One fears the worst. Alison Penfold on FLEFO pointed out that Google is looking for volunteer translators to localize its site(s).
Translation guidelines include:
bq. It is very important to us that all translations maintain the appropriate Google tone. Our site in English is written in a tech- and web-savvy, upbeat and friendly style. We want all our non-English content to reflect this style; however, we recognize that what is considered polite and appropriate varies by culture. Therefore, we want the translator to understand the English content and style first, and then rewrite it such that the tone is maintained within the framework of the particular language/culture.
bq. Do not translate proper names or product names. Examples of these include “Google” and “SafeSearch”.
Discussion group for Google translators
I gather from an answer on that forum that Google has paid translators for the higher-volume languages.