Babylon 10 vs. Google Translate

This post is about Babylon and Google Translate. I found Babylon while looking for reviews of translating software. Babylon offers three different packages each priced at $39 dollars or you can buy a whole package that includes a dictionary for $159.80. Babylon has close to 80 language options. In this post, the free trial of Babylon Desktop Translator is used. The post will compare Babylon Desktop Translator to Google Translate. Google Translate is a free service offered by Google. It is easy to use, and has 72 language options.

Here is the text:

Swing Dance encompasses many dances.  I think of Swing Dance as East Coast Swing, and Lindy Hop.  East Coast is a six count dance, and Lindy Hop is an eight count dance.  East Coast Swing came from Lindy Hop.  Lindy Hop started in the late 1920s and Twist Mouth George introduced the step at the Savoy Ballroom.  However, Twist Mouth George didn’t come up with the name, Shorty Snowden did.  Shorty drew inspiration from newspaper headlines, LINDYS HOP, about Charles Lindbergh’s flight across the Atlantic (Govenar, 2004).

 

Here is the text translated by Babylon 10:

Swing Dance abarca muchos bailes. Creo que de Swing Dance como Costa Este giro y Lindy Hop. Costa Oriental es una danza de seis, y Lindy Hop es un ocho de danza. East Coast Swing de Lindy Hop. Lindy Hop comenzó a finales de la década de 1920 y Girar boca George presenta el paso en el Savoy Ballroom. Sin embargo, el Giro Boca George no viene el nombre, Shorty Snowden. Shorty de inspiración a los titulares de la prensa, LINDYS HOP, de Charles Lindbergh de vuelo a través del Atlántico

First, Babylon had problems with Swing Dance but not Lindy Hop.  I expect the dance styles to keep their original names.  Babylon sometimes translates Swing Dance, as Costa Oriental and sometimes it translates East Coast Swing as Costa Este giro, and other times it leaves them alone.  It also didn’t translate Savoy Ballroom, which I liked.  It seems acceptable for proper nouns to keep their original language.   Babylon left Shorty’s nickname alone but translated Twist Mouth Georges nickname.  The inconsistencies are minor frustrations for such a small text.   

Also, Babylon cut off the text and didn’t include (Govenar, 2004).  There is a word limit to the free trial, and a translation limit.  You can only use the translate bubble five times for free.  

 

Babylon works in Microsoft Word, so if you click on red text in Microsoft Word, Babylon takes over on the suggestions.  I found Babylon’s suggestions to be nicer than Word, but I still like having Word’s choices.

 

Here is the text translated by Google: 

La danza del oscilación abarca muchos bailes. Creo que de la danza del oscilación como el Este giro Coast, y Lindy Hop. Costa del Este es una danza de seis conde y Lindy Hop es un baile conteo de ocho. Este Coast Swing vino de Lindy Hop. Lindy Hop comenzó a finales de los años 1920 y Giro Boca George introdujo el paso en el Savoy Ballroom. Sin embargo, Twist Boca George no estaba a la altura con el nombre, shorty Snowden hizo. Chiquito se inspiró en titulares de prensa, Lindys HOP, acerca del vuelo de Charles Lindbergh a través del Atlántico
 

Google was inconsistent with East Coast Swing, but left Lindy Hop alone.  Google didn’t fare much better with the English nicknames.  Once it left Twist alone, but it also translated it once too.  It altered shorty’s name both times.  I don’t know why it lowercased the s.  For Google Translate, it might do it different each time because you can suggest better translations.  One of the nice features in Google Translate is the ability to change sentence phrases.  If you mouse over parts of the translation, Google will offer additional suggestions that might work better for what you are trying to achieve.  

Here is a screen shot comparing how each program translates one word at a time.  I like the interface of Google Translate better.  It feels more in depth.  

 

Babylon 10 vs. Google Translate

For my personal use, Google Translate is fine.  However, I did enjoy using Babylon.  If you do use any service like Google Translate or Babylon 10 for official use, you will need to edit it.  Or you can pay someone to edit it for you.  Babylon offers a human translation service and you can leave comments for the Translator.  It costs $13.76 to translate the 86 words used as an example in this post.

My name is Robert and I write a blog called Swing Dance Dallas. http://swingdanceutd.blogspot.com

 

Govenar A. (2004). Stompin’ at the Savoy: The story of Norma Miller.  Somerville, MA:  Candlewick.