Example translation into French and back into English

Try this on your web pages, and see if they make sense

Original

Write for machine translation

Translation by machine has a bad reputation: there are collections of amusing mistakes made by automatic translators. But there are also good reasons why we need to use machines to translate our words. Companies which distribute their products around the world need to have instructions written in many languages, and human translators are expensive. Most of the World Wide Web is in English, and people need to be able to read these pages.

We can learn to write in such a way that machines can translate our words. The results will not be perfect, but they will convey our meaning. If we write well enough, we will have to write only once, and we will be understood all over the world.

When we write for translation, we may have in mind one of three intentions:

To write for translation by human translators. Books have been written on this subject. The translator can be relied on to understand the text if you write in a clear and simple style.
To write for translation by machines, after which the text will be edited. This task requires more care, or the meaning may be lost.
To write for translation by machines alone. This introduces special difficulties. There are words which must not be translated, such as names, and there are words which the machine is unable to translate.

This site is intended to offer you some assistance when you write for translation by machine. If you have comments or suggestions, write to me here.

Into French

Écrivez pour la traduction automatique

La traduction par la machine a une mauvaise réputation: il y a des collections d'erreurs amusantes faites par les traducteurs automatiques. Mais il y a également de bonnes raisons pour lesquelles nous devons utiliser des machines pour traduire nos mots. Les compagnies qui distribuent leurs produits autour du monde doivent avoir des instructions écrites en beaucoup de langues, et des traducteurs humains sont chères. La majeure partie du World Wide Web est en anglais, et les gens doivent pouvoir lire ces pages.

Nous pouvons apprendre à écrire de telle manière que les machines puissent traduire nos mots. Les résultats ne seront pas parfaits, mais ils donneront notre signification. Si nous écrivons assez bien, nous devrons écrire seulement une fois, et nous serons compris partout dans le monde.

Quand nous écrivons pour la traduction, nous pouvons avoir à l'esprit un de trois intentions:

Pour écrire pour la traduction par les traducteurs humains. Des livres ont été écrits à ce sujet. On peut compter dessus le traducteur pour comprendre le texte si vous écrivez dans un modèle clair et simple.
Pour écrire pour la traduction par des machines, après quoi le texte sera édité. Cette tâche exige plus de soin, ou la signification peut être perdue.
Pour écrire pour la traduction par seules des machines. Ceci présente des difficultés spéciales. Il y a des mots qui ne doivent pas être traduits, comme des noms, et il y a des mots que la machine ne peut pas traduire.

Cet emplacement est prévu pour vous offrir de l'aide quand vous écrivez pour la traduction par la machine. Si vous avez des commentaires ou des suggestions, écrivez-moi ici.

Back into English

Write for machine translation

The translation by the machine has a bad reputation: there are collections of amusing errors made by the automatic translators. But there are also good reasons for which we must use machines to translate our words. The companies which distribute their products around the world must have instructions written in many languages, and human translators are expensive. The major part of the World Wide Web is in English, and people must be able to read these pages.

We can learn how to write in such a way that the machines can translate our words. The results will not be perfect, but they will give our significance. If we write rather well, we will have to write only one time, and we will be included/understood everywhere in the world.

When we write for the translation, we can have with the spirit one of three intentions:

To write for the translation by the human translators. Books were written on this subject. One can count above the translator to include/understand the text if you write in a clear and simple model.
To write for the translation by machines, after which the text will be published. This task requires more care, or the significance can be lost.
To write for the translation by only machines. This presents special difficulties. There are words which should not be translated, like names, and there are words which the machine cannot translate.

This site is designed to offer to you of the assistance when you write for the translation by the machine. If you have comments or suggestions, write to me here.

Updated 2003-04-12