Need a translation? Google awaits your call

Need a translation? Google awaits your call
By Donna J. Jodhan
 
When it comes to breaking down or lowering the foreign language barriers, do you think it is possible to use a combination of technology and machine translation to do it?  Can this combination take the place of the human translator?  These are very sobering questions that many in the field are asking.  Do you think that it is possible that maybe and just maybe, the days of a human translator may be numbered?
 
There are varying opinions on this topic.  True it is that the combination of technology and machine translation has come a very long way; lead by the charge of Google but in my humble opinion, I don’t really think that translators have much to worry about.  There will always be a need for the human touch.  There is still the big problem of translation software being able to translate accurately and precisely and at the present time human intervention is needed to ensure that translations are deadly accurate, that they measure up to the local language being translated to, and that the true theme of the translation is coming through. 
 
Technology will continue to improve and it would probably mean that translators will have an easier time in their jobs but I don’t think that it could ever become a real replacement or substitute for the human touch.  So nothing to be too concerned about.  I have an excellent article to share with you.  Please see below.