People often ask “how good is online translation?” Well, try this little experiment: take a block of text, translate it, then translate that back to your language and see how far off it is.

For example, I translated Genesis 1:1-3 from English to Spanish and back to English. Results:

Original Text

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

Spanish Translation

En el dios que comenzaba creo los cielos y la tierra. Ahora la tierra era sin forma y vacia, la oscuridad estaba sobre la superficie del profundo, y el alcohol del dios asomaba sobre las aguas. Y el diosdicho, “dejo alli sea ligero,” y habia luz.

Back to English

In the God that began it created the skies and the Earth. Now the Earth was without form and vacia, the dark was on the surface of the deep one, and the alcohol of the God showed on waters. And the said God, “left there is light,” and was light.

Well, you tell me if that’s effective. “The alcohol of the God?”