Have you ever scoured the internet for a tiny morsel of information only to find what you need on a page of incomprehensible gibberish, due to a foreign language and not because of the fact that the author has yet to grasp the subtleties of the English language. Luckily there are countless pages that will help you translate those funny squiggles into something you can read. They can also be a secret source of entertainment when you have some free time and you just can't take another round of solitaire. Let me welcome you the sometimes odd world of computer translation.

I took a simple nursery rhyme and translated it to a different language. Then I took that translation and translated it back to English. With a perfect program the English should be close to the same, but the translation programs available today are far from perfect. To add to the effect I repeated the process three times. Let's take a look at the results. First is the original English.

Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water. Jack fell down and broke his crown. Jill came tumbling after.

I went with the standard Jack and Jill. If it's simple enough for kids, a translation program should have no trouble with it. Right?

Portuguese
Jack and Jill had been above of the set that looks at a bucket of the water. Jack fell for point low and broke its crown. Jill came falling after that this this.

If Jack is in love with "point low", if that even is its real name, why did he break its crown. It must be one of those playground romances. Is this this some sort of dog breed?

Spanish
Gato and Jill went in the hill to bring a bucket of the water. The cat fell down and broke its crown. Jill came more next falling.

Gato is filling in for Jack. With a name like that you can tell he loves cats. He even brought one with them to explore the giant hole in the hill. Unfortunately, it was a pit trap and the cat didn't make it. Since Jill was only more next to fall I have to assume Gato jumped in after his beloved pet.

French
Jack and Jill assembled the hill to seek a bucket of water. Jack fell at the bottom and broke its crown. Jill came dégringolant then.

Always the do-it-yourselfers Jack and Jill built their own hill in order to fulfill their water quest. Jack couldn't even get to the top before he managed to hurt himself. Being the smart one, Jill took a blimp to the top.

Dutch
The jacket and Jill hillock of a bucket will obtain water. The linker fall below the jacket and discontinuance crown is. Jill came afterwards tumbling.

Jack finally left Jill due to her being a hillock of a bucket. I can finally rest easy though knowing that the thing at the end of a zipper is called the linker.

German
Jack and Jill rose to the tub of the water too receive hills. Jack fell down and broke its crown. Jill came to it stolpernd.

There is no hope for humanity if even machines can't be taught the difference between "to" and "too". That Jill. She's always stolpernd.

Italian
Jack and Jill have gone on the hill to take one bucket of the water. Jack has fallen and has broken the advanced part relative. Jill has falling come after.

No wonder Jack and Jill are always trudging up that hill. They're only allowed one bucket at a time. Now Jack will have to spend the day at the hardware store looking for a new advanced part. At least he didn't break his crown.

Greek
The Jack and that of Jill I go up the hill for what I bring a water of buckets. The Jack fell under and this broke his crown. The Jill came falling then.

There isn't a noun that doesn't seem more impressive when you put "the" in front of it. We're also treated to the autobiographical version of the story.

Russian
Jack and Jill send upward by hill fetch the pail of water. Jack it was lowered it downward and it were broken its crown. Jill arrived rushashchsya in pozhe.

In Soviet Russia hill sends you for water. It's nice to see that by fetching her own water Jill was able to afford a Porsche. Oh wait, it's just a generic knock off.

Chinese
Jake and Jill climb the hill to bring the barrel water. Jake tumbled and has broken his crown. Jill will be newest future tumbles.

The truth is Jack and Jill were not friends but bitter rivals competing for a place on the gymnastics team. After an unfortunate "accident", Jill manages to secure her spot on the team.

Korean
It brought the Jack inside order and the hill which is contiguous the Jill funeral with high formation matched inside the pail of the adjacent waters which is contiguous. The Jack came down on lower part and it intercepted his crown. It inside the Jill came down after.

A simple task of fetching water became a nightmare of terror. "It" had already managed to get Jill. Jack fought to escape, but it had the crown.

Japanese
Jill where that did and takes the bucket of the hill and the water Jack it came. At the time of Jack? That crown had been broken. Jill rear movement, it goes back and forth.

I will leave you with this haiku: The time of Jack comes. Broken crowns will be repaired. Jill walks sexily.

cravipat escaped the blue labyrinth long enough to write this.

0 adventurers found their way to the golden castle.

Words uncovered in the catacombs : oddities