With advancements in technology over the last several years, we are now able to translate entire documents at the click of a button.  You might wonder why even bother to hire a human translator?  Though there are benefits that can come from machine translation, there are also many benefits that can’t be achieved unless you work with a human translator.

If you hire a qualified translator, such as hiring a professional translation firm, then you can expect to get a much better quality translation, when compared to machine translation. This is because machine translation lacks much of the context to which the language is being used. It is very important when translating for your business needs to have the highest quality translation possible. This can only come from a human translator that can understand the context to which the language is being translated into.

In most languages, words can have several different meanings. Without expert knowledge of both languages, it can be difficult to know the correct translation for the context. This is most often where machine translation fails. Working with a human translator can overcome this hurdle.  Also, even though one translator may be a subject matter expert in one field, they may not necessarily have expert knowledge in another, field and so it’s usually best to work with a team of experts. This can be accomplished by hiring a professional translation firm.

Though machine translation can often translate the meaning of the subject matter at hand, it will most likely lack the creativity that is used in language. Human translators with expertise in both languages will be able to understand the detailed intricacies of the languages and will be able to keep the creative structure and content during the translation between languages.

Each culture has different values and norms that it follows. When translating your business content from one language to another, it is very important to be sensitive to these different cultural norms and values. Without truly understanding the culture of the people who speak that language, it becomes very easy to offend them when interacting with them. Sending an offensive message to the people of a different culture with whom you are trying to do business can have very negative effects on your business. For this reason, it is important to work with someone who can be sensitive to these different cultural norms and values. Though an individual translator may have knowledge of cultural norms and values, working with a professional translation firm that has years of experience dealing with these types situations will often help you avoid risk to your business and its goals.

Working with a qualified translator will not only get you the best quality translation, but also a detailed expertise of both languages, creativity in the language and sensitivity to the cultural norms and values of the people who speak the language which you are having translated. This will allow you avoid risk when translating for business purposes and give you a better chance of accomplishing your business goals.

-Lizzette Michel, Translation Manager