Updated September 2022. Topic: Translation apps. Top-quality language services require a human touch. There can be no doubt about this. Yet it’s impossible to discount the value of technology to the localization industry. Not long ago, we blogged about the various programs and software available to translators, which enable them to optimize their workflow and build translation memories and glossaries for their regular clients. That’s not what we’re thinking of now.
What about machine translation?
Machine Translation
Appealing as this might be to someone on the market for language services (translation as fast as your computer’s processors!), machine translation is still in its relative infancy. It does have a place in the current language industry, mainly as a useful complement to work done by human translators at various points in the process, and machine translation can sometimes do all right with very, very short texts. But with a text any more involved than, “I am going to the store tonight”, the risks of confusion and mistranslation are simply too high.
For an extreme example, here’s a passage from the blog linked to above:
“It’s true that some businesses, generously funded enterprises with extensive global outreach programs, do employ full-time translators on-site. If your professional translation path leads you to one of these jobs, know how fortunate you are! In most cases, however, when you’re a translator, you’re a business unto yourself.”
Not a bad three sentences, if I do say so myself. Now, watch what happens when I run these sentences through an online translation engine, translating them into French, Spanish, Portuguese, Hungarian, Vietnamese, and then back into English:
“It is true that a number of companies, large companies generous program sponsors worldwide, not full-time use on the site. If the path is, therefore, one of the job, I know that you’re happy! In most cases, however, a translator, a business is good.”
And that, clearly, won’t do at all.
Translation Apps
But what about software that connects untranslated text with human translators?
Here, the outlook is a bit more optimistic, because of the preponderance of smartphones. Mobile apps that offer real-time, right-now translations are a growing presence on the market, and for a person adrift in a foreign country without the needed language skills, they can be lifesavers. What if you’re on vacation in Hungary, get into an accident, and find yourself confronted with essential text in Hungarian that you can’t read? You may be able to take a picture of the text and, by means of an app, send it out for translation in minutes. Translations done in this way are by nature a somewhat risky proposition (that level of urgency doesn’t allow for the most thorough proofreading), but if all you need translated is a short note from the doctor, it’s a great option!
And now some great news, following up on our earlier blog about translation in Africa. According to Common Sense Advisory, Translators Without Borders has received a generous grant from Microsoft, for the development of an app that will crowdsource translations in East Africa, in times of crisis and disaster. For an example of the great developments that can arise when language and technology intersect, you can’t beat that – read the article here.
Consider a Partnership with TrueLanguage
Are you looking for a partnership with a language service provider? If so, you may wish to consider TrueLanguage. We offer ISO-certified state-of-the-art business translation services that are on budget, on time, and to the exact specification. Every time. Or perhaps you’re just looking for a cost-free, no-obligation estimate for your next translation project. Either way, we’d love to hear from you!
