AI is revolutionizing the translation industry, but human communication is still essential. Since the very first machine translation systems,...
3 min read
03/05/2023
As the world becomes increasingly globalized, the demand for linguistic and cultural adaptation services continues to grow in leaps and bounds. Professional translators are at the forefront of this trend, helping individuals and companies communicate effectively across language barriers and cultural differences.
Translation services have become essential for many companies looking to expand into new international markets, and global communication is becoming easier and easier thanks to new technology. The need to translate documents, websites, product information, advertising, etc. has become increasingly important. But what does the future hold for the profession in the age of technological revolution?
The professional translator today
In terms of technology, computer-assisted translation (CAT) tools and artificial intelligence are advancing rapidly and enabling professional translators to work more efficiently and accurately. In addition, neural machine translation (NMT) technology has been through significant improvements in recent years, leading to greater accuracy in machine translation and a reduction in translation errors.
However, machine translation technology will not replace human translators in the short term, as there are still many limitations in terms of comprehension and cultural context. Professional translators will continue to be needed to produce accurate and contextually appropriate translations that capture the tone, style and intent of the original text.
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The main reasons why professional translators are still needed
Translation beyond words
In the past, the main task for expert translators was the accurate translation of texts from one language into another. However, with the advances in technology, the role of translators is expanding into a more comprehensive approach to linguistic and cultural adaptation. In the future, translators will be expected to offer additional services such as localization, transcreation and cultural consulting to meet specific client needs.
Localization
Localization is defined as the process of adapting a product or service to meet the linguistic, cultural and specific requirements of a given market. This process goes beyond simple translation and may involve adjustments to graphics, user interface and other elements. In the future, professional translation services will be highlighted by the involvement of expert professional translators who will play an increasingly important role in the localization process, working closely with companies to ensure that their products and services are tailored to the needs of specific regions and cultures.
Transcreation
Transcreation is a term used to describe the process of adapting marketing and advertising content to a new language and culture while maintaining its original intent and impact. Unlike traditional translation, which focuses on accurately conveying the contents of the original text, transcreation requires a more creative approach. In the future, professional translators will be expected to be experts in transcreation services, in order to create compelling and culturally relevant marketing and advertising content that resonates with target audiences in different countries and cultures.
Cultural consulting
In addition to providing language services, expert professional translators will also be sought after as cultural consultants. In today's interconnected world, cultural understanding is crucial for success in business, politics and other fields. Professional translators will play an important role in helping individuals and organizations navigate cultural differences and build strong relationships with people from different backgrounds.
Providers of quality data
As MT models are trained on large amounts of data, professional translators can help language service providers (LSPs) collect and prepare training data to be more accurate and relevant to a specific language or field. Professional translators can identify and correct errors in training data, as well as ensure that the context and jargon are appropriate for the specific domain or industry.
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The future of professional translators at Pangeanic
The future of translators as language professionals is still long and bright despite the constant improvements in technology. As demand for translation and localization services continues to grow, professional translators will play an increasingly important role in helping companies and individuals communicate beyond language barriers. This will lead to these professionals becoming experts in a number of areas—localization, transcreation and cultural consulting, among others—and they will have to keep up with the latest technological advances in their field.
However, the human touch is an essential part of linguistic and cultural adaptation. While machine translation can be useful for certain tasks, it cannot replicate the nuanced and complex work of professional translators. Therefore, the future of these expert translators is bright, and their skills and expertise will continue to be in high demand as the world becomes increasingly interconnected.
At Pangeanic, we are language service providers with years of experience and an effective "human-in-the-loop" system. Our professional translators will continue to be necessary and indispensable, as they are involved in and responsible for the vast majority of the company's work. As technology continues to evolve, professional translators will have to adapt to the need and use tools to improve their efficiency and accuracy, as well as play a key role in adapting language technology to meet specific client needs.