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High-fidelity simultaneous speech-to-speech translation

(arxiv.org)
112 points Bluestein | 2 comments | 03 Jul 25 20:27 UTC | HN request time: 0.001s | source
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iambateman ◴[03 Jul 25 22:03 UTC] No.44459541[source]▶
This is why I wonder about the value of language learning for reasons other than “I’m really passionate about it.”

We are so close to interfaces that reduce the language barrier by a lot…

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ViscountPenguin ◴[04 Jul 25 01:13 UTC] No.44460376[source]▶
I don't know if you're multilingual, but some concepts are just legitimately easier to express in some languages; and the different grammatical structures that languages have can be useful for emphasising certain things, or to express subtle relationships between concepts.

I'm not a particularly fluent speaker of Japanese and Russian, but I still find it helpful to drop into them sometimes when speaking with someone who understands them.

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1. Escapado ◴[04 Jul 25 01:44 UTC] No.44460496[source]▶
I have to second this. I study Japanese myself and the entire way the Japanese communicate is reflected so deeply in the language. There is so so much nuance to pretty much every sentence they speak and there are certain grammar points that carry more meaning in three syllables than what can be expressed in English or German in a full sentence. And ok turn this way of communicating shapes their culture too I believe. If I were to translate a German conversation into Japanese, even if I did so idiomatically it would most likely come off as a rude exchange, because of all the unapologetic directness in the source language.
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2. coderatlarge ◴[04 Jul 25 06:41 UTC] No.44461750[source]▶
I’ve tried to learn Mandarin and failed because of lack of memory and practice. mostly i’m shocked at how ambiguous it appears to an english-trained mind - you have to fill in a lot of fine article/pronoun detail from custom and common understanding. which is why i think a lot of automatic translations are poor.