The opportunity to serve customers across countries has become accessible in today’s increasingly interconnected business world. Correct translation of languages is one of the important factors in this business globalisation process. Although fast and cheap machine translation solutions like Google Translate seem adequate initially, they have severe drawbacks.
Let’s explore why free machine translation is insufficient for managing global communication and where human intervention must occur.
Human vs. Machine Translation: What Do They Offer
Both methods have their upsides, such as:
1. Human Translation Ensures a Personalized Approach
Human translation service involves professional translational linguists who are competent in both the source or original language and the target or translated language. These experts know cultural contexts, colloquialisms, and contextual connotations that a translation bot cannot decipher.
For example, to an English audience, the phrase “kick the bucket” literally means ‘to die’ Here, the human translator will understand the cultural reference and translate it correctly, while a tool like Google Translate will just convert the phrase almost word by word. Thus, the result will not be understood by the target personas.
2. Machine Translation (MT) Offers Faster Approach
The machine-based approach is faster than the human translator, focusing on strategic organisation improvement. MT service involves translating text from one language to another with the help of programs and algorithms.
This technology is commonly used in Google Translate, providing instant translation of any language. It can also process large amounts of text at a time. Still, it lacks reliable translation in most cases, especially in instances where the content read by the program is relatively dense and requires a more profound understanding.
A prominent example of this is the translation of the literal meaning of the Spanish phrase “está en la luna,” which means “he is daydreaming.” A machine translation tool will simply translate this to “he is on the moon.” This is a complete misinterpretation of the intended message and leads to miscommunications.
Scenarios Where Machine Translation Are Reliable
Machine translation, if used correctly, can be an effective tool, especially when translating simple, non-critical text. For instance, in internal communication, you can use Google Translate to translate internal documents where accuracy is not essential.
Additionally, the quality of translated content through solely machines can be sufficient for a casual understanding of the text and its general idea or for a cursory glance at the content. But, in documents or messages that require critical analysis and comprehension, you need an expert to translate the content who can relay the intended message to the target personals.
Why You Shouldn’t Depend Solely on Machine Translation
MT comes with several limitations which can negatively impact your cross-border business expansion. These are as follows:
1. Context and Nuance
Machine translation cannot fully understand the context. It rarely looks at the entire message; instead, it often breaks the sentence/paragraphs into words or phrases and analyses them separately. This can result in awkward or unacceptable translations that may confuse or offend the target persons.
2. Cultural Sensitivity and Adaptation
Cultural context plays a vital role in effective translation. Different cultures have unique values and nuances that must be respected. For instance, some content that may pass through the marketing department and is deemed ‘appropriate’ for marketing may be considered ‘offensive’ in another country. A human translator can manage these issues, whereas an MT system can often overlook these cultural nuances.
3. Inaccuracy with Specialized Content
Some fields, like legal or medical fields, often need to express terms and their understanding accurately. The disadvantage of relying only on machine translation is that it has the risk of creating translations with errors that may have serious consequences. For example, improperly translated medical instructions or agreements may result in misunderstandings in needed procedures for treating and protecting patients’ rights.
4. Lack of Emotional Intelligence
When you use bots that can translate texts quickly, the translated content may not interpret information as well as the intention behind it. In a professional communication setting, where there is a need for frequent and dynamic interaction with the client/customer, human touch is a must. Machine translations are rather stiff and do not have a natural flow, which makes the text less appealing to the other parties.
The fusion of human input with the machine translation model improves the quality of translation enormously; businesses can reap extraordinary outcomes. While using machine translation brings about the benefits of speed and efficiency, the human touch tends to decode the message’s intention. It ensures that the fine details of the language are well captured in the translated message that resonates with the target personals.
The incorporation of professionally trained human post-editors into the machine translation (Machine Translation and Post-editing, MTPE) process plays several vital functions:
1) Human post-editors can revisit the translation made by software, further enhance its quality, and get rid of any mistakes that might have been made. For instance, a professional human post-editor can identify idiomatic expressions, ensuring the final output is accurate.
2) Human post-editors can come up with creative interpretations of available machine translations. For example, a human expert can rewrite or reorganise a sentence to make it more compelling and understandable.
This is especially useful for promotional content such as marketing, advertising campaigns, or any other content presented to consumers. By combining the efficiency of machine translation with the authenticity of human touch, your business can create content that is suitable and emotionally appealing to your target audience.
Pick the Efficient Translation Solution for Your Business
As you advance your business’s reach to cross-border markets, ensure that the communication process involves correctly translated languages. As discussed in the above article, you must employ machine translation tools with the expertise of professional human post-editors. This guarantees your messages are understandable by your audiences and creates a channel of trust when communicating across linguistic and cultural barriers.
At Hansem Global, the leading global language service provider certified in ISO18587, we use the best of AI technologies combined with MTPE specialists’ supervision for accurate translations. We cater to various businesses and create professionally sound content in multiple languages. Visit our website to explore our services.
FAQs
1. What are the costs of human translation compared to machine translation?
Although a human translation service typically costs more than a machine, it can help your business save a lot of money in the long run by avoiding possible misunderstandings and additional expenses needed to sort out mistakes. While most translation tools are cheaper, and some are free, the flip side is that any misinterpretation could lead to lost business and affect your company’s reputation.
2. Can machine translation be customised?
Indeed, most machine translation engines can be fine-tuned to incorporate customised global and lexical databases for far better results. You must combine this customization with a professional translator’s insights into the process for better results.
3. How can businesses ensure high-quality translations?
To get quality translations, it is advisable to seek the services of a professional translation agency that uses both human intelligence and artificial intelligence. You should focus on agencies with cultural sensitivity and knowledge of your industry.
4. What are the consequences of translation errors on business?
Misinterpretations arising from translation mistakes are very costly to your organisation, affecting its reputation and regulatory compliance, and can sometimes lead to legal suits. Hiring professional translation services to deal with your international clients can eliminate these risks.