Man or machine — Why human translation is necessary
Translation is not a new concept. But, machine translation has only come into being in recent years, from about the 1950s. Many people ask the question, “Why do I need to pay a translator if I can use Google Translate?”, for example. The answer to this question relates to accuracy/quality and the goal of your translation.
The 1950s are famous for translators fearing losing their jobs to machines. Over the years, as technology has developed and improved, this fear has grown more and more. But, this fear does not need to exist. In fact, no matter how developed or advanced a computer is, it will never be able to convey the intended or accurate tone, sentiment or a certain style of writing that a translator can. How is that possible?
J. E. Holmström confirms this. “The resulting literary style would be atrocious and fuller of ‘’howlers’ and false values than the worst that any human translator produces.” Translation is not a replacement for substituting words with similar words. It is an art where a translator conveys his personal choice and use of words. No translator has the same style. So, if an author of a book wants his book translated in a specific way, with a specific tone or quality, his choice of the translator will be important. Every translator has his/her own style and knowledge, as well.
A machine does not convey a personal sentiment. Neither does it have many styles to choose from in its database. It uses an automatic substitution method of translation. Any translator will say the same thing.
But, we need to take a closer look at computer translation. Rather than fearing computer translation as a replacement for translators’ jobs, we can see it as an aid to improve translation productivity. For example, when it comes to technical translation. Interestingly, the machine translation programs need constant updates from professional translators. Some words get added to a language. New meaning gets assigned to a word. Something in the culture can change, which gets conveyed differently than before. Culturally, people use different words now than before.
A translator needs to be in the know with all these things about the source and target language, where a computer cannot. All these illustrate how intricate a language is and how complex it can be to convey meaning. One cannot replace all the words with similar words and have a correct translation. Meaning, goal, style, and tone are all part of this issue of the need for a translator, rather than relying on a computer alone.
Any professional translator always needs the benefits of translation tools. The computer program is then merely used as an aid to store translated material. It also compares previous translations and makes the translator more productive and efficient. This is not a replacement of the translator, but a so-called enhancer.
Another matter to consider is the matter of quality. Translators often need to consider multiple angles and reasoning before translating certain terms, metaphors, or implied meanings. The quality is, therefore based on the translator’s knowledge. However, a computer cannot perform such cognitive activities. Computers can’t weigh up different options based on culture, the initiator of the translation, or any other factors either. Thus, the quality of human translation is better and more accurate. Factors such as dialect, the geography of the same language, and language patterns are human-determined. Humans can completely integrate these factors into their translation process. Computers can’t.
Conclusively, translators, have no fear! Simply using a translation program like Google Translate won’t be enough for a good translation. Translator, you will always be necessary for an accurate translation of quality. Computers cannot replace you; they help you to be more productive and efficient.
