The Tower of Babel

Definition: [n] (Genesis 11:1-11) a tower built by Noah's descendants (probably in Babylon) who intended it to reach up to heaven; God foiled them by confusing their language so they could no longer understand one another.
-WorldNet Dictionary

Dave at Clear Blue Skies found a German translation of his page though Google yesterday so, I decided to see what my page looked like in Spanish. Instead of Google I used Altavista's Babel Fish. When I looked at the Spanish translation page I wondered if the translation was accurate. I figured the only way to see if it was accurate was to translate part of it back into English. I used the following paragraph of yesterday's post:

"I am reading Baseball (100 Years of The Modern Era: 1901-2000): From The Archives Of "The Sporting News." One of the fascinating things in this book is a copy of a baseball questionnaire that Jackie Robinson returned to The Sporting News in 1947."

This is what I got:

I am the baseball of the reading (100 years of the modern era: 1901-2000): Of the Archives "Of the News That are amused." One of the fascinadoras things in this book is a copy of a questionnaire of the baseball that Jackie Robinson returned to the news that were amused in 1947.

Well, that was interesting. Now I decied to see how that paragraph would translate into some other languages.

English to French and then English:
I am the baseball of reading (100 years of the modern era: 1901-2000): Files "Of The Sporting News." One of the attractive things in this book is a copy of a questionnaire of baseball that Jackie Robinson returned to the sporting news in 1947.

English to German to English:
I am measured value baseball (100 years of the modern era: 1901-2000): Of archives "the Sporting message." One of the fascinating things in this book is a copy of a baseball questionnaire, which Jackie Robinson returned to the Sporting messages 1947.

English/Italian/English:
They are baseball of the reading (100 years of was modern: 1901-2000): From It arches You "Of The News Di Sport." One of the fascinating things in this book is a copy of a questionnaire of baseball that Jackie Robinson has given back to the news of sport in 1947.

English/Portuguese/English
I am baseball of the reading (100 years of the modern age: 1901-2000): Of The Archives "Of The Notice Exhibiting." One of the fascinating things in this book is a copy of a questionnaire of baseball that Jackie Robinson returns to the notice exhibiting in 1947.

Babel Fish sure is having trouble with that first sentence. Now, let's see how garbled this paragraph can get:

English/French/German/English:
I am the reading baseball (100 years of the modern age: 1901-2000): Archives of the sporty message von?The? One that fascinantes things in this book is a copy of a baseball questionnaire, which Jackie Robinson referred to the sporty messages in the year 1947.

Babel Fish is aptly named, wouldn't you say?