Arabic-L:PEDA:Google Translate Cautionary Tale

[Dilworth Parkinson]

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Arabic-L: Sat 31 Dec  2011
Moderator: Dilworth Parkinson <dilworth_parkinson at byu.edu>
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1) Subject: Google Translate Cautionary Tale

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1)
Date: 31 Dec  2011
From:Dil Parkinson <dilworthparkinson at gmail.com>
Subject: Google Translate Cautionary Tale


All of us have some relatively hilarious examples of Google Translations from Arabic, even though at other times the results are impressive.  I was recently in a restaurant in Amman where the 'sit-down' menu was reasonably translated, but I picked up the 'take-out' menu on the way in, and as I looked over it I couldn't stop laughing.  When I got home, I started looking up the items on the Arabic side of the menu, and found that the whole thing had come, lock stock and barrel, from Google translate.  It was so wonderful that I thought it would make a wonderful cautionary tale for students on the mindless use of Google Translate (or of any other dictionary aid).  It is also a great example of what I call the massive 'graphical' ambiguity of Arabic, which makes the authomatic computer understanding of Arabic problematic.  (Here we have salaTa and SulTa spelled the same, as well as Haara and Haarra).  And there is also, of course, the just plain ambiguity, without the graphical part (compare xiyaar cucumber with xiyaar choice; Habba as piece, pill, bead).  I can send you a pdf of the two sides of the actual menu if you like. But here I will just type in the two sides of the menu.  (My favorites are Power Hot Hot, Turkish Authority Lane, and Option of Milk--sounds good doesn't it?)

I'll type the English on top.  You can then scroll down to check what it says in Arabic if you can't figure it out from the English.  If you don't have time to look over the whole thing, just look at the list of hot and cold salads near the end.

It is also interesting to note that Google Translate often gets common things right when they are in phrases (Greek Salad), but in less common combinations, those same things go terribly wrong (Turkish Authority Lane).  I'd be interested in any other insights.
Mawwal Restaurants

Barbecue

Fattaal Pieces (1) kg
Kabab Halabi (1) kg
Iraqi kebab (1) kg
Pieces (1) kg
Shish Taouk (1) kg
Feathers (1) kg
Liver - kidney - white sheep (1) kg
Marrow grilled on coal (each)
Chicken with thyme and lemon
Arais meat Municipal

Trays

Kofta tomatoes (1) kg
Baltahinah kofta (1) kg
Ras Asfour with potatoes, onions and tomatoes (1) kg
Blades with potatoes and tomatoes and onions (1) kg
Liver and kidneys of sheep and eggs with onions and garlic (1) kg

Sandwiches

Sandwich Grill (Kebab - Pieces)
Shish Taouk Sandwich (liver - colleges - Khasawa)
Sandwich Nkhaat

Hot Appetizers

Homs with meat (the dish)
Tomatoes frying pan with meat (1 kg)
Liver and kidneys of sheep and eggs with onions Hosh (1 kg)
Ras Asfour (Hosh) (1 kg)
Power hot hot (dish)
French fries
Park Cheese (4 beads)
Fired Kubba (pill)
Chicken Liver
Grilled Hallouomi + Fried

Cold Appetizers

Homs - marinated - Tabouleh - Bakdunsah    by wanted
Pope Ghannouj
Turkish authority lane - the authority of watercress
Arab authority - the authority of rough
Baltahihah authority - the option of milk
Olive Halabi
Fattoush - Pickles and Olives
Greek salad
Chenklish
Grape Leaves

Beverages

Cola - Sprite - Fanta
Milk bottles


We have a special section The day before Toasi
Mnasef - stuffed sheep - Ozzie pleased concerts in your home BBQ

Section Special for families


مطاعم موال

المشاوي

شقف فتايل (١) كيلو
كباب حلبي (١) كيلو
كباب عراقي (١) كيلو
شقف (١) كيلو
شيش طَووق (١) كيلو
ريش (١) كيلو
كبده - كلاوي - بيض غنم (١) كيلو
نخاع مشوي على الفحم (الواحد)
دجاج بالزعتر والليمون
عرايس باللحمة البلدي

الصواني

كفتة بالبندورة (١) كيلو
كفتة بالطحينية (١) كيلو
رأس عصفور مع بطاطا وبصل وبندورة (١) كيلو
ريش مع بطاطا وبندورة وبصل (١) كيلو
كبده وكلاوي وبيض غنم مع بصل وثوم (١) كيلو

الساندويشات

ساندويش مشاوي (كباب - شقف)
ساندويشات شيش طاووق (كبده - كلاوي - خصاوي)
ساندويش نخاعات

المققبلات الساخنة

حمص باللحمة (الصحن)
قلاية بندورة باللحمة (١ كيلو)
كبدة وكلاوي وبيض غنم مع بصل حوسة (١ كيلو)
رأس عصفور (حوسة) (١ كيلو)
سلطة ساخنة حارة (الصحن)
بطاطا مقلية
برك بالجبنة (٤ حبات)
كبة مقلية (الحبة)
كبدة دجاج
حلوم مشوي + مقلي

المقبلات الباردة

حمص - متبل - تبولة - بقدونسية    حسب الطلب
بابا غنوج
سلطة تركية حارة - سلطة جرجير
سلطة عربية - سلطة خشنة
سلطة بالطحينية - خيار باللبن
زيتون حلبي
فتوش - مخللات وزيتون
سلطة يونانية
شنكليش
ورق عنب

المشروبات

كولا - سبرايت - فانتا
لبن عبوات

يوجد لدينا قسم خاص
للتواصي قبل بيوم

مناسف - خرفان محشية - أوزي يسرنا إقامة حفلات الباربكيو في منازلكم

قسم خاص للعائلات





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