How about google translation？ Is Google translation easy to use？
Since Google withdrew from the China market in 2010, many users have been expecting this world technology giant to return to China, especially after the Baidu Wei Zexi incident.
Although Google still provides services to users in China after quitting — — For example, the normal access of Google Translated Web Edition has been maintained. However, due to indescribable reasons, Google’s core applications and services have been out of the sight of domestic users for seven years.
Therefore, there has been a popular "four illusions" in domestic science and technology circles, namely, Facebook’s entry into China, Google’s return to China, Sony’s collapse and WP’s rise.
Although this is just the self-ridicule of insiders, the difficulty of Google’s full return can be seen.
Until the end of March at the beginning of the year, Google Translate officially landed in China. This time, Google brought the first Google App directly available to domestic users & mdash; — Google Translate (Android and iOS dual platform).
Yes, this is not an illusion, Google is really back!
↑ ↑ ↑ Google also sent a promotional video for this purpose.
So what about the first APP that Google brought to Chinese people? Today, Xiaobian brings you the hands-on experience of Google Translation.
(The client of this experience is Google Translate Android APP, version number is 5.9.0).
First, the application interface: this is the most concise tool.
The application interface of Google Translate is very simple, there is only one main interface for translation, there is no superfluous content, and the most touching thing is that it is not opened! Screen! Hiro! Sue! Now this kind of simple and unpretentious application is really rare.
↑ ↑ ↑ The simplest interface
↑ ↑ ↑ Various functions of translation interface
In addition to direct input text translation, Google Translate also provides three translation functions: AR instant translation, voice translation and handwritten translation. In addition, the global click translation function of the mobile phone can be turned on in the settings.
↑ ↑ ↑ Click Translation to open it in Settings in the side menu.
↑ ↑ ↑ Of course, there are offline translation packages that save traffic.
Simplicity doesn’t mean simplicity. Although the Google translation application is very simple, its translation function is powerful enough. Next, Xiaobian will introduce each function to you in detail (due to Bu Tonghua, who is not accurate in Xiaobian, voice translation will not be demonstrated).
Second, handwritten translation
Handwritten translation, as its name implies, is similar to handwriting input method. Even if your mobile phone doesn’t have an input method for a foreign language (such as Japanese), you can still write it for Google to translate.
↑ ↑ ↑ Take Japanese as an example.
For example, there are many strange Chinese characters in Japanese, and if the pinyin input method can’t be typed, you can write them now and turn them over. For example, this domineering "evil spirit" means to disturb.
The biggest advantage of this function is that no matter how unfamiliar a foreign language is, you can draw it on the spot for translation, such as the following Arabic, which you don’t know how to write.
↑ ↑ ↑ Xiaobian is completely drawn according to the picture, and Google still correctly recognizes it.
Handwritten translation basically restores the previous process of writing words on paper to ask others what they mean, and breaks through the limitations of mobile phone input method. In addition, it is worthy of praise that even if it is as ugly as a small writing/painting, Google’s recognition rate is still very high.
Third, click Translate
The logic of click translation is this: you copy a text → Google Translate Reading Clipboard → A suspended window → Click to automatically translate clipboard contents.
↑ ↑ ↑ Copy words-automatically pop out of the floating window-click to translate.
This function is global, which means that as long as you don’t kill the background of Google Translate, no matter which application you copy, you can call up the floating window of Google Translate for translation, and this action will not cause you to jump out of the current application, which is very convenient.
Iv. AR instant translation
Google AR instant translation means that after turning on the camera with Google Translate, you can directly translate the language in the picture. It should be noted that Google does not need to take pictures, but can translate as long as it is aimed at the target, thanks to Google’s powerful image recognition technology.
↑ ↑ ↑ Align and translate.
What is even more amazing is that the color of the text translated by this function will be consistent with the original text, and the original text will be directly blurred and covered.
↑ ↑ ↑ The translation is consistent with the original color.
However, it should be noted that the translation quality of the instant translation function will be lower than that of normal translation, and it is only suitable for translating short texts.
5. How is Google’s performance compared with neural network blessing?
In September 2016, Google officially released the Google Neural Machine Translation System (GNMT). Simply put, Google Translation has a neural network.
What does neural network mean?
Traditional calculation only includes three parts: input, calculation and output.
On this basis, GNMT adds the concept of time, and the system will adjust the current processing and calculation method according to the result of the last input and output in the later time calculation, which makes the neural network have the ability of logical correlation.
The effect of using neural network in translation is that the translation work corresponding to one word before is needed. With the blessing of neural network, the software can completely translate a sentence according to the context.
↑ ↑ ↑ Graphical principle (moving picture)
What is the specific effect? Because Google first applied this technology to Chinese-English translation, we used a paragraph of Chinese to test Google’s translation effect and Baidu translation (version 6.18) as a comparison.
1. Translation performance of Chinese-English long sentences
Here Xiaobian selected a piece of news, the original text is as follows:
"French data protection agency ‘ National Committee on Information and Freedom ’ Today, it was announced that Facebook would be fined 150,000 euros (about 166,000 US dollars) because Facebook failed to prevent advertisers from obtaining its user data. CNIL said that the fine was only part of a European-wide investigation into Facebook data protection measures. In addition, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain and Germany are all investigating Facebook. "
↑ ↑ ↑ The left is the result of Google translation and the right is the result of Baidu translation.
The translation results of the two softwares are roughly the same, and the biggest difference lies in the handling of the first sentence.
French data protection agency "National Committee on Information and Freedom" announced today that it will impose a fine of 150,000 euros (about 166,000 US dollars) on Facebook.
Google translation: French data protection agency "National Information and Freedom Committee" announced today that it will be on Facebook to 150,000 euros (about 16.6 million) fine。
The French data protection agency "National Information and Freedom Committee" announced today, will be fined 150 thousand euros for Facebook ($166 thousand) fine。
You can see that the original text uses Chinese habits to break two sentences: "… It is announced today that it will … " .
Here, Google Translate turns the second half sentence into a clause, using a That guide, thus changing the first sentence into a long sentence that is more in line with English expression habits.
However, Baidu translation here still uses the same sentence break in English according to Chinese sentence break, which is strange to read.
It can be seen that Google Translation with neural network blessing is more natural in the processing of long sentences.
2. Expression of Chinese-English short sentences
Xiaobian chose a short sentence here: "Stealing things secretly."
↑ ↑ ↑ The left is the result of Google translation and the right is the result of Baidu translation.
The two performances are consistent, and there are no mistakes in the face of such a roundabout sentence. Then the difficulty increases, choose an outdated online hot word: "natural eggs."
↑ ↑ ↑ Google Translate was exposed at once.
In fact, Google can’t correctly identify the translation of most popular online terms, such as snapping, forcing people to eat melons, etc. Obviously, the localization of Google translation needs to continue to work hard.
3. Expression in English translation
Here Xiaobian selects the original English text as follows:
“You’ ve weighed the pros and cons and carefully assessed the impact. After in-depth consideration, you’ ve decided to accept that new job, or launch your own business, or take time off to be with your children. You know it’ s the right choice — but your boss, friends, and colleagues aren’ t convinced. What should you do when people you respect disagree with your decisions?”
↑ ↑ ↑ The left is the result of Google translation and the right is the result of Baidu translation.
Google’s English translation results in more problems than Baidu.
For example, "or take time off to be with your children" in the original sentence.
Or take time to spend with your children.
Or take time out with your children.
Google translation is very strange: or Rest with your children.
Another example is the original sentence: "What should you do when people you respect disagreement with your decisions?"
What should you do when the person you respect disagrees with your decision?
Baidu translation is very good: what should you do when the person you respect disagrees with your decision?
In contrast, Google Translate simply can’t watch: When you respect and disagree with your decision. What should you do?
It can be seen that Google translation is still unreliable in English translation, and it often encounters the problems of unsmooth sentences and wrong structures. In contrast, Baidu translation is better.
Conclusion: The future of translation?
It can be seen that neural network enhances Google’s understanding and translation of long sentences in Chinese-English translation, and can adjust the sentence structure according to the context to achieve a more natural translation effect.
However, in the Chinese-English translation of some localized words, Google performed poorly and basically did not optimize for localization.
In English translation, Google’s grasp of Chinese is obviously very poor, and it often encounters various translation problems in long sentences, which is obviously not as good as some domestic translation software.
↑ ↑ ↑ The handling of Chinese by domestic translation software is still worthy of praise.
Simply put, Chinese-English translation can trust Google translation, but some more reliable translation methods are needed in English translation.
However, Google not only provides relatively reliable translation results from Chinese to English, but also its handwritten translation and AR instant translation make this simple software very practical and can be called essential software for going abroad.
Neural network translation caused an uproar when it was first published, and even made many people worry about the future of the translation industry. However, after the experience, although Google translation performed very well in English translation, it still fell far short of manual translation.
It can be said that software needs to go further to realize the dream of software replacing labor. However, neural network can already make people see a little hope, isn’t it?