Machines can understand and translate human speech better than ever before. However, bots from Google to Amazon still struggle to understand your words, handle humor, or do anything much beyond giving you an approximation of what was originally said.
When it comes to translating files, machines offer alternatives to human intervention, but they may not always be the preferred solution for translation needs.
Unverified machine translation (MT), like Google Translate, can be a quicker and more budget-friendly option compared to using a certified human translation service, but the trade-off is an increased risk of errors and other challenges. Below, we outline nine potential pitfalls of unverified machine translation (or standard machine translation) that warrant careful consideration before implementation.
1. The accuracy suffers
A machine translator doesn’t go back to check its work. There’s no pause-and-repeat function to allow a machine to go over a phrase more than once, then accurately transcribe it.
Standard MTs are most effective when used to get a general idea of a passage or piece of content. However, when it comes to word-for-word accuracy from one language to another, standard MT won’t deliver a high percentage of accurate translation. You need a human touch to review and edit a translation for the best possible level of accuracy, such as human translation or MT with post-editing (PE).
2. You lose context
Machines are very literal. They can’t understand how a mistranslated word or phrase could change the meaning of a passage in different contexts.
Having a human eye and ear on your translation can help prevent errors that may lead to embarrassment. Standard MT may overlook nuances or contexts that make a passage accurate and relevant.
From puns to sarcasm, standard MT often misses those nuances, while a human translator can listen to a phrase and understand how to translate it in a way that makes sense culturally in the target language.
3. You lose time
You might find a quicker (almost instant) turnaround time with standard MT, but you'll likely need to dedicate valuable time to reviewing and correcting errors.
Consider the possibility of a quick yet inaccurate translation, alongside the additional time required for correcting errors. Now, compare this to the time taken by a certified human translator to translate your piece, check for errors, and ensure the accuracy of the final work.
It might take slightly longer to get your final translation, but the accuracy is worth it. If you allow enough time to meet your deadline, human translation consistently proves advantageous.
4. They limit file formats
Standard MT’s come with certain limitations. They might have limits to the types of file formats they can read, which limits your options when choosing an engine to use. There may also be significant limits on file size, narrowing the field even further.
If you recorded audio or typed your document in an unaccepted format, you’re stuck without a translator. Choosing a human translator often gives you more options to use your file, regardless of format or size.
While human translators may have preferred file formats, outright file rejection is less likely, and providing what they need means that your project will get done faster.
5. They lack the ability to think critically or ask questions
Standard MT can’t think, and they don’t ask questions. They use programming to interpret words and find the closest equivalent in another language for the translation.
Some languages don’t have an exact equivalent in a different language. Machines either translate to a similar (but inaccurate) word, or there may be evident gaps in the translations.
When you work with a professional human translator, they understand language barriers. If a word or phrase has no exact translated meaning, they’ll recommend a suitable equivalent translated phrase to maintain the integrity of your document across languages.
6. You lose money
"But some standard MTs are free!"
You get what you pay for. Trying to save a buck on a “free” translation service can end up costing you more money to edit the translation. Whether you do it yourself or pay someone to edit, you’re not getting anything for free. Time is valuable. Your staff has better things to do than edit a free standard MT full of errors. It’s a better investment of time and budget dollars to work with a certified human translator from the start or invest in a custom AI model tailored to your project’s needs.
7. It’s not an expert
A standard MT lacks expertise in any language or specific industry jargon. Again, it is merely a program. Its accuracy depends on both the developer of the software and the quality of the input material. That's why semi-custom or fully-trained AI models are recommended over standard MTs; they are developed using your translation memory (TM) to adopt your preferred language preferences.
Certified translators are experts in their languages and often specialize in complex industries. Seek out translators proficient in both the parent language and the end-result language. This approach can help prevent potentially offensive or hazardous errors in the final results.
8. It can get wordy
Why keep it in five words when you can say it in fifteen words in a different language? If you notice your document is much longer than the original, your standard MT probably added more words than necessary to find a “close enough” translation.
When paying by the word for a standard MT service, beware of paying for words you don’t need and a confusing document. Concise is always better than convoluted.
9. It’s not creative
When translating marketing materials or creatively driven pieces, a standard MT program regularly gets lost in translation.
Creative content often uses words in unique contexts. You’ll also find made-up words for creative, dramatic, or humorous effects. Standard MTs won’t catch those subtleties in language or context.
Using a human translator will help you market to multiple audiences with varying languages while taking creative flair into account.
Final thoughts
Standard MT might be fast, but it’s no match for human quality and accuracy or a custom AI model built for your specific project needs. When your documents or files matter most, investing in an expert human translator or custom AI model is a secure way to ensure that the translated work is of the highest quality possible. It’s worth the time and money to get the job done right the first time.
