo testo.

Acabo de descubrir sorprender, el servicio maravilloso en el cual traduce el texto y de varios lenguajes europeos. Muestras incluidas aquí, de este texto.

The URL is http://babelfish.altavista.digital.com/cgi-bin/translate?

For a more challenging series, here's the following Cypherpunkish text translated into a language, back into English, then into another language, etc., just to see what sorts of interesting things happen. (I mistyped "here" as "hear," through inattention, and this will screw up some of the translations still further...oh well.)


Cypherpunks write code. Crypto anarchy. Big Brother Inside. We're from the government, and we're hear to help. National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway. Abandon all hope, all ye who enter here. The tentacles of Medusa are torturing my mind. What have you got to hide?

Cypherpunks schreiben Code. Schlüsselanarchy. Grosser Bruder Nach innen. Wir sind von der Regierung, und wir sind hören, um zu helfen. Nationale Ränder sind nicht gleichmäßige Geschwindigkeitsstösse auf der Informationsautobahn. Verlassen Sie alle Hoffnung, alles ye, das hier eintragen. Die tentacles der Medusa quälen meinen Verstand. Was haben Sie erhalten, zu verstecken? 

Cypherpunks write code. Schluesselanarchy. Large brother inward. We are from the government, and we are hear, in order to help. National edges are not even rate impacts on the information motorway. Leave all hope, all ye, which enter here. Those the tentacles Medusa torment mean understanding. What did you receive to hide? 

Cypherpunks écrivent le code. Schluesselanarchy. Grand frère centripète. Nous sommes du gouvernement, et nous sommes entendons, afin d'aider. Les bords nationaux ne sont pas des  impacts égaux de cadence sur l'autoroute de l'information. Laissez tout l'espoir, tout le ye, qui entrent ici. Ceux la compréhension moyenne de torment de méduse de tentacles. Qu'avez-vous reçu pour cacher? 

Cypherpunks write the code. Schluesselanarchy. Big centripetal brother. We are government, and we sums hear, in order to help. The national edges are not equal impacts of rate on the motorway of information. Leave all the hope, all the ye, which enters here. Those the average comprehension of torment of jellyfish of tentacles. What did you receive for hiding? 

Cypherpunks scrive il codice. Schluesselanarchy. Fratello centripeto grande. Siamo governo e sommiamo ci sentiamo, per aiutare. I bordi nazionali non sono effetti uguali del tasso sull'  autostrada delle informazioni. Lasciare tutta la speranza, tutto il ye, che entra qui. Quelli  comprensione media del torment delle meduse dei tentacles. Che cosa avete ricevuto per  nascondersi? 

Cypherpunks writes the code. Schluesselanarchy. Large centripetal brother. We are government and we add we feel ourselves, in order to help. The national edges are not equal effects of the rate on the freeway of the information. To leave all the hope, all the ye, that it enters here. That medium understanding of the torment of the jellyfishes of the tentacles. Which thing you have received for nascondersi? 

Cypherpunks escreve o código. Schluesselanarchy. Irmão centripetal grande. Nós somos governo e nós adicionamos-nos sentimo-nos, a fim ajudar. As bordas nacionais não são efeitos iguais da  taxa no freeway da informação. Para deixar toda a esperança, todo o ye, que entra aqui. Essa compreensão média do torment das medusas dos tentacles. Que coisa que você recebeu para o nascondersi? 

Cypherpunks writes the code. Schluesselanarchy. Great centripetal brother. We are government  and us we add ourselves we feel ourselves, the end to help. The national edges are not equal effect  of the tax in freeway of the information. To leave all the hope, all ye, that it enters here. This average understanding of torment of the jellyfishes of tentacles. That thing that you received for  nascondersi? 

Cypherpunks escribe el código. Schluesselanarchy. Gran hermano centrípeto. Somos gobierno y  nosotros nos agregamos que nos sentimos, el extremo para ayudar. Los bordes nacionales no son  efecto igual del impuesto en la autopista sin peaje de la información. Para dejar toda la esperanza,  todo el ye, que entra aquí. Esta comprensión media del torment de las medusas de tentacles. Esa  cosa que usted recibió para el nascondersi? 

Cypherpunks writes the code. Schluesselanarchy. Great centripetal brother. We are government  and we added ourselves that we felt, the end to help. The national edges are not equal effect of the  tax in the freeway without toll of the information. In order to leave all the hope, all ye, that enters  here. This average understanding of torment of medusas of tentacles. That thing that you received for nascondersi?


---and so on---

I like some of the new versions better! "Great centripetal brother" indeed! And this definition for the 1998 tax code: "The national edges are not equal effect of the  tax in the freeway without toll of the information."

Not surprisingly, once a translation picked a word not in the reverse translation, as with "Schluesselanarchy" and "nascondersi," the word then persisted in later attempts at translation. A kind of fixed point for the cycle.

Anyway, this was a lot of fun.

--Tim May



The Feds have shown their hand: they want a ban on domestic cryptography
---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:----
Timothy C. May              | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money,  
ComSec 3DES:   408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero
W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA  | knowledge, reputations, information markets, 
Higher Power: 2^2,976,221   | black markets, collapse of governments.
"National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway."