You may be wondering why there are still universities that offer Translation Studies courses, even though the technology that supports the process is growing. You do not waste any time studying it as machines will never replace the human touch. In this case, quality is the essential point which will be explained below!
Word to Word Method Does Not Always Make Sense
The translation method is divided into two parts which refer to the source and target language. Word for word is the most commonly used, but the results are not always accurate.
Word-to-word method refers to the source language. This is what makes it not always appropriate to use since a word usually has a double meaning which is determined by the context. In machine translation, the process tends to be like this, so it needs to be re-checked manually.
You can take for example the word ‘run.’ Besides referring to physical activity, there are other meanings that will differ according to context. Machine translation cannot deal with this issue, so the results are not as expected.
Humans Can Evaluate Cultural Elements in Text
Localization is a translation spectrum that refers to global market developments. In addition to language skills, a practitioner needs a deeper understanding of culture as the reader will be more specific to an area.
Machine translators will perform their duties limited to the language aspect so that the localization process cannot be carried out properly. For instance, when a word has a distinctive meaning in a culture, the human touch is able to realize adaptive analysis through research and consultation with natives.
Human Translation is Cheaper
How did this happen? You may think that the use of technology can cut the number of workers. However, inappropriate translation results will affect the performance of your business or other affairs now that your goal in translating is to interact with foreigners.
Human translation has several steps to present the finest result for the client. This holistic process cannot be replaced by any technology. In fact, the use of machine translation still needs the expertise of a practitioner as they must translate a terminology first before entering it into the system (Translation Memory).
Human Translation for Better Judgment
Editing and proofreading are part of the translation step to ensure that there are no typos and other things that will affect the results. Leave it to a reliable translator to handle it, especially on interpretation. They can overcome any technical problems such as poor audio quality with the best competence.
According to many experts, accuracy, readability, and acceptability are three salient aspects that need to be assessed in a translation. A complex process, isn’t it? So, it is clear that you need a human role to check whether the translation is good or not.
Fields in Translation Needs Human Touch
You can try to translate business text or other fields from English to Indonesian using a machine. Are there words or phrases that do not make sense? That is a translation challenge that only the experienced can overcome.
Call it the challenge that must be faced by translators’ terminology. Now that it is quite complex, it turns out that the two have a relationship. It continues to be researched and ends in the discovery of strategies for translating terminology.
Translating is not only about mastering vocabulary, there are a bunch of things that go into it such as culture and terminology. This complex process cannot be replaced by machines as it requires in-depth analysis. Machines will be driven by humans to assist, not to be reversed.
