有道、谷歌和DeepL“中翻英”能力哪家强?

上周撰写了一篇关于翻译网站“英翻中”功能的评测文章,结论是“至少在现阶段,完全依赖翻译软件准确理解英文是不可行的。”

今日,我们将测试一下几个主流网站“中翻英”的能力。使用的材料是近期阅读的一本佳作《认知觉醒:开启自我改变的原动力》中的一段内容:

中文原文:几乎任何学习都是这样,开始时进步很快,随后变慢,进入一个平台期。在平台期,尽管我们付出大量努力,但似乎毫无进步,甚至可能退步,然而这仅是假象,因为大脑中的神经元细胞仍在不断建立连接并被巩固,某一时刻后,便会进入下一个快速上升阶段。

有道翻译:

谷歌翻译:

DeepL翻译:

接下来,我们逐句对比哪家翻译更可靠。第一句,“几乎任何学习都是这样,开始时进步很快,随后变慢,进入一个平台期。”

1⃣️有道翻译为:

As is the case with almost any kind of learning, it starts out fast and then slows down to a plateau.

这里的the case相当于the true situation,比如:If that is the case (= if the situation described is true), we need more staff. 如果真是那样,那我们就需要更多的员工了。

As is the case ...意味着“正如……是这样”,例如在托福TPO7的综合写作文本中出现过这句话:When the price difference between two products is small, say, less than 5 percent, as is the case with certified wood, American often do choose on factors other than price.

可以看到,As is the case ...通常作为补充说明的插入语出现,其理解需要上下文,而中文里并没有上下文,所以翻译不够准确。另外,As is the case with almost any kind of learning这句后面的逗号也用错了,后面的it starts out fast and then slows down to a plateau是一个独立的句子,所以不能用逗号连接。

2⃣️谷歌翻译将第一句翻译成两个句子:

This is true for almost any study. At the beginning, progress is rapid, and then it will slow down and enter a plateau.

第一句“任何学习”翻译成“any study”不够准确,翻译成有道的“any kind of learning”更符合中文原意。

第二句中“进入平台期”翻译成enter a plateau搭配不够准确,查询我之前介绍过的牛津搭配词典会看到,plateau一般与动词reach搭配:

3⃣️DeepL的翻译:

This is true of almost any learning, where progress is rapid at the beginning and then slows down to a plateau.

两个句子用where连接,语法上比有道的run-on句更准确;any learning虽然不如有道的“any kind of learning”准确,但比谷歌的“any study”准确;后面的翻译也没有搭配错误。第一句DeepL胜出。

第二句:“在平台期,我们可能付出了大量的努力,但似乎毫无进步,甚至可能退步,然而这仅是假象,因为大脑中的神经元细胞仍在不断建立连接并被巩固,某一时刻后,便会进入下一个快速上升阶段。”

这句话充分体现了中文标点的使用不严谨,一逗到底的现象。我们来看看选手们如何翻译的:

1⃣️有道翻译:

We may put in a lot of effort and seem to be making no progress or even regressing, but that s just an illusion, because neurons in the brain are still making connections and consolidating, and at a certain point they enter the next phase of rapid growth.

2⃣️谷歌翻译:

In the plateau period, we may have made a lot of effort, but it seems that there is no progress, and may even regress, but this is just an illusion, because the neuronal cells in the brain are still connecting and being continuously consolidated. After one node, it will enter the next stage of rapid ascent.

3⃣️DeepL翻译:

During the plateau period, we may put in a lot of effort but seem to make no progress or maybe even regress, but this is just an illusion because the neuronal cells in the brain are still making connections and being consolidated constantly, and at a certain point, they will move on to the next rapid upward phase.

对比来看,谷歌翻译的错误最多——“甚至可能退步”的主语应该是“我们”,有道和DeepL的都翻译出了We,但谷歌中的主语竟然是it!

此外,“节点”这个词有道和DeepL都翻译为a certain point,只有谷歌生硬地翻译成了node(植物的“茎节”或者“网络节点”)。最后,“快速上升阶段”谷歌翻译成the next stage of rapid ascent,ascent这个词一般指文明的“前进”,用得过于正式了。再来对比一下有道和DeepL,有道没有把“在平台期”这个状语,以及“被不停地巩固”中的被动和“不停地”翻译出来。

最后的“快速上升阶段”它们分别翻译为the next phase of rapid growth和the next rapid upward phase,growth可以指“数量/经济的增长”或者“个人的成长”,而upward一般指“数量或价格的增加”。

因为中文原文本身不够严谨,到底是“我们”还是“神经元细胞”进入快速上升阶段?如果主语是“神经元细胞”则两种翻译都可以接受。如果是“我们”则用growth更恰当。

就这一段的翻译对比来看,有道会遗漏掉一些中文的信息;谷歌翻译得较生硬,有搭配错误;DeepL相对最准确。所以DeepL > 有道 > 谷歌。

当然,任何翻译之后最好人工再检查一遍,根据上下文在选词和句型方面做出最好的选择。