There are many people who use Google Translate to help translate something from one language to the other. However, is it wise to completely rely on machine translation? The answer is a resounding no, and here are 5 main reasons why.
The machine can’t replace human translation
Google themselves recommend against relying fully on their free translation services. In fact, the company itself has a clause in its Terms of Service, renouncing responsibility for any harm done by inadequate machine translations:
“Google disclaims all warranties related to the translations, expressed or implied, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability or any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and noninfringement. “
Proof enough that this type of translation isn’t adequate for official documentation?
Machine translations can lead to unpleasant situations
Translating content such as advertisements via Google Translate may save you time and expenses, but it can also lead to unpleasant situations. There are many cases of that happening all over the internet.
Don’t forget that Google Translation often resorts to literal translation of the individual words, which may lead that certain marketing messages not only completely lose their meaning, but also end up communicating something totally different.
The machine doesn’t account for culturological differences
Adjusting the translation to the spirit of the target language and the culture of its region is of utmost importance when translating. This especially goes for the abovementioned marketing messages and texts, seeing how you need to breach both the language and the culture barrier.
In order to achieve this, you need perfect understanding of the target language as well as your target audience. This is something Google Translate can’t provide.
Do you value the confidentiality of your information?
Free translation tools don’t protect the confidentiality of your information. Some companies have even found their classified information on the internet after their employees used free online translation tools.
This can be a huge issue if you work with delicate data such as personal information, medical documentation, business reports etc.
It is known that Google uses all of this data in order to improve their translations, but in which way they do so and what happens to the information itself is uncertain.
Google Translate doesn’t proof-read your text
Google translate doesn’t proof-read your text, but rather just delivers the output. Still, this usually isn’t adequate for your needs if you intend to use the translated text for your personal or business needs.
What you need in those cases is a professional translator, someone who can infuse your translations with a natural and fluent tone in order to fulfill its intended purpose in the best possible way.
In conclusion
Google Translate is free and quick, but it can only provide a quick overview of the content without additional reliability. Although it can be fairly inaccurate, the software has such a massive database that it can give you a decent insight into the core meaning of the text. However, this level of translation is nowhere near enough when translating serious information such as legal or medical documents, websites, marketing materials and the like. For these types of translation, the best solution is our Alfa prevod translation agency.
