Google translate gives a probability-based translation using database analysis and user correction/retranslation.  Thus, you'll probably find that if you translate the same document again, you'll get a slightly different translation.  I think this is the way to better computer translations in the future, but it does produce its share of anomalies.
I hadn't noticed the right/left switcheroo, but one thing I *have* noticed is the mistranslation of numbers 1万 and higher.  It seems there's like a 50/50 chance 万 will be converted into "million" and 億 into "billion."  It seems like such a ridiculous error to come from a normal software translator; I think it must be the result of lots of incorrect "corrections" by users.  God knows there are enough Japanese students of English, as well as English students of Japanese, who are under that mistaken impression.

@snallygaster: Yeah I figured it might be due to the user-submitted "translations". The numbers are hard enough for me to understand as it is.

Though, I agree that this is the way to better automated translations. It's light-years better than it was even a year or two ago. I've been surprised more than once at how natural it's capable of translating.

@TheTrueBlue: I've not really found one to beat it. I used to use it a lot for things I didn't get and it usually gave me enough of a lead to understand.

Last edited by atylmo (2009 July 27, 11:30 am)

@mafried: It seems like I read something about that before, discussing that Yahoo's Babelfish uses rule-based translation and Google's is adaptable.

That'd be pretty interesting to research. If I can not be lazy and actually read the theses