Machine translation
A machine translator is a machine that helps students cheat on foreign language homework. They are notoriously known to provide translations specific to the textbook's needs, and will secretly tell the teacher that the student has been cheating. But no student knows this yet.
Examples[edit | edit source]
Format: Phrase -> Translation (actual translation) comment.
tu me non terres -> you are not on earth (you do not scare me). Cambridge Latin Course is SO happy!
ego leonem consumit -> I eat Leo (I eat a lion). Machine translation likes cannibalism.
ego me consumit. -> i consumes me. (I eat myself). Machine translation hates grammar.
Cases[edit | edit source]
In an online classroom...[edit | edit source]
Case #1[edit | edit source]
Teacher: Time to turn in your translations. Me: ego leonem consumit. ego me consumit. Teacher: Translate it. Me: One moment please... Me: I eat Leo. i consumes me. Teacher: Please press the control and v keys together. Me: translate.google.comtranslate.google.com Teacher: I put your sentences into there and that's exactly what came out. Me: Oh. You have left the chat.
Case #2[edit | edit source]
Teacher: Essays? Me: Here. You have sent file "essay.pdf". (delete | preview | download) Teacher is opening the file. Teacher: Why does the metadata say "Modified by Google Translate?" Me: I just wanted to trick you. Me: !!/delete file=essay.pdf This file cannot be deleted. It is currently being previewed. Teacher: You know lying is prohibited. So you're OUT OUT OUT! Teacher: !!/ban comment="Lying" Ban-BOT: Action completed. You have been banned from this chat. Comment: Lying. Me: Why? Msg-BOT: Your message could not be delivered. Me: Fine. Msg-BOT: Your message could not be delivered. You have left the chat.
In person[edit | edit source]
Case #1[edit | edit source]
Me: Essay here. Teacher: Looks kinda sus. Me: I play Among Us. Teacher: To the office. NOW!
Case #2[edit | edit source]
Me: Essay. Teacher: Hmm. Let me see if your translation looks natural when put into Google Translate. Me: <gasp> Teacher: Natural. Me: But I-- Teacher: s**t s**t s**t!!!
Demo[edit | edit source]
Welcome to the Translator Service. To translate a phrase, press 1. 1
Press 0 to return at any time. Please say the foreign language and press 1. Latin 1
Please say the foreign language and press 1. English 1
What do you want to translate? [Press 1 when done.] ego leonem consumit.
I eat Leo.
[hang up]
Controversy[edit | edit source]
The use of machine translators does not comply with the honor systems of many schools. Schools want people to "learn for themselves", so they ban the use of helpful tools.
So on your next assignment, you better review!