在Rio 2016 Summer Olympics期间，一中国西北汉子不远万里，漂洋过海赶到巴西里约为中国队加油。这位汉子曾多次出现在有中国运动员参赛的赛场，他不时举起一个“中国加油”的牌子为中国队呐喊助威，然而细心的电视观众会发现“中国加油”的下方附有“China Fueling”！稍微有点英语常识的人都知道，“中国加油”的英文应为“Go China”，而不是让人无法理解，甚至引起西方人误解的“China Fueling”!
10多年前，笔者曾惊奇地看到一教授将“可靠性”翻译成“dependent sex”；去年我发现一研究生把“节（日风）俗”“翻成”“section vulgar”。在最近一期学报的英文编辑过程中，笔者发现有两篇论文的英文摘要是机器翻译的（一篇是我校一青年教师的，另一篇是一211大学博导的）。更令人可怕的是，甚至在去年一国际学术会议收到的英文论文中，也不乏“机器翻译”的身影！
去过华山的人都知道，华山有“俯渭崖，擦耳崖，冲宵崖，舍身崖，避诏崖，明星崖，日月崖，仙掌崖”等9崖。假如我们用网络上比较流行的某免费机器翻译软件直接翻译的话，这9崖会被“翻成” “Fu Wei Ya, ear rub cliff, red cliff, Xiao Ya, Ya Ya star, from Chao, sun ya, Ya Xian Zhang”这样可笑的译文，简直与较为地道的“Looking into Wei River, Touching Ear, Thrusting into the Clouds; Sacrificing Oneself, Escaping the Imperial Edict, Bright Star, Sun and Moon, Immortal Palm”的译文相距十万八千里！
再如，如果把秦《峄山刻石》上的“追念乱世，分土建邦，以开争理。攻战日作，流血于野， 自泰古始。世无万数，陀及五帝，莫能禁止。乃今皇帝，一家天下，兵不复起。灾害灭除，黔首康定，利则长久”直接粘贴到网络上某免费翻译软件的文字框里，点击“翻译”按钮就会呈现“Remember the times, divided into civil state, to open for reasons. Attack on, bleeding in the wild, since the beginning of taigu. There is no million, and the top, nothing can be banned. This is the emperor, a world, will rise again. Disaster elimination, the common people of Kangding, and has long”的译文，这样的“译文”实在让人“丈二和尚摸不着头脑”。其实该段碑文较为地道的译文应为：
They[the Qin ministers] recalled and contemplate the times of chaos:
When [regional lords] apportioned the land, established their states,
And thus unfolded the pattern of struggles.
Attacks and campaigns were daily waged;
They shed their blood in the open countryside ---
This had begun in highest antiquity.
Through untold generations
One [rule] followed another down to the Five Thearchs,
And no one could prohibit or stop them.
Now Today, the August Thearch
Has unified all-under Heaven into one family ---
Warfare will not arise again!
Disaster and harm are exterminated and erased,
The black-headed people live in peace and stability,
Benefits and blessings are lasting enduring.
所以，无论汉译英，还是英译汉，绝对不可百分之百的直接依靠（赖）网上所谓的免费翻译软件。在非用不可的情况下，机器翻译出来的译文一定要反复推敲修改，以防低级错误的出现。笔者还想重复那句老话，再高端再智能的机器翻译软件都不会取代严肃认真的翻译工作者。
