20150324-Michael Chugani 褚簡寧：又中又英——It's a riot.
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧：又中又英——It's a riot.
2015-03-24
Have you ever used Google to translate something from one language to another? I have, and I can say it's a riot. Many of the translations are so off the mark that I crack up. However, I have no choice but to use the Google Translate function. I can speak Cantonese fluently but I can't read or write Chinese. When readers send me e-mails in Chinese I use Google to translate their messages. Often, I can't make head or tail of the translated message. Many of my friends crack up too when I tell them I use Google Translate. But I shouldn't make fun of Google. At least, it offers a helpful and free translation service even though some of the translations are off the mark.
The word riot can be used in many ways. The most common meaning is a violent disturbance of the peace by a large group of people. It is a riot when a large number of people protest in the streets by burning cars and breaking shop windows. When used as a slang word, it means someone or something very funny. The expression "off the mark" means inaccurate or wrong. Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah's budget surplus forecast is off the mark every year. To crack up means to laugh. If you can't make head or tail of something, it means you can't understand it at all.
Once, I used Google to translate an English message into simplified Chinese to ask a friend from the mainland if she was free to join me and some other friends for dinner. But Google translated the word "free" to mean free of charge. The word "free" in English can mean "free of charge" or "at no cost" but also "available" and "not busy". She instantly phoned me to ask why I asked her if she was free of charge. I was really embarrassed. I apologized and explained that I had used Google to translate my message into Chinese. Now, I always translate the Chinese back into English to make sure it is accurate.
你可有用過Google將某個語言翻譯成另一種語言？我曾經用過，它真的很有趣（riot）。許多翻譯離譜（off the mark）得令我捧腹大笑（crack up）。然而，我不得不用 Google的翻譯功能，因我已別無選擇了。我可以講流利的廣東話，卻不懂讀或書寫中文。當讀者給我中文的電郵，我會用Google翻譯他們的訊息。許多時候我都搞不懂（can't make head or tail）那句譯出來的說話。當我跟朋友說我用Google 翻譯時，他們許多人都會捧腹大笑（crack up）。不過，我不應嘲笑Google的，至少它提供了有用而免費的翻譯服務，即使有些翻譯真的離譜（off the mark）得很。
Riot這個字可有多種用法，最常見的意思是一大幫人所引發的暴動。當一大群人在街上燒車、敲碎商店櫥窗以作示威時，這就是 riot了。但當它作俚語用時，則解作某人或某事很有趣。習語 off the mark則解作不準確或錯誤。財政司司長曾俊華的財政預算案盈餘預測便年年不準（off the mark）。To crack up就是捧腹大笑。若你can't make head or tail of something，即是你對它完全摸不着頭腦。
有一次，我用 Google將一段英文訊息翻譯成簡體中文，問一位內地的朋友她是否有空跟我和其他朋友共進晚餐。但 Google卻將 free這個字翻譯成免費的。在英文裏，free這個字可解作「免費的」，但也是「有空」和「空閒」的意思。她立即打電話給我，問我為甚麼問她是否免費的。我真的非常尷尬，我向她道歉，並解釋說因為我用了 Google去將我的訊息翻譯成中文。現在，我常常將那句中文再翻譯成英文，以確保它是準確無誤的。
mickchug@gmail.com
中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧
2015-03-24
Have you ever used Google to translate something from one language to another? I have, and I can say it's a riot. Many of the translations are so off the mark that I crack up. However, I have no choice but to use the Google Translate function. I can speak Cantonese fluently but I can't read or write Chinese. When readers send me e-mails in Chinese I use Google to translate their messages. Often, I can't make head or tail of the translated message. Many of my friends crack up too when I tell them I use Google Translate. But I shouldn't make fun of Google. At least, it offers a helpful and free translation service even though some of the translations are off the mark.
The word riot can be used in many ways. The most common meaning is a violent disturbance of the peace by a large group of people. It is a riot when a large number of people protest in the streets by burning cars and breaking shop windows. When used as a slang word, it means someone or something very funny. The expression "off the mark" means inaccurate or wrong. Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah's budget surplus forecast is off the mark every year. To crack up means to laugh. If you can't make head or tail of something, it means you can't understand it at all.
Once, I used Google to translate an English message into simplified Chinese to ask a friend from the mainland if she was free to join me and some other friends for dinner. But Google translated the word "free" to mean free of charge. The word "free" in English can mean "free of charge" or "at no cost" but also "available" and "not busy". She instantly phoned me to ask why I asked her if she was free of charge. I was really embarrassed. I apologized and explained that I had used Google to translate my message into Chinese. Now, I always translate the Chinese back into English to make sure it is accurate.
你可有用過Google將某個語言翻譯成另一種語言？我曾經用過，它真的很有趣（riot）。許多翻譯離譜（off the mark）得令我捧腹大笑（crack up）。然而，我不得不用 Google的翻譯功能，因我已別無選擇了。我可以講流利的廣東話，卻不懂讀或書寫中文。當讀者給我中文的電郵，我會用Google翻譯他們的訊息。許多時候我都搞不懂（can't make head or tail）那句譯出來的說話。當我跟朋友說我用Google 翻譯時，他們許多人都會捧腹大笑（crack up）。不過，我不應嘲笑Google的，至少它提供了有用而免費的翻譯服務，即使有些翻譯真的離譜（off the mark）得很。
Riot這個字可有多種用法，最常見的意思是一大幫人所引發的暴動。當一大群人在街上燒車、敲碎商店櫥窗以作示威時，這就是 riot了。但當它作俚語用時，則解作某人或某事很有趣。習語 off the mark則解作不準確或錯誤。財政司司長曾俊華的財政預算案盈餘預測便年年不準（off the mark）。To crack up就是捧腹大笑。若你can't make head or tail of something，即是你對它完全摸不着頭腦。
有一次，我用 Google將一段英文訊息翻譯成簡體中文，問一位內地的朋友她是否有空跟我和其他朋友共進晚餐。但 Google卻將 free這個字翻譯成免費的。在英文裏，free這個字可解作「免費的」，但也是「有空」和「空閒」的意思。她立即打電話給我，問我為甚麼問她是否免費的。我真的非常尷尬，我向她道歉，並解釋說因為我用了 Google去將我的訊息翻譯成中文。現在，我常常將那句中文再翻譯成英文，以確保它是準確無誤的。
mickchug@gmail.com
中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧
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