Some say machines are taking over everything. They are the future. Some say machines cannot replace human intelligence. The translation is one of such areas where the debate is live.
Human translators have since time immemorial helped governments, businesses, and people interact. In recent times, with development in technology, machine assistance is making its way in this field as well. We are all aware of the Google translation tool and have also used it sometime. Machine translation comes in handy when you have small phrases or a few words to translate. It is quick and can give you real-time assistance.
The question that is looming large now is whether will machines replace humans in the translating job. Here are a few interesting facts to take note of before we come to the conclusion.
Machine translation is growing: Apart from Google Translate, Ginger Translate, Skype Translator, Microsoft translator, Systran, and Papago are some translation tools that are picking up.
Millions of dollars have so far been invested into the sector. Market experts also predict huge growth for the machine translation industry in the coming decades. It is definitely not to be dismissed as a new fad.
Machine translation is faster: Machine translation is faster than human translation. All you need to do is feed the phrases and instantly get the translated copy. If you are on the go and in a business meeting, machine translation can come in handy.
Further, you can translate it to any language that you want. Google Translate, for instance, supports more than a hundred languages. Select the option from the drop-down menu and translate the words and phrases.
Machine translation can be accessed anytime and anywhere: It is handy and easily accessible. All that is necessary are the translation application, a computer or smartphone, and an internet connection. You can access the service as you go on with your work. Pause the movie that you were watching and check what that French phrase meant.
Most of the translation applications and tools are free, and ideal for individuals and small business owners. Human translation services are costly and solicited mostly by high government officials and big businesses that need their specialized service.
Data is a big factor in machine translation: The marketplace for machine translation is growing. Most machine translators are artificial intelligence-driven. This means data is important. The more data is fed, the smarter the app will be. Accuracy and quality improve with more inputs. The quality of data also affects accuracy. Inadequate or low-grade data will produce sub-standard results. Most corporations dealing in machine translation services thus pay ample attention not just to data inputs but also to quality data input.
Human translators have knowledge of culture: Words take different meanings in different settings and different contexts. To translate something by putting it into context is possible only in human translation. Bots or artificial intelligence-based translation is not trained to read the contextual difference of a word, phrase, or sentence.
If you tried translating a simple phrase like ‘I like you from English to Hindi you get the exact translation, but the meaning of the English phrase is dependent on the context. Machine translation is so far not adept at this technique.
Machines can translate not interpret: One word can be used as a noun, a verb, or an adjective depending on where and how it is placed. There are phrases and expressions that imply a different meaning than the literal one. Machine translation often fails in such scenarios. For instance, the phrase ‘bundle of joy’ has different expressions in different languages. It is however almost impossible to get it properly translated with the help of artificial intelligence, a bot, or an app.
Human translators employ a method of translation that takes culture, context, and linguistic application into consideration. This ensures that meaning is not lost or misinterpreted in the process.
Efficiency: Man and machine have different levels of efficiency. While machine translation will outsmart any human in speed, human translation will outsmart machine translation in critical thinking.
If machine translation lets you access multiple languages simultaneously, human translation will fine-tune every thought and expression. Machines translation will be an exact copy of a document in a separate language. Human translation will create an organic whole.
It is the need that will create a preference, at least in the present time.
Machines are also tone-deaf: It is not just the context that adds to the meaning. The tone of utterance also plays an important role in creating or reading the meaning. Based on intonation, a word takes different connotations.
The translation is not just about giving the literal meaning of a word, phrase, or sentence. It is also about reading the connotative and intended meaning. Machine translation fails to recognize the influence in meaning that the tone of an utterance creates. Human translators read the influence of such variables while translating a document or speech.
A hybrid system may be possible: The human translation method has been used for centuries. With the advent of machine translation, a product of advanced technology, a hybrid method of translation is a possibility. Translation professionals can now take the help of machine translators to assist and simplify their jobs.
Once a big document is machine translated, human translators can look in for expressive, tonal, linguistic, literary, or cultural references and correct any mistakes. Human translators can also check if jargon and technical terms are properly placed in the translated document.
So, what is the future of machine translation?
Machine translation is becoming more common with individuals being able to make use of it. Technology giants have invested hugely in this sector and working every day to improve the services. Some of the software lets the user add additional words, phrases, and their usage into it.
Google translate is the best example if one has to illustrate the advancement of machine translation. It features a page asking users to help improve the tool by adding new words or phrases and sharing translation tips.
Even if machine translation does not uproot human translation in the future, it is going to share a big chunk of the load.
Summary: The popularity of machine translation has increased owing to its accessibility and promptness. But translation is a complex service that needs to take many factors into consideration like context and culture. It is therefore unlikely that in the near future machines will take translation services over from humans.
