The translation process is probably one of the most overlooked processes in most fields. It plays a significant role in marketing, website management, education, and everything else that requires a broad, more international-based reach.
Because of this, it’s just right that you ensure your content’s translation is done accurately and correctly. How can you do that? You can start by using the right online translator service. Currently, the most commonly compared are Human Translation API and Machine Translation. It’s the battle between complete accuracy and making the most out of productivity.
That said, if you’re still thinking about which will be the better, this article will walk you through everything you need to know about the two methods.
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What Does Human Translation API Mean?
In the simplest sense, human translation API refers to the translation services done by humans. Your project is manually converted into another language only through a person’s existing knowledge and understanding.
Human translation is the first and most popular way of translating text, no matter the medium. Combining it with API or an application interface is just the developer’s way of making the process more convenient and automated for you and the translators. You send the content, choose the languages needed, and get everything back less than in 24h. Magic!
What Can You Get from Using Human Translation?
So, what exactly will the process of human translation service give you? Let’s discuss the pros and cons in the following sections:
Pros of Human Translation
For the pros of using human translation services, refer to the following list:
Accurate and Authentic Translations. Because humans have full knowledge of what they are working with, you can rest assured that you will end up with accurate and authentic translations. This will make it easier for you and your readers to connect to whatever message you want to deliver. Not to mention, you will only have to deal with minor grammatical issues rather than totally mistranslated sentences.
More Opportunities for Creative Writing. Translating slang words and cultural quotes from your local language to a foreign one can be challenging. However, since humans have complete control over what they can translate and write, you have more opportunities to keep the creativity in your project.
Cons of Human Translation
On the other hand, here are the cons that you should know:
Pricy. Availing of human translation services is pricy. Remember that you’re investing in a person’s time, skills, and efforts just to get your desired output delivered. They also use several tools and platforms to ensure that it meets your satisfaction, which may explain why some offer higher rates.
Time-Consuming. The longer your project is, the more time your translator will need to finish it. This means that the whole process will be time-consuming, whether you like it or not.
When Should You Use Human Translation?
Human translation services will be best applied to projects with personally written documents. If you don’t want to wait a lot for the results, you should add short content to the list. If you want your output to be authentic in terms of text, then a human translation is the way to go.
What Does Machine Translation Mean?
If human translations use the intelligence of the human translator purely, machine translations are the total opposite. This process mainly uses an AI-powered machine or app that can automatically translate texts into another language even without human intervention.
What Can You Get from Using Machine Translation?
What can you get from using a machine translation service for your project? The following sections will focus on its pros and cons.
Pros of Machine Translation
Here are the pros of using machine translation services for your project:
More Budget-Friendly. Machine translation is much more budget-friendly than human translation services since you will just be investing in a single platform.
Quick Turnaround Time. If you’re in a rush, you can rest assured that machine translation services can finish your outputs in a short turnaround time. This is because, depending on the project, machines can finish translating in just several minutes.
Cons of Machine Translation
On the not-so-good side, below are the cons of machine translation:
Offers a Low Level of Accuracy. Unfortunately, machine translations are prone to errors. This means there’s a very high chance that you will end up with a low level of accuracy throughout your documents. You will also have to spend extra time editing the output for better understanding.
When Should You Use Machine Translation?
Machine translation is best used for bulk documents and projects with a high volume of text. If you want to translate many outputs faster, this is your best choice. You’ll also save tons of money if you opt for this, so if you have the time and patience to edit possible errors, then that’s when you should consider machine translation services.
Can Machine Translation Replace Human Translation?
Can machine translation replace human translation? This question is brought up often in the field.
The truth is, no matter how excellent machine translation is, it can never replace the authenticity of a real person’s understanding of words. You won’t get the same natural speaking tone as humans if you leave all the translations to your apps and machines.
That said, you should avoid automated translations if you’re dealing with projects like story books, emails, blog content, articles, features, and others requiring 100% translation accuracy.
Summary: Which is Better, Human Translation API or Machine Translation?
Human translation will be better for reference if you aim for complete and authentic translation accuracy. This will take quite a long time and a higher cost, but it will be worth it if you want to give your brand the natural human touch.
On the flip side, machine translation will be the way to go if you want a quick and concise translation. This is faster yet less costly, making it perfect for projects like simple site translations and others involving large volumes of text. This is also recommended after editing, so there’s a lower risk of having issues with typographical errors, syntax, grammatical errors, and likes.
All in all, this means that there is no “better online translation service” between the two translation methods we discussed. It will all depend on your needs and preference. You also have to consider your goals, desired results, and budget.
