When you want to translate something accurately from one language into another, do you automatically open up Google Translate? Is this because you believe it to be either the best option, or your only option? Did you know that for accurately translating French to English, human translation is typically much more effective?
Whatever type of document you need to translate, or whether you’re trying to localize your website or app into another language, while machine translation services are speedy and free, you will almost certainly face significant issues with accuracy. That’s why, for document translating services and the like, human translation is a much safer, reliable option.
What is human translation?
When written content is converted from one language into another by a person, and not a machine, that’s human translation. As the most accurate and dependable method of translation available, it offers a far superior quality than that of a machine. When a document is translated by a person who has an in depth understanding of both languages in question, it will be meticulously carried out after thorough analysis, and a translation will be created that’s as similar to the original as possible. While the service isn’t free, the quality that you get from it makes it a worthwhile investment, especially when it comes to important legal, technical, medical or financial documents or content.
What are the disadvantages of machine translation?
Many people seek automated assistance with translating information contained within a website, document, book or other such item, and use online services such as Google Translate and others. However, when a machine translates from one language to another, the result is often too literal, and doesn’t accurately reflect any nuances that might occur within the text. When this happens, content becomes almost robotic to read, and is far less engaging and impactful than when translated by a human. Not only that, but sometimes when words are misread or misinterpreted by the machine, it can lead to strange translations that don’t really make sense.
Finally, machine translations can be highly inconsistent, and the same piece of content translated at different times using machine translation will likely have different levels of accuracy.
Why human translation typically gives better results
Human translation tends to give better results than a machine no matter what language is being translated, and with the higher degree of accuracy, you can be sure that your document, website or text is saying exactly what it’s supposed to say – nothing more and nothing less!
Mistakes made in translating can often be more than just embarrassing, and in the case of important documents, such as those that contain technical, financial, or legal information, accuracy is essential, and errors can even end up costing you money or getting you into all manner of legal strife.
Simply put, if you want something to be translated accurately from one language to another, you’re guaranteed to get better results from someone who speaks those languages fluently, than you ever are with a machine.
