Manual vs Automated translation

The need for translation services goes back centuries. Governments and monarchies have long relied on translators to communicate with fellow diplomats. As technology has advanced, however, more governments and businesses are leaning on automated translation software to tackle the problem of global communication. But how does this new strategy serve those who use it? What is the difference between manual translation and automated translation?

Manual vs Automatic, A Closer Look

There are a few glaring differences between human and automatic translations. First, language still isn’t completely understood. Even the best linguists have trouble deciding the meaning behind what we say. On a functional level, the sentences we string together use the same words over and over again, but it is our intent that changes their meaning. Second, even the best software cannot translate every dialect on the planet.

Manual translation, on the other hand, contains a human element that digs below the surface of simply offering direct translations. Additionally, unintelligible translations from automated software are nowhere to be found. When a translator is fluent in both the language being translated and that which they are translating into, the results are much more satisfactory.
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While time will tell the direction of automated translation services, there can be no doubt that the human element has an important role to play in the process now and into the future.