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If you want to translate a text and have no time, Do you prefer using Google translate or human translation and why?

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Question added by Rima Soliman
Date Posted: 2016/05/30

Thank you for accepting my invitation and very helpful answers

ahmed abdallah
by ahmed abdallah , Language Instructor , King Saud University

If I were you, I'd never rely on google translation.

It is far away from being correct. In fact, it is an insult.

Therefore if you are assigned a task and time is not enough, either get human help or APOLOGIZE and don't accept it

Ghada Eweda
by Ghada Eweda , Medical sales hospital representative , Pfizer pharmaceutical Plc.

Thanks Rima for a good question.

Well! To make the choice easier, I’ll talk about Google Translate in particular, as it’s one of the most used machine translation tools online. Like most online translation tools, Google Translate works on something called Statistical Machine Translation which basically gathers loads of data over time to statistically offer you the best combination of translation in any given language pair. However it has many advantages and disadvantages.

ADVANTAGES

1-It’s Free: Google Translate offers its services at no cost. That’s a business advantage everyone can appreciate .

2-It’s Instant & Online: it is conveniently available online for cross-platform use. Translations are instantaneous and for immediate use.

3-Page & Text Translation: The service simplifies machine translation no matter what you need. This includes web pages, emails, documents and more.

4-Multiple Languages: it is available in a large number of languages already, with more on the way.

DISADVANTAGES

1-It’s Limited: You can’t get everything translated with the service. And you won’t get a comprehensive translation of the text, either.

2-Not Every Language is Offered: While Google’s translation gives plenty of languages, what if your required language isn’t on the list?

3-It Won’t Give Natural, Fluently Readable Translations: it gives a mechanical and direct translation of words. You won’t get text that reads naturally across those language barriers!

4-Context is not part of the equation: Google Translate won’t know the context of your content. For example, who is your target audience, what are their ages, education level and cultural sensitivities? In addition, what is the content being used for? eg. for a speech, marketing copy, website, white paper, instructional content or something else?

5-It’s only a machine thereafter: Translating keywords for SEO and SEM or translating a brand name requires lots of research, study and further things machine translation can’t take in to account.

 

On sum, I think that, There is a time and a place for Google Translate at the same time, there’s also a time and a place for more thorough human translation, once you understand the benefits and limitations Google Translate, you can better determine your own specific translation needs.

Regards

 

 

Rasha Maarabouni
by Rasha Maarabouni , Executive Registrar , Lebanese International University

If I wanted to translate a whole test, I would prefer human translation because it is more accurate. But in case i wanted to translate a word it would be alright to use google translate. 

Amir Ageeb
by Amir Ageeb , Content Senior Specialist , Elm Company

Thanks for the invite,

Actually Google Translate is a translation tool made available in this modern IT era. I use Google Translate every time to make a draft translation. I know Google is better now; it can produce a good translation that needs some refinement.

Some one may say Google is a machine, and human translation is better. I say: Yes Google is a machine, but it is a tool a translator can make use of it to help in translation works. A translator is also provided with some tool to help developing better translations for Google itself.

Anyhow, no machine could do the work of man! A human translator is always dominant.

So, do your draft easily and quickly with Google, work on it for refinement and get your fair copy done... Simple!

 

Pradeep Sharma
by Pradeep Sharma , English Language Training Instructor , King Abdul Aziz University, Jeddah (KSA)

I agree with Mr. Ahmad Abdallah, and I never rely on Google translate. It is always weird and irritating, not even word to word literal translation, what to say of transliteration. Translation is not just providing synonyms in another language; it involves human judgement on sense, sensibility, appropriacy and authorial intention.

مها شرف
by مها شرف , معلمة لغة عربية , وزارة التربية السورية

GOOgle translate faster, but I never rely on Google translate. Thanks for the invitation. .

Ahmad Saleh
by Ahmad Saleh , Part-time English Teacher , ITA

 I think it depends on the extent of accuracy desired.If you want to know the general meaning of a certain text, then Google translation can be helpful. However, it would be rediculous  to depend on it when translatng  important texts that contain serious and highly sensitive issues.

Susan Marx
by Susan Marx , Chief Executive Officer (CEO) , AIM

If you know someone who can translate for you is the best way to get something translated. Google is ok, but it may not be correct if it does not recognize the word or words being translated.

Ali Yakub Seesi Rutherfod
by Ali Yakub Seesi Rutherfod , Deputy DIRECTOR Director of Education , Head of Department of Social Science , St. Jerome Snr High School

I agree with the answers of the experts

Sultan Alanazi
by Sultan Alanazi , Computer Engineering , King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology

I prefer to use human translation because it'll decrease the number of error 

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