Translation has become an essential part of our lives and it is a tool for communication between businesses. If you are still not familiar with translations and not taking advantage of translation, you are missing out on potential opportunities. Did you know that the translation service market is projected to grow USD 47.21 billion by 2030.
Many businesses nowadays are aware of this translation business, but only a few know exactly how to get their content translated. There are a lot of questions that come to mind when using translation services. Should you reach out to professional translators? Can you use machine translation services? Can you combine the two of them? What is the difference between human and machine translation?
These are all valid questions and we hope this article will resolve the many questions that come to your mind.
What is Human translation?
Human translation is a type of translation that uses professional translators who are highly qualified in translating multiple languages. These human translators are native speakers and understand the nuances of the original text. Human translation services use skilled linguists and have been applied for many years. With the experience and dedication of human translators, they can ensure high-quality results.
How does human translation work?
The translation is a complex process that only humans can do, as it is not a mathematical equation or scientific calculation that could get programmed into an intelligent machine. Human translation works with professional translators who are usually native or have studied the target language extensively. The professional translator translates the content that captures the meaning of the original text using the right tone and style.
The next step in Human translation work involves a professional editor, who revises, refines, and perfects the work ensuring it fits the expression of the subject matter. The last step of human translation is for a project manager to review the work to ensure it is in the correct format.
These steps of human translation ensure that the message, tone, and style remain faithful to the original text and are interpreted in the target language.
What is Machine translation?
Machine translation is a type of translation that uses highly advanced algorithms to translate content. Machine translation is more advanced than just Google translate. Neural machine translation means translation learns as it translates the work. It learns more naturalistic ways of phrasing sentences and makes the content easily understandable to humans.
Machine translation programs get faster at translating texts because they remember phrases and words they have already translated previously. However, machine translation engines have zero understanding of the content they translate- after all, they are machines.
How does machine translation work?
It is automated, which means the translation of the text by a computer with no human involvement. Machine translation works by using computer software to translate text from the source language to the target language. In machine translation, complex processes go into completing the basics of translations.
Different types of machine translation systems are used nowadays, such as Neural Machine Translation, Rule-based Machine Translation, and Statistical-Based Machine Translation.
5 differences between human and machine translation
For any global company, translation is necessary to reach a global audience. But here is the catch as to what to choose when it comes to translations. Human translation or machine translation. Here are the five differences between human and machine translation.
- Professional human translation works are translated from the source language to the target language by a professional translator, and machine translation translates content from one language to another with the help of a machine, with no human involvement.
- Professional translators in human translation services are subject matter experts who have gained experience through years of translation work and have translation-related qualifications. Machine translations, on the other hand, make use of artificial intelligence (ai) and can be customized for specific industries.
- Professional translators and linguists can translate about 2000 words per day, whereas machine translation, in the best-case scenario, can translate double the number of words and phrases. Speed is a crucial difference between human and machine translation.
- The translation costs of machine translation are significantly lower than human translation as there is less translation effort. In human translation, additional revision or review increases the translation costs.
- The use of text type is an essential difference between human and machine translation. Machine translation can translate content effectively that is simple and consistent as the words and phrases are already stored in the translation memory.
When exploring the disparities between human and machine translation, the role of AI translation services emerges as a significant focal point. While human translation offers the advantage of nuance, cultural sensitivity, and contextual understanding, AI translation services excel in efficiency, speed, and scalability.
Why is human translation better than machine translation?
Since the introduction of machine translation, they have threatened to replace human translation. But despite the usage of various machine translation systems and artificial intelligence, machine translation can never match the age-old art of human translation.
Human translation is a widely used form of translation, as it relies on human intelligence to translate content from the source language to the target language.
The simple rule of translation is to translate the same message in different languages whereas machine translation often translates content word-to-word, which makes the translated content communicate a different message which is different from the original text. Human translation on the other hand begins the translation process by understanding and interpreting the original text.
In conclusion, Machine translation is considered faster and time-saving. Yet, it cannot match the high-quality flow and structure of human-translated content. Professional human translators are still considered best for high-quality translated content.
If you are on the lookout for an agency to provide you with translation services, Naarg offers highly skilled and professional translators, so don’t hesitate to contact us. Reach us at info@naargmedia.com to know more about our services.
