Machine vs. human translation – which one would you choose and WHY? The long-running debate of the pros and cons of machine vs. human translation repudiates to go away. Machine translation tools like Google Translate, Bing Translator and Yandex Translate are increasing – and no doubt they’re getting smarter. But the question is; when is it appropriate to employ machine translation as opposed to a professional human translation?
Let’s look at the factors concerning time, quality and cost of both the solutions to understand how translation really works.
Machine vs. Human Translation …
Time – If brands are creating large amounts of content and need to update it on the website instantly, then Machine translation is considered as the best option as it is a faster process compared to human translation. Machine translation is directly generated by a computer program. The text required to translate in entered, select the language for the text to be translated in, click a button, and viola you have the translation right in front of you! The pressing and apparent reward of machine translation is that it is virtually immediate and free of charge. What’s not to like about something that is fast and cheap!
Quality – Machine translation provides a mechanical and direct translation of words. It does not give text natural read across those language barriers or in other words there is the absence of emotive factor of communication. Whenever a fully exact, well-worded and natural sounding translation is required, human translation is all the way to go. With the right translator or native speaker it is possible to pull off premium quality human translation with outstanding quality of expression. However it does need to be acknowledged that human translators do from time to time make errors. Without a second translator evaluation and review of the documents of the translation there is always a minute threat of unintentional wrongness or errors. No doubt, translation is a complex skill, and not many people actually have the aptitude to do it well.
Cost – Machine translation may appear as a advanced way to save money and time and human translation is viewed as a more expensive choice. Human translators are most often inhabitant speakers of the mark language. Unlike machine translators, human translators are wholly familiar with the brands/client’s specificities, subtleties, terminology, jargon, syntax and more, which consents them to keep the connotation and the character of the original text and offer the finest and most precise and suitable translation. Moreover, human translators have translation degrees, and most of them may focus on an exact area of proficiency, in which they may have a specialized background, all these reasons lead to understand the fact why human translators are more costly then machine translators.
Considering the factors and pros and cons of both human translators and machine translators, it is understandable that machine translation can be used for minute, non-crucial projects, for which requirement of a perfect translation is not desirable, but only a broad understanding of the internal purpose is essential. But, for vital projects, which will be exposed to global spectators, human translation is compulsory and much more trustworthy to guarantee a high-quality job, and to make certain the message you want to convey is completely understood by your spectators.
Machine vs. Human Translation