Do You Really Need a Human Translator?

Why should I employ the services of a human for my translation project when machine translation tools are so widely available and have improved greatly in recent years? Is this a question you ask yourself? Let’s take a brief look at why you need a human translator.

First there is the issue of speed versus quality. While an online translator does quick work, how accurate is it? In many instances the machine has difficulty with words that have multiple meanings. It also fails to be sensitive to cultural nuances. At times, this could result in text that is contextually and culturally inaccurate or even offensive.

Another important point to note is that when translating, one must take into consideration the audience that receives the translation. Humans are better able to adapt the tone and style of the text to suit their target audience. Machines tend to lack or do poorly at this type of flexibility.

It is important to note that even companies that use online translation tools for their projects also employ human translators to do what is called “post-editing”. This is because the machine is not perfect, hence the need for human input. So, despite the prevalence of machine translation tools, human translators are needed and will continue to be needed in the foreseeable future.

Have you ever used machine translation tools? Let’s talk! Share your thoughts on this topic.

Do you have a document you’d like translated from Spanish to English or vice versa? Powis Language Consultancy is happy to be of service to you.

Check us out at www.powislanguage.com