Press Release Author: Sergey Bocharov, client-manager english-russian translation company Veritas
Industry: Education
Press Release Summary: The description about the difference between Human and Machine Translation
Press Release Body: Machine vs Human Professional Translation It is most likely that most of us asked themselves a question: why would we need translation agencies if there is an ample of web-based as well as standalone applications called "electronic translators", which can be used for translation even if the person does not know the language at all? Currently the brightest minds of linguistics and translators having combined the efforts are racking their brains over the problem of creating a program that would make the same high quality translation as professional interpreters make. However, we should note that interpreter's activity does not restrict itself to applying the richest dictionary, conventional lexical and linguistic constructions. Undoubtedly, electronic translators are capable of rendering some categories of texts into another language quite adequately, but even in these cases mistakes are inevitable. "Electronic translator" will translate common words and general word combinations, which will clarify and elucidate some points and situations in the text, but still the translation will lack details and will be full of ambiguities which can cause undesired consequences. So, for example, faulty or inaccurate translation of some preposition in a major contract can bring to administrative or criminal liability. Or some ambiguity in a technical translation of an operation manual to a sophisticated hi-tech device can cause faulty operation, injuries and stoppage of a production cycle. With respect to the freestyle documents, in particular literary works, in this case "electronic" or machine translators will be of no use at all for you. You will make sure of it if you try to translate at least one complex phrase. Even if the sense of each particular word will be correct the whole text will never retain its stylistic as well as grammar structure and will be raw, crude and even odd. Another aspect of a machine translation is that by means of it You will never render an association row related to each word. Using the tools of a machine translation we always get a literal translation which takes no account of either word usage in figurative sense or the second or third meaning in case of a polysemic word, the meanings which are automatically defined by a human mind based on the information obtained in the course of communication with other people. No computer can boast of this unique experience and so far it is impossible to simulate it. As a result there occur mistakes and blunders, distortion of the meaning even up to inverse meaning of an original sense, and plenty of funny translation cases. As a linguistic example we can give the word "spirit", which has several meanings, while in machine translation it is usually rendered with its basic meaning - the force or principle of life that animates the body of living things it still has at least 13 meanings. And in case if e-translator does not "guess" the meaning of the word - this one faultily rendered word will distort the whole sentence if not the whole translation and will be far from the original version. Professional interpreters should not use machine translation even when making the rough copies, which in its turn will allow avoiding multiple mistakes and maximum correctly render the point of the source text. While translating interpreters should follow not only their knowledge of foreign language but also the principles of their native language, and common sense creating not only exact and adequate but also competent as well as easy-to-read translation. Sergey Bocharov, client-manager english-russian translation company Veritas
2025
