Professional Translation Services for Businesses and Individuals
What's Machine translation (MT)?
Machine Translation (MT), or automated translation, refers to the process of using computer software to translate text from a source language into a target language without human intervention. Adaptive MT is a technology that can learn and adjust in real-time from human feedback.
MT is based on probability rather than meaning, and it lacks an understanding of context or nuance. As a result, MT is typically slower and less accurate than human translation. While it may save time and money, there is no immediate or predictable likelihood of machines taking over the role of human translators.
In situations where the law, a person's life, or financial interests are at stake, relying solely on MT can have disastrous consequences. For example, MT is now being used in high-risk settings such as hospitals and courts to overcome language barriers. However, MT errors in these environments pose serious risks.
The decision to use MT versus human translation depends on the type of text that needs to be translated and how important accuracy is to you, your company, and your customers. With the appropriate process in place, functional texts in common language combinations can produce adequate results through a combination of MT and human post-editing.
However, creative texts that require style, nuance, or idiomatic expressions should be translated by a human. Poor translation can be embarrassing or even disastrous for your business, jeopardizing customers and exposing your company to the risk of lawsuits.