I came across an article about a tool that will translate a complete document for you, preserving the formatting of the document in a way that other online translators don’t. That’s a pretty cool thing, I suppose, if you don’t mind a well-formatted document that’s not well-translated.
What the program in question does is approximate translated text from one language to another by way of some generally applicable rules and a few more complex rules that are rather like what one might call intuition. One might call it that, but it’s no such thing. Programs don’t intuit. They apply. So when it’s all said and done, what the online format-preserving translation system will do is give you a document that is a far cry from an accurate translation.
Online language translation is replete with errors, some of them hilarious. Computer-generated translation is far too literal to be accurate, and in being literal, it’s sometimes quite funny. At other times it’s just embarrassing gibberish. Languages are full of nuance and subtlety that computers find impossible to grasp. Accurate language translation is still something fully within the human domain, despite the silicon encroachment. Language is a human concern and it will remain so for quite some time to come.
Whether you want to translate marketing materials and press releases or legal contracts and employee handbooks, the importance of accurate language translation cannot be overstated. Having written materials that accurately convey the information as well as the tone and tenor of your business is an important part of today’s foreign and domestic markets.
Accurate language translation by qualified humans also protects your company from liability, minimizing legal implications and maximizing your company’s bottom line. So when it comes to translating your written materials, don’t rely on something as unreliable as a free online translation. Entrust your message to a certified document translation service and be assured that you’re getting what you paid for.
