For the past few months, I have thought about becoming a translator to make a little extra money. I am fully competent in Spanish and with practice could be completely fluent in French and Italian as well. One of the questions I had in my search, though, was whether or not human translations are a sustainable long-term income solution. Machine translations have been getting better (or at least I thought so before I did my research), so would businesses, legal firms, and other organizations that require document translation services just go with machines instead?
In many cases, the answer to that question is no. According to one article I read in the Huffington Post, machine translations are still very far away from achieving the same level of quality that one would get from human translations. Translations are far more complicated than just knowing two languages. It involves context, a working knowledge of the industry in question, and an expert understanding of cultural nuances.
Yet, there has always been an interesting relationship with man and technology when it comes to translation. Technology does provide translators with several benefits:
· Task management software can organize tasks and automate processes.
· The web and social media make it easier for translators to promote themselves and get work.
· Email and other communication tools allow for quicker turn-around.
· The need for web localization by global companies increases job opportunities.
However, technology can also hinder translators in a number of ways. First and foremost, there is the issue with client expectations. Machine translations promise speed and lower costs. While this is music to a company's ears, do machine translations also lower the bar when it comes to quality? Have businesses been conditioned to value cost over quality with the introduction of more machine translation services. That is a cause for concern.
Then there's the issue of how proficient the technology is to meet the needs of a translator. According to the aforementioned Huffington Post article, translation management software and other technology is not keeping up with the industry. With tight deadlines and strict client requirements, this could be incredibly problematic for the translator.
As I look at agencies that offer document translation services to see where I might gain freelance work, I hope to see what it takes to become a translator. Technology can certainly help a translator stay organized, but translation takes much more than a few tools to achieve a good result. You need experience not only in the targeted languages, but the industries in demand for document translation, such as legal, patents, and healthcare. I will let you know how my search goes.
In many cases, the answer to that question is no. According to one article I read in the Huffington Post, machine translations are still very far away from achieving the same level of quality that one would get from human translations. Translations are far more complicated than just knowing two languages. It involves context, a working knowledge of the industry in question, and an expert understanding of cultural nuances.
Yet, there has always been an interesting relationship with man and technology when it comes to translation. Technology does provide translators with several benefits:
· Task management software can organize tasks and automate processes.
· The web and social media make it easier for translators to promote themselves and get work.
· Email and other communication tools allow for quicker turn-around.
· The need for web localization by global companies increases job opportunities.
However, technology can also hinder translators in a number of ways. First and foremost, there is the issue with client expectations. Machine translations promise speed and lower costs. While this is music to a company's ears, do machine translations also lower the bar when it comes to quality? Have businesses been conditioned to value cost over quality with the introduction of more machine translation services. That is a cause for concern.
Then there's the issue of how proficient the technology is to meet the needs of a translator. According to the aforementioned Huffington Post article, translation management software and other technology is not keeping up with the industry. With tight deadlines and strict client requirements, this could be incredibly problematic for the translator.
As I look at agencies that offer document translation services to see where I might gain freelance work, I hope to see what it takes to become a translator. Technology can certainly help a translator stay organized, but translation takes much more than a few tools to achieve a good result. You need experience not only in the targeted languages, but the industries in demand for document translation, such as legal, patents, and healthcare. I will let you know how my search goes.