This week I'm going to compare my translations of ten common travel phrases in Portuguese with Google Translate's rendering of the same phrases. My ultimate goal is to decide if Google Translate can be trusted in a language in which I don't have a lot of experience. That language will be French for next week's post.
For Portuguese translations, shall I imagine myself in Brazil, attending the 2014 FIFA World Cup Finals, or in Portugal, exploring the scenic Douro River Valley?
Sites for FIFA World Cup Finals in Brazil
Douro River Valley in Portugal
It's a tough decision, but I'm going to choose Brazil. Here are the English phrases, my translations in red, Google's translations in blue, and discussion in purple.
1.Where is the restroom, please?
Onde é o banheiro, por favor?
Onde fica o banheiro, por favor?
[I originally thought that fica sounded better also, but the grammar police got to me, and I thought I remembered that fica was more commonly used for permanent buildings. Google wins this one.]
2. I have a (room) reservation for tonight.
Tenho reserva para esta noite.
Eu tenho uma reserva para esta noite.
[Yes, subject pronouns are more commonly used in Portuguese than in Spanish, depending on the context. If there had been several preceding sentences using eu as the subject, the eu could and probably would be omitted.]
3. My name is Linda. What is your name?
Meu nome é Linda. Qual é o seu nome?
Meu nome é Linda. Qual é o seu nome?
[No disagreement here.]
4. When does the train leave/arrive?
Quando sai/chega o trem?
Quando o trem sair / chegar?
[Ah-ha! I caught Google! In the question above, the verb would have to be conjugated in the present tense. Google interpreted the sentence as needing a future subjunctive verb, sair/chegar, which would require a main clause to be added, as in "When the train arrives, I'll call you"]
5. How much does it cost?
Quanto custa?
Quanto custa?
[We've got it!]
6. Pardon me.
Com licença. Desculpe.
Perdoe-me.
[Different translation here, based on the multiple meanings of ''pardon me" in English. The Google translation matches the meaning of " forgive me" rather than just " excuse me."]
7. Do you have a vegetarian dish?
Tem um prato vegetariano?
Você tem um prato vegetariano?
[See discussion under 2 above.]
8. May I have a glass of water please?
Pode me dar um copo de água, por favor?
Posso ter um copo de água, por favor?
[Basically the same meaning. Google's translation more literal.]
9. I want to buy a ticket please.
Queria comprar um bilhete, por favor.
Eu quero comprar um bilhete, por favor.
[See discussion under 2 for use of eu. I think queria sounds a little less direct, but Google's translation was accurate.]
10.Where is the restaurant (bus station, train station, museum)?
Onde fica o restaurante (a estação rodoviária, a estação ferroviária, o museu)?
Onde fica o restaurante (estação de ônibus, estação de trem, museu)?
[Both translations for bus and train station work. Mine perhaps a bit more formal, but Google's work as well.]
Conclusion after experimenting with two languages: I can trust Google, but not completely. I''m really anxious to see how French goes next week. Comments welcome!
No comments:
Post a Comment