Technology makes our lives easier. However, there are a number of different processes that technology has yet to master – for example, translation and languages. The complexity of language translation has made it impossible to create a piece of technology capable of providing a translation service superior to that of human translators. There are a number of reasons why the current translation technology isn’t up to scratch, as identified by Nataly Kelly, VP at Smartling, for the Huffington Post:
Technology provides a quick fix without the quality
Professional translators will always place quality first and foremost, even if the client is less bothered. Clients are often focused on content being delivered on time and looking to pay as little as possible rather than focusing on quality. Translators are more than aware of the danger translation technology poses to their jobs, as it is a quick and cost-effective process. More often than not, a client’s key objectives are out-of-sync with the objectives of a translator.
Translation technology companies ignore the translators
In the past, such companies ignored the needs and opinions of their largest consumer base – translators. Because of this, translation technology companies have isolated the group and as a result, many professionals distrust translation programmes. This links with another of Kelly’s points – that translators are isolated from the translation process.
Translation technology has stopped developing
Despite the massive technological advancements made in recent years, the translation services industry looks largely the same as it did in the 1990s. Most frustratingly, translators are forced to use a number of different systems in order to do their job as effectively as possible when online.
Google Translate has changed the industry
Although Google Translate has made the translation industry more prominent, it has also made consumers assume that high-quality translation professionals are more abundant than they actually are, meaning professional translators have a hard time in convincing businesses of the value of their work.