Google translated Russia to 'Mordor' in 'automated' error

BBC ^ | 7 January 2016 | BBC

[WhiskeyX]

Google has fixed a bug in an online tool after it began translating "Russian Federation" to "Mordor".

Mordor is the name of a fictional region nicknamed "Land of Shadow" in JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings books.

In addition, "Russians" was translated to "occupiers" and the surname of Sergey Lavrov, the country's Foreign Minister, to "sad little horse".

The errors had been introduced to Google Translate's Ukrainian to Russian service automatically, Google said.

[Cletus.D.Yokel]

Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah

[dramatic breath intake]

Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah.

The Uke-nerds that work for Google have a great sense of humor.

[Leo Carpathian]

Brilliant computer!

Now how does it translate “Putin”?
Ukrainians use “Khuylo”.

[Conan the Librarian]

We know that Russia isn’t Mordor as I know it’s actually my office.

It even says it by the door. “Welcome to Mordor”

My staff love me. :D

[dhs12345]

Putin = Sauron?

[BobinIL]

I think it wold have been more accurate to translate Washington DC to Mordor

[WhiskeyX]

No, it has a remarkable resemblance to Grozny.

[McGruff]

The errors had been introduced to Google Translate’s Ukrainian to Russian service automatically, Google said.

The terms mirror language used by some Ukrainians following Moscow's annexation of Crimea in 2014.

Ukraine is lucky it doesn't look like Syria does today.