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27 Apr Google Translate for a funny healthcare translation

Are you thinking about translating you healthcare website with Google Translate? You should definitely not because not all that glitters is gold. Google Translate can be really tricky because its mistakes and bad translations may result in a complete different meaning. Sometimes, they even offer a full non-sense or a really bad healthcare translation with hard consequences. In Okomeds, we have already written about this issue with some Google Translate examples.

And now, we are dealing this issue again with different languages – both with similar and very different languages, no language scape. So here are other real examples explained with a literal back translation about Google Translate and healthcare translation that can also be seen in a funny way:

Her husband suffered a heart attack – Her husband suffered a potato attack

Please, do not make noise while patients are sleeping – Please, do not disturb the grass

It may contain traces of walnuts – It may contain traces of crazy people

Is the pain spreading through the liver? – Is the pain irradiating through the liver?

He will lose the middle finger – He will lose the heart

The man has a severe trapezium pain – The man has a severe trapeze pain

The calf muscle is bleeding – The twin is bleeding

The clinical course of the patient was favourable – The evolution of the patient was favourable

Read the label – Read the tongue

She is doing a breast cancer test – She is doing a sine test

The patient pointed the pain with his forefinger – The patient pointed the pain with his index

The doctor is analysing the past medical history of the patient – The doctor is analysing the antecedents of the patient

Blood test – Bloody test

I went to the orthopaedic surgeon – I went to the mental hospital

You get what you pay for. So, after reading this post… have you changed your mind about the important role of a human medical translator? Sometimes it can be funny, but it is always risky. Healthcare translation and human lives are at stake, so better trust your healthcare translation to a professional for avoiding this kind of mistakes.