Targum vs DeepL
The One
Translation score
Three AI readers who know Hebrew read the Hebrew original, the author’s voice notes and both translations, without knowing which was which, and scored each as a translation. A 10 means this is how the author would have written the book in English.
- Targum8.0
- DeepL6.3
3 of these 3 readers preferred Targum.
Scores by criterion
| Targum | DeepL | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | 8.0 | 7.0 |
| Facts | 8.0 | 6.0 |
| Author’s voice | 8.0 | 6.7 |
| Localization | 8.7 | 5.3 |
| Natural English | 9.0 | 6.0 |
Reading score
Three other AI readers saw only the two English versions and scored each as a book in English, where a 10 is a first-rate published book of its kind. Read the same way, three classic American bestsellers (Babbitt, Main Street and The Age of Innocence) scored 8.7 to 9.0.
- Targum8.0
- DeepL5.7
3 of 3 AI readers preferred Targum.
Scores by criterion
| Targum | DeepL | |
|---|---|---|
| Natural English | 8.3 | 5.7 |
| Expressiveness | 7.3 | 5.7 |
| Punch | 7.3 | 5.3 |
| Idioms and expressions | 8.0 | 5.3 |
| Author’s voice | 8.0 | 5.7 |
| Clarity | 8.7 | 6.3 |
Green What worked in ours
Red What went wrong in the others
How we tested: the Hebrew is the excerpt on our sample page. Targum: the translation shown there, after a final editing pass (October 2026). DeepL: the DeepL API (quality model), Hebrew to American English, October 2026, paragraph by paragraph. Scores: two panels of three AI readers per book (Claude models) who didn't know which version was which.
Foreword
בנובמבר 2008, בשעת אחר צוהריים קסומה, מצאתי את עצמי במרפסת שקטה באוהי שבקרבת לוס אנג'לס. השמש נטתה לשקוע, צובעת בגוני ורוד מרהיבים את ההרים שמסביב, תופעה יומית שהפכה את הרגע הזה למרגש במיוחד. ישבתי שם, בצידו האחד של השולחן. בצידו השני ישבה ביירון קייטי, קורנת אור של חוכמה, ענווה ואהבה. באותם רגעים מופלאים היא הייתה עבורי הכי קרובה למה שיכולתי לתאר כ'מורה רוחנית מוארת'. לימיני ישב דרור לשם, מנהל הפיתוח העסקי של קואוצ'ינג אינטראקטיב. יחד הצגנו לפני קייטי את החזון שלנו: להפוך את הספרים שלה, את ה'עבודה', לתוכנית אינטראקטיבית שתגיע למיליוני אנשים ברחבי העולם. היינו חדורי אמונה שיש בידינו להפוך את השיטה שפיתחה לנגישה, באמצעות האינטרנט.
One enchanted afternoon in November 2008, I found myself on a quiet terrace in Ojai, near Los Angeles. The sun was going down, and the mountains around us had turned a deep, glowing pink. It was a sight I could have seen any day, but that afternoon it moved me more than ever. I sat on one side of the table. Across from me sat Byron Katie, radiant with wisdom, humility, and love. In those extraordinary moments, she was the closest thing to an enlightened spiritual teacher I had ever met.
To my right sat Dror Leshem, business development manager at Coaching Interactive. Together, we presented our vision to Katie: to transform her books and The Work into an interactive program that could reach millions of people around the world. We believed wholeheartedly that the internet could make her method accessible on an unprecedented scale.
- What workedThe town is spelled Ojai, the name English readers know
- What workedMakes clear the sunset is daily, yet this moment still felt special
- What workedVaries the word, as the Hebrew does, so the description stays fresh
In November 2008, on a magical afternoon, I found myself on a quiet balcony in Ohi, near Los Angeles. The sun was setting, painting the surrounding mountains in spectacular shades of pink—a daily phenomenon that made this moment especially moving. I sat there, on one side of the table. On the other side sat Byron Katie, radiating wisdom, humility, and love. In those magical moments, she was, to me, the closest thing to what I could describe as an “enlightened spiritual teacher.” To my right sat Dror Leshem, Director of Business Development at Coaching Interactive. Together, we presented our vision to Katie: to transform her books—"The Work"—into an interactive program that would reach millions of people around the world. We were filled with the conviction that we could make the method she had developed accessible through the internet.
- What went wrongLetter-by-letter transliteration; English readers won't recognize the town of Ojai
- What went wrong'Magical' appears three times in a few lines; here the Hebrew uses another word
התבוננתי בה, לרגעים חשתי כמהלך על ענן. הנה אני יושב מול ביירון קייטי, האישה עם הנוכחות המלאכית משהו, קורנת יופי קסום ושובה לב. איזו זכות, הרהרתי.
I looked at her and, for a moment, felt as though I were walking on air. Here I was, sitting across from Byron Katie, a woman with something almost angelic about her, a glow, a kind of magic, a beauty that won you over on the spot. What a privilege, I thought.
I looked at her; for a moment, I felt as if I were walking on a cloud. Here I was, sitting across from Byron Katie, the woman with an almost angelic presence, radiating a magical and captivating beauty. What a privilege, I thought.
הרגע שהכל השתנה
The Moment Everything Changed
The Moment Everything Changed
בעודי מתאר לה את התוכנית שלנו, קמה לפתע קייטי ממקומה, התיישבה לצידי ולקחה את ידי. דמעות החלו זולגות מעיניה, והן הלכו והיו לבכי עמוק ורם שהדהד והרעיד את האוויר במרפסת השקטה. לרגע חשתי מבולבל, נבוך וחסר שקט. האם אמרתי משהו שפגע בה? האם עשיתי טעות כלשהי? דרור ואני החלפנו בינינו מבטים מודאגים. היססתי, האם עליי לומר משהו?
As I described our plan, Katie suddenly rose, came around the table, sat beside me, and took my hand. Tears began to stream from her eyes. Soon they became deep, wrenching sobs that echoed across the quiet terrace and seemed to shake the air itself. For a moment, I was confused, embarrassed, and uneasy. Had I said something that hurt her? Had I made some kind of mistake? Dror and I exchanged worried glances. I hesitated. Should I say something?
- What workedSpells out the implied move: Katie comes around the table.
As I was describing our program to her, Katie suddenly stood up, sat down next to me, and took my hand. Tears began to stream from her eyes, and they gradually turned into deep, loud sobs that echoed and shook the air on the quiet balcony. For a moment, I felt confused, embarrassed, and uneasy. Had I said something to hurt her? Had I made some kind of mistake? Dror and I exchanged worried glances. I hesitated—should I say something?
קייטי הרימה את ראשה, נתנה מבט עמוק אל תוך עיניי ואמרה, "דורון, חיכיתי לך כל חיי. אתה האחד שיביא אותי למיליונים בעולם". מילים שייחרטו לעד בזיכרוני.
Katie raised her head, looked deeply into my eyes, and said, “Doron, I've been waiting for you all my life. You're the one who will bring me to millions of people around the world.” I would never forget what she said.
Katie lifted her head, looked deeply into my eyes, and said, “Doron, I’ve been waiting for you my whole life. You’re the one who will bring me to millions around the world.” Words that will be etched in my memory forever.
מילותיה היכו בי בעוצמה שכמותה לא ידעתי. הרגשתי את כובד האחריות על כתפיי, את משקלן של הציפיות. פחד הציף אותי. האם אוכל לעמוד בציפיות שלה? האם יש בכוחי להגשים את חלומותיה הגדולים?
Her words struck me with a force I had never known. I felt the weight of responsibility on my shoulders, the full weight of her expectations. Fear flooded me. Could I live up to what she expected of me? Did I have it in me to help bring her great dreams to life?
Her words struck me with a force I had never known before. I felt the weight of responsibility on my shoulders, the weight of her expectations. Fear washed over me. Would I be able to live up to her expectations? Did I have what it takes to make her big dreams come true?
נשמתי נשימה עמוקה, הבטתי בה ואמרתי, "קייטי, את האחת. את כתבת את הספרים, את עומדת על הבמות, את מובילה את השיטה. אני רק אעזור לך להגביר את ההשפעה שלך בעולם".
I took a deep breath, looked at her, and said, “Katie, you are the one. You wrote the books. You speak from the stage. You lead The Work. I'll just help you reach more of the world.”
I took a deep breath, looked at her, and said, “Katie, you’re the one. You’ve written the books, you’re on stage, you’re leading the movement. I’ll just help you amplify your impact on the world.”
"דורון", היא השיבה, "הכל קורה עבורך – לא לך".
“Doron,” she replied, “everything happens for you, not to you.”
“Doron,” she replied, “everything is happening for you—not to you.”
היה זה משפט ששינה את חיי.
That sentence changed my life.
It was a sentence that changed my life.
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