Google-translated fiction v.1.09
It’s been eight long months since I started a litexperimental project called Google-translated fiction. A simple description is: letting technology, in this case GT Beta, influence the final effect of human’s writing. Major reason I’m running this project is to establish a presence of technological tools in literature in order to eliminate language limitations. Sounds academic, a better explanation would be: an idea to access international audience by a non-English writer.
Below I’m comparing two Google-translations of a single short story. The story in its original Polish version is fixed, but it’s improving at a pace of Google Translate. I must say that recently there has been a substantial development. Probably it happened at the time new languages were added to the service. That’s why a current version of GT-fiction is 1.09, not 1.0009.
I’ll make frequent updates to this 1GT-ed story, as this is showing another dimension of digital literature: it can change (hopefully improve) without the participation of an author. A literary text is no longer ultimate. It’s dynamic, flowing and unpredictable. With my passion to tech-absurd–it’s technology which is improving it or killing it. »»»
Today is a Google-translated Day
Well, I think this is the right day to do it. I’ll Google-translate every piece of my today’s life and share it through my “I, Google-translated” profile on Twitter.
I woke up in beta mood, what means I don’t know who am I supposed to be in general. This is a perfect match. Beta stage is typical for 99% of Google products, including Google Translate Beta. The last one is my favourite, when it comes to think about technology-related absurd I’m exploring as a writer. When one wants to be a real tech-absurdist, he needs to be involved in what he is writing about. He needs to be a part of an absurd process. Google Translate Beta, with all all those automatically generated language mistakes is a great way to do is.
So my way to explore tech-absurd is not only write about it, but actually – write it (this would be a nice golden thought, if only I knew what I meant).
You can read more about Google-translated fiction here and here. You can follow my Google-translated updates here.
I’m starting a “Google-translated fiction” project
When I was thinking of how to attract absurd-lovers from around the world I had one big obstacle to overcome – my ability to communicate in English. My level is good enough to start thinking of an English blog, but poor enough to call myself “a writer”. I thought of a stand-by translator who could have helped me to write this blog’s entries. Yeah. Not possible.
Luckily I’m an absurdist, or at least I pretend to be one. What I write in Polish is more or less absurd. And here the helping hand came from Google Translate Beta. It stroke my mind: why not trying that? This would be in a style I obviously do things (no sense at all), which at the same time is designed to spot things around us, which don’t make sense either, but we don’t know it (some sense).
The simple fact is, that Google translations are going to hugely influence the world communication. To the point nobody would care about bad automatic translations, as they serve one crucial purpose: »»»
Best wishes shovel [3Google-translated]
This short story is a part of a Google-translated fiction project (GT fiction). This translation was made by Google, from Polish to English, then from English to Polish, then from Polish to English. That’s why it’s described as 3Google-translated.
Best wishes shovel
Slawek Przekośniak got to wiligię SMS wishes: “I wish you good ping fajno new. I do not know who sent him the surprisingly mysterious message. I do not know to this day, and the damage – that person owes its present status and the first on the list of 67 richest Poles.
Then, in a beautiful white and russet wigilijny evening Przekośniak, a few days earlier ejected from the site for fanatics utopijnych extreme phobias (www.ilovefobia.pl), came on the concept.
It was a good idea, and the following text message ( “Happy dray accidentally only sincere lamb”) utwierdził convinced him that it was the idea to life. »»»
Best wishes spade [1Google-translated]
This short story is a part of a Google-translated fiction project (GT fiction). This translation was made by Google, from Polish to English, once. That’s why you see the description: 1Google-translated.
Best wishes spade
Slawek Przekośniak got to wiligię SMS wishes: “I Zycze good ping fajno new. Do not know who sent him this surprisingly enigmatic message. Do not know to this day, and the injury – that the person owes its present status and the first on the list of 67 richest Poles.
Then, in a beautiful white and russet wigilijny evening, Przekośniak, a few days earlier ejected from the site for fanatics utopijnych extreme phobias (www.ilovefobia.pl), came on a concept.
It was a good idea, and the next text message ( “Happy dray accidentally only a sincere lamb”) utwierdził convinced him that it was the idea of life. »»»
Wishes Shovel Best [Human-translated]
This short story is a part of a Google-translated fiction project (GT fiction). This translation, in comparison to 1GT and 3GT, was made from Polish by Anna Etmańska.
Wishes Shovel Best
On Christmas Eve Sławek Przekośniak received an SMS with these wishes: Wishing yo good ping super new”. He didn’t know who sent him that surprisingly enigmatic message. And he doesn’t know to this day. A pity, because thanks to that person he reached his current status and number 67 on the list of the wealthiest Poles.
Back then, during that beautiful, rusty white Christmas Eve night, Przekośniak, who was rudely kicked out from a social network for utopian fanatics of extreme phobias (www.ilovefobia.pl) just a few days earlier, got an idea.
It was a quite good idea too, and the next SMS (“All at cart by unintentionally only honest lamb”) convinced him it was the best idea of his life. »»»
Recently updated Polish tech-absurdist and mobile fiction writer 3.0 beta. Addicted to ebooks and technology. Guest writer at 
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