This high-speed world we live in is changing and transforming daily; of course, the translation world takes its share of these changes. We are going through interesting times in the translation industry. In the past, knowing a foreign language was a sign of dignity, but now it is not so valued. More precisely, people think speaking a foreign language is obligatory nowadays. As the number of foreign language speakers increases, people’s perspectives on translation change.
Anyone not involved in the translation sector has an opinion about it, but do they have any facts to support their ideas? Let’s share some insights and then review them one by one to assess their accuracy:
- “Everyone knows a foreign language now; there is no need for an interpreter or a translator. Why do you prefer this profession? You won’t find a job anyway.” Yes, there is a significant increase in the number of people who speak a foreign language; this is true. However, knowing a language does not give someone the authority or ability to translate. If that were the case, all brands would have their advertising projects translated by their own employees who speak a foreign language. But brands prefer to work with translation agencies because they know advertising projects must be localized as they enter a foreign market. This requires mastery of the culture and the field beyond simply speaking the language.
- “Machine translation tools have greatly improved; the translation industry is dying.” Yes, the tools in question are evolving daily, but the translation industry is not dying; it is also changing. As we mentioned earlier, being an expert in a field is very important, and ordinary automated translation tools do not have such expertise. Most of the time, the terms are not used correctly, and sometimes extreme shifts in meaning occur. Translators are supported by these tools because they make the translation process more efficient and faster. For example, a field called machine translation post-editing (MTPE) has emerged. Translators edit the outputs of these tools. As you can see, the translation industry is not on its deathbed; on the contrary, the need for more qualified translators equipped and at peace with IT and artificial intelligence is growing.
- “Why do you request such high prices? I can use Google Translate and save money.” We are going through a period of global economic crisis. The majority of companies are increasing employee wages and offering additional support. On the other hand, expensive management, memory, and term software are being used. Inflation also naturally affects translation costs, as a great deal of labor and professional work is involved. Of course, using Google Translate is an option rather than working with professionals. However, none of these tools can provide you with the assurance of a quality translation. Although advocates of this opinion may think of translation as just finding words in another language and writing them down, the reality is quite different. Translation encompasses an extensive process and has many hidden facades. For example, hours of research are done before starting the translation to master the subject. After translation, there is the process of editing and, finally, proofreading. Many additional procedures, such as page design, quality control, etc., are not even mentioned. As you can understand, translation is multi-layered.
The translation industry continues to improve and evolve. As the Mirora team, we work with translators with language competence, expertise, and experience in the field. We strive to improve ourselves daily to provide you with the best service. The address of quality translation services: Mirora!