Hi! This is Naga-san.
This article will be written in English. While writing Japanese articles about learning English, I thought it is a good idea to write articles in English.
Sometimes I am going to write an article in English as it will help me maintain my English ability.
Then, this time, I would like to evaluate the accuracy of Google translation from English to Japanese as a native Japanese. 😀
Try to translate an English newspaper article into Japanese using Google Translate
I translated the following VOA News articles on the internet into Japanese using Google Translate.
Trump Defies North Carolina COVID Guidelines With Large Outdoor Rally （VOA September 08, 2020）
WHITE HOUSE - Amid the coronavirus pandemic, U.S. President Donald Trump attracted a crowd of thousands to his latest political rally at a North Carolina airport Tuesday evening.
Trump marveled at a crowd he said totaled 15,000 people –- a number that reporters on site said was exaggerated.
The rally was attended by 14,600 people and several thousand more either wanted to attend or were nearby, according to a senior administration official who spoke to reporters on Air Force One on the flight back from North Carolina.
The translated Japanese sentences are as follows.
ホワイトハウス-コロナウイルスの大流行のなか、米国大統領ドナルド・トランプは火曜日の夜、ノースカロライナ空港で彼の最新の政治集会に何千人もの観衆を魅了しました。
トランプ氏は総勢15,000人と語った群衆に驚嘆しました。現地の記者が誇張した数字によると、
ノースカロライナからの帰りの空軍で記者団に語った幹部高官によると、この集会には14,600人が出席し、さらに数千人が出席したかったか、近くにいたという。
It's amazing! With this translation, the meaning is sufficiently high to confirm. However, it is unnatural Japanese text as it is, so some corrections are necessary.
Now, let's try to translate the conversation text this time.
Now let's try to translate everyday English sentences instead of news manuscripts this time.
I will use the following English conversation sentences used in NHK radio English conversation program.
An Encouraging Friend (NHK Radio English Conversation September 12, 2017)
Mark, I've been studying Italian for four hours a day.
That's terrific, Lisa! At the rate you're going, you'll be fluent soon!
Do you think so?
Oh, yes. It's just a matter of time! Say something in Italian.
Non parlo Italiano, Marco.
That's just amazing! What does it mean?
I don't speak Italian, Mark.
Wow! Your accent sounds really natural.
Thanks. I've been working on it.
The translation results are as follows using Google translate.
マーク、私は一日4時間イタリア語を勉強しています。
それは素晴らしいです、リサ！ あなたが行っているレートで、あなたはすぐに流暢になります！
あなたはそう思いますか？
ああ、そうです。 それは時間の問題です！ イタリア語で何か言って。
Non parlo Italiano、マルコ。
すごい！ どういう意味ですか？
マーク、イタリア語は話せません。
うわー！ あなたのアクセントは本当に自然に聞こえます。
ありがとう。 私はそれに取り組んできました。
Unlike English news articles, it is a short sentence, so English conversation document seems to get better translation accuracy than English news articles.
It becomes a Japanese sentence that can be used with only a few modifications. I think even people who can't speak Japanese at all can use it for travel-like communication.
I want to expect further improvement in the accuracy of Google Translate in the future! but...
I think Google Translate is still good enough to use now, but it will be more accurate in the future.
Then, in about 10 years later, it may be possible to use it as a simultaneous interpreter machine Then, Don't you have to study a language anymore?
No, even if that happens in the future, I think that it is much better to be able to speak English and communicate by my self not using an interpreter machine.
What do you think ?
See you then．．． 