To a lot of people, particularly those who only speak one language, translation apps might seem like a good way to obtain a quick document translation. No one can blame you since this does seem to get the job done for a lot of people. However, what they don’t understand is that this, albeit efficient, is not an effective way to translate documents. Why? For a variety of reasons. Just ask a native speaker to read your online translation. They’ll laugh. As refined as these apps can seem, they lack a genuine understanding of the language they are translating from and the one they are translating to. They actually can’t be fully accurate and here’s why.
Translation Apps Provide Word for Word Translations
This is the most common reason against online translation apps because it’s fairly evident. When translating documents, these apps are not necessarily translating the whole sentence. They are doing so word by word, which is far from the best way to do so. Every language works differently, so a word for word translation from English to Spanish will end up sounding awkward and amateur. When an actual bilingual human being provides a document translation, they aren’t translating each word separately. They are translating the idea as a whole, understanding the way both languages work and delivering the same idea, even if the resulting language uses different words to describe it.
Translation Apps Don’t Understand Cultural Nuance
Unless we are talking about very localized languages such as Norwegian, Danish, or Japanese, languages will be spoken differently depending on the area. Mexican Spanish is different from Peninsular Spanish, for example, and these differences go beyond a few quirks in the vocabulary. They’re the same language, yes, but they are not the same vernaculars. Even within the same country, you will end up finding different dialects. Colombian Spanish, for example, has very diverse dialectic varieties of the language that could potentially sound completely different for a non-Hispanophone. A human translator understands the main differences between different regions and will aim for neutrality and a widespread understanding of the terminology used in the translation.
Translation Apps Lack Actual Experience
Apps don’t actively engage with the language, so they don’t have an ideal understanding of the way a person uses the language to communicate ideas. You can even find this problem in people who haven’t had a lot of practical experience with a second language. Language isn’t just a series of words in a sequence. It’s a series of words that communicate an idea. Individual words mean something by themselves. But when they get together, they gain another layer of meaning. Translation apps do not understand this concept, at least not correctly. You can only get that extra layer of nuance from a human document translator.
Obtain a Proper Document Translation
At Metaphrasis they understand the particulars of document translation that a translation app will simply not be able to provide. A partnership with Metaphrasis means that whatever document you need translated will be approached with care and nuance. The attention to details of their many certified translators is exceptional, and they can guarantee an optimal understanding of the original document in the second language. Request a quote through their website’s form and get started today!
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