Common mistakes made when using machine translation technologies

Machine-TranslationTranslation is a massive industry, because many companies strive to achieve confidence in clients understanding them irrespective of their location. This is because the Internet is becoming more and more widespread and online tools and automated systems are used more and more for solving translation challenges. These programs don’t always complete all the challenges set before them and the texts that you receive as a result often look badly structured and of a low quality from a native speaker’s point of view. Here are some of the most common mistakes related to the use of automated translation tools.

Wrongful usage of words

Normally, these systems use translation algorithms that translate word-for-word and a meaning recognition program that determines how it should be expressed in a different language. If users are unable to edit the text well, or if there is a large number of idioms and colloquial expressions, the translation system might not be able to do the job. It’s very important to remember that idioms and expressions aren’t universal, although they can have their analogues in different languages. They can vary in structure or meaning, so it’s best to avoid using them in a text that would be processed via machine translation tools.

Technical lexicon

Normally, machine translation tools are meant for working with general texts. If your text uses specific technical jargon or lexicon, specific to your field of work, the probability of inaccuracies in translation of such technical text is very high. The best way to avoid this problem is to use the kind of software that has a specific dictionary of terms for each field.

Don’t forget to check your text

One of the biggest mistakes made by people that use online translators or any other software of the kind is committing negligence when checking the result. All you need to do is to take the result text (in your target language) and translate it back with the help of the very same program that you used to create it. Have a look at what happens when you translate back into the original language. If the meaning is distorted, perhaps you need to start over and find more accurate expressions.

Another good method of checking is to find someone who speaks the target language and ask them to review the result. Quite often, it helps to solve the problems with technical terminology and complex sentences. In addition, you would also be able to ensure that the text fully communicates what you intended. This is particularly important for advertisement and commercial publications. You should also make sure that you’re using a well-recommended program and are always striving to communicate your idea accurately, find the words properly, particularly if you’re not at all familiar with the language.