3 Tips How to Get the Most out of a Machine Translation

I understand that there are many people who rely on machine translations every day. Some of the translations services available even manage quite acceptable translations - if you just want to know what a text is about!

Here are some guidelines to help you get the most out of machine translations:

1) Use short and simple sentences!

The shorter and simpler the sentences are, the higher the probability that they will come out right. So if you need something you have written translated for others, stick with simple sentences without appositions, subordinate clauses etc. Use vocabulary with only one meaning whenever possible. Think of the machine translator as a learner of a foreign language who looks up every word in a dictionary and simply uses the first translation offered. So, the easier you make it for the machine, the better your chances that the translation is understandable and makes sense.

2) Use it for a general overview only!

As long as you only need a general overview, machine translations can be your friend. When you only want to read a blog in a foreign language, for example, machine translations may even make it funnier than it is. Believe me, some of the results you'll get are so weird that they are outright funny. As long as you keep in mind that the text you read is not necessarily the text the writer had intended, you'll be fine.

3) Never, ever use machine translations in important contexts!

Have you ever read the Terms of Use of a foreign company? Sometimes, they make you cringe. Sentences without proper verb, sentences without any sense at all, sentences which are sometimes just wrong. Whenever I see such Terms of Use, I know that the company hasn't spent a single buck on a proper translation. They have used a machine translation. And, honestly, if they don't have (or don't want to spend) the money for a proper translation, they should have simply done without a translation at all. People who visit their site and find such a poor translation may understandably doubt the seriousness of the company. I mean, if possible clients can't even read the Terms of Use, why should they go with that company at all? In worst case, such a poor translation in a business (law, ...) context can cause serious trouble. In best case, it "only" damages the company's reputation...

My conclusion: If you use machine translations wisely, they can be a great help. If you use them in the wrong contexts, however, they can cause severe damage.

Machine Translations - Gift or Curse?

Ok, first of all a disclaimer: I am freelance translator, so my opinion might be biased. On the other hand, I believe that because of my knowledge in this field, I can evaluate the quality of machine translations better than most of those who use them.

First of all: Those free website translating services might be helpful to get an overview of a site's content. But: Those translating services rely on machines. Now answer this for yourself: Do you really believe that a machine can grasp the meaning and intention of a text?

Machine translations only replace the words and sentences in one language with matching words and sentences in another language. Now if you have ever had a look into a dictionary, you know that many words have more than one meaning. Machine translations might be getting better, but I don't see them reaching a quality anywhere near a good human translator in the near future. Machines lack one important thing: They can't think!

So do I recommend or warn against machine translations?

Both.

Let me explain how I mean this: If you only need a general overview, want to read someone's blog or translate something for fun or to use for your friends only, machine translations are just fine. You only have to keep in mind that it isn't an accurate translation, and you should be prepared for weird sentences and portions which just don't make sense.

As soon as you need some information for relevant purposes, though, such as for business or legal matters, you should never relay on machine translations. In the best case, they will make sense for you, but in worst case, they will display information wrongly (apart from not making any sense at all). So in those cases, you are well advised to pay a human translator for his services as a bad translation can cost you much more retrospectively than a quality translation.