Google Translate and many other online
translators are easily accessible for people today who are looking for a quick,
free and simple conversion of text from one language to another. An extremely valuable tool for those looking
to quickly understand something they heard or read in an unfamiliar language,
these translators offer easy, makeshift translations. If nothing else, such software serves to at
least generally point people in the right direction in interpreting select text
in a foreign language. However, it is
extremely important that users of Google Translate and similar applications use
them with caution. The curse of Google
Translate is that software fails to be able to identify all of the small and
extremely important details of language and translation that a human translator
recognizes.
Computer translators lack the skills and
background knowledge of human translators in understanding the complexity and
detail that exists in written and spoken language. Computer translators do not have the ability
to read between the lines in language, often leaving out implicit details that
were present in the text’s original language.
Furthermore, while software is becoming more advanced, Google Translate
often provides direct translations in the exact same sentence structure that
the original text came in which causes significant inaccuracies. For example, this would be particularly
problematic if one language has fluid sentence structure and one follows rigid
SVO (subject – verb – object) sentence structure guidelines. Google Translate also cannot identify
regional language differences, causing problems in situations like when one
word can have multiple meanings in the same language depending on the geographical
location in which the word is used.
Also, Google Translate does not understand the small nuances such as the
differences between patterns in written and verbal language. As human beings, the way in which we write
and verbally speak is different and can further vary based on the level of
formality in the situation where the language is being used. Google Translate has no way to identify if it
is helping you translate an instant message to a friend or a cover letter for a
job application and may choose language that is not consistent with the tone or
level of formality you are seeking. In
contrast, human translators have extensive background in the languages in which
they translate, understanding things like multiple meanings of words, implied
or inferred messages, correct sentence structure, formal and informal speech,
and much more.
Language is immensely complex and extreme
variation exists within every language in the world. We speak with multiple accents, develop
slang, change our vocabulary and way of speaking based on geographical
location, are influenced by language transfer in areas where more than one
language is spoken, use sarcasm and inferred messages in speech, and more. As much as Google Translate does an adequate
job of understanding the “by the book” elements of the languages it translates
in, such software will never be able to properly address all of the small and
pertinent details in language which, when ignored, can cause messages and their
true meanings to get lost in translation. So, Google Translate is a valuable tool for
simple translations intended to give people a general idea of what something
means or how to say it in another language.
However, be wary of the curse of Google Translate in that it is unable
to accurately convert language and all of its fine details to another
language. Software overlooks the human
intelligence that is such a huge part of language and its accurate
interpretation.
So True! I don't know how to write in my grandparents first language of Portuguese and tried using Google Translate. Although they said they understood, it was missing a lot of those small words as you mentioned in this article.
ReplyDelete