By:TB07-09

The simplest answer to the question on the title is: NO.

Even if we live to see the day when cars actually fly, or when hologram televisions are finally in use, human translations will still be the best source for translations. Why? Because while a machine may be programmed to store a huge amount of data and identify translations based on its stored database, the translation memory's intelligence will never be effective enough primarily because more consumers prefer a personal form of communication.

See, languages are more complex than dictionary software can handle. In the English language alone, we frequently encounter words with the same exact spelling and pronunciationyet these may have different meanings. Dictionary software cannot always judge how a word is being used at a given situation and this can ruin your marketing campaign.

Remember, languages aren’t merely comprised of words. Tone also plays a big part in language. The wrong arrangement of words can lead to wrong interpretations, and a machine cannot judge tone. Furthermore, machines cannot identify idioms and slang (which change with time), and machines often show word-for-word translations which result in misconstructed sentences or gibberish.

In truth, the only thing a machine can do is to store translations as data and suggest translations if and when a source file recurs or has a partial match. Basically, the translation database should be treated as a reference for the translation, not a translation tool.

To give a specific example, some companies rely on automatic translation applications because these are way cheaper (if not free), but this can be more harmful than if one invested in a proper human translation service. To put it into perspective, native speakers of one language who live in different countries can even have disagreements when it comes tohow certain terms are used,-imagine what an automatic translator –basically a data storage device, can do! It’s the same as leaving your marketing campaign to a wind-up toy!

Machine translations may be helpful if only used as a thesaurus or even a dictionary, but even when just translating a few words, users must remain vigilant in knowing that these words only go through a matching process and this doesn't guarantee accuracy. Using the translation memory is indeed helpful but only when it goes hand in hand with a human translator.

(Image c/o:http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yZsTYaglZiU/TVPynVTVOSI/AAAAAAAAFNM/SqeVH55X_G8/s1600/manVmachine.jpg)