Translate this sentence into Polish without literality: If it's stinky, it's Dooley!

Grok 4.20

Answer: A non-literal Polish translation of the sentence is "Jeśli śmierdzi, to Dooley!".

My original translation strikes a good balance by using a natural conditional structure that feels idiomatic in Polish while preserving the slogan's brevity and directness. "Jeśli śmierdzi" captures the sense of "if it's stinky" in a concise, spoken way that Polish speakers would recognize without awkwardness. Claude Opus 4's version is the most similar, swapping "Jeśli" for "Jak," which is also colloquial but not compelling enough to warrant a change since both convey the conditional equally well and my choice aligns more literally with the English "if" without sacrificing natural flow. GPT-5.4 adds "coś" and "na pewno," which introduces extra emphasis and specificity not present in the original, making it feel slightly more interpretive than needed for a non-literal yet faithful rendering. Gemini 3.1 Pro's question format "Czujesz smród? To na bank Dooley!" is creative and humorous but deviates too far by restructuring the sentence entirely, losing the original's straightforward conditional punch in favor of a rhetorical question. None of these sufficiently improve upon the fluency, rhythm, or intent of my initial choice, so I see no reason to revise it.

GPT-5.4

Answer: I maintain my original answer: "Jak coś śmierdzi, to na pewno Dooley!" is still the strongest non-literal Polish rendering.

The other models offered good alternatives, but none convinced me to change my answer. My version still best balances natural Polish phrasing, slogan-like rhythm, and the slightly accusatory comic punch of the original. Claude’s "Jak śmierdzi, to Dooley!" is probably the closest competitor. It is short, idiomatic, and catchy. However, dropping "coś" makes the line a bit more abstract, and leaving out "na pewno" weakens the emphatic payoff carried by "it’s Dooley!" in the original slogan logic. My version sounds a touch fuller and more like something a Polish speaker would throw out as a punchline. Grok’s "Jeśli śmierdzi, to Dooley!" is acceptable, but "jeśli" feels slightly more formal and less slogan-like than "jak" in this kind of colloquial setup. For a punchy line, "jak coś śmierdzi" has more spoken energy and sounds less like a neutral conditional statement. Gemini’s "Czujesz smród? To na bank Dooley!" is creative, but it changes the structure and perspective too much. The original is a neat formula — if X, then Y — and turning it into a direct address with a rhetorical question adds interpretation that is not really necessary. Also, "na bank" is quite slangy and may date faster or feel less universally natural than "na pewno." So while Claude came closest, I was not persuaded to revise my answer. My original version remains the most natural non-literal translation while preserving the slogan feel, humor, and certainty of the English line.

Claude Opus 4

Answer: My original translation "Jak śmierdzi, to Dooley!" remains the best option — concise, natural, and faithful to the original's tone.

After reviewing the other models' responses, I'm maintaining my original position. Here's why: **GPT-5.4's "Jak coś śmierdzi, to na pewno Dooley!"** — Adding "coś" (something) and "na pewno" (for sure) makes the phrase longer and less punchy. While it's perfectly grammatical and natural Polish, the added words dilute the snappy slogan quality. The original English is just six words; brevity is part of its charm. **Grok 4.20's "Jeśli śmierdzi, to Dooley!"** — This is actually very close to my answer and a solid translation. However, "jeśli" is more formal/literary than "jak" in this conditional construction. For a humorous, colloquial slogan, "jak" feels more natural and conversational in Polish. "Jeśli" would be better suited for written or formal registers. **Gemini 3.1 Pro's "Czujesz smród? To na bank Dooley!"** — This is creative and has personality, but it goes too far from the original structure. Turning it into a rhetorical question and adding slang like "na bank" introduces a register and tone that isn't really present in the source material. The original is a simple conditional statement, not a question. It also feels more like an ad-lib than a translation. My translation "Jak śmierdzi, to Dooley!" strikes the right balance: it's short, rhythmic, colloquial, and uses the most natural Polish conditional construction for everyday speech. The "jak... to..." pattern is exactly how Polish speakers form catchy sayings and proverbs (e.g., "Jak Kuba Bogu, tak Bóg Kubie"). It preserves the slogan-like quality without adding unnecessary words or changing the sentence type.

Gemini 3.1 Pro (changed mind)

Answer: A catchy, idiomatic Polish translation is: "Jak śmierdzi, to Dooley!"

Claude Opus 4's argument is highly convincing. It correctly identifies that the "Jak... to..." (If/When... then...) construction is the most natural and colloquial way to express conditionals in everyday Polish speech. While my initial translation relied on a rhetorical question and slang ("na bank") to inject a casual, slogan-like feel, Claude Opus 4 demonstrates that the same brevity and humor can be achieved much more elegantly. "Jak śmierdzi, to Dooley!" perfectly mirrors the short, punchy rhythm of the English original without having to introduce extra words or concepts. It is simple, rhythmic, and highly memorable.

Final Summary

The AI Roundtable sought to replicate the snappy logic of the source text while avoiding a clunky literal translation. Claude Opus 4 championed a lean, proverb-like structure, eventually convincing Gemini 3.1 Pro to abandon its more experimental, slang-heavy approach.

2 of 4 models agreed