Translation Tools

Yesterday I wrote about how it is almost time for the general public to question their beliefs that all translation software should be avoided like the plague.

I warned readers not to continue to base their opinions of translation software on old versions.

Even though translation software is still not perfect, people with real translation needs are using what they have today to gain a competitive advantage.

Over The Counter Translation Perfection Not Here Yet

Now, let me say once again, very clearly: free translation software are still NOT perfect.

Translation software still have quality issues.  But it is often good enough for resourceful professionals to use to gain a competitive advantage.

Professional Translators Use Software

First of all, did you know that…

The primary professionals concerned, translators, often use software to help them get their job done faster.  This not only helps them get their job done faster, it also helps them to give competitive rates.

Of course, professional translators always read through their work and add a human touch.  But this is a common practice in many countries.

How You Write

Let’s face it, most readers here want an easy translation solution.  They simply want to press a button and have a perfect translation appear.

Now what if you were to question your original content.

People with exposure to foreign languages will evaluate translation software differently.  They can see where the original content was not written in a “translation friendly” way.

You see, the free translation software available today actually does a fairly good job of translating the facts.  It has two major downfalls:

• It cannot translate the nuances, and emotional or indirect messages.  This is why it is never a good solution of sales materials.
• It still gets stuck in areas where there is a certain communication flavor or quirky syntax.

This is why it is a great international market research tool.  You can quickly get the essence out of the translations, but you will still need to do classic market research to dig deep enough.

Now I am going somewhere with this…

Writing For Translation Software

You see there are professionals with sufficient language experience who can predict where the software will have a hard time translating their texts.  And they have created methods of writing that make it very easy to translate with the translation software.  In very simple terms, they avoid writing the original text with any cultural or language quirkiness.

Yes, quirkiness is the best word I can find to describe it so all of my readers can understand.  These people do use a more precise vocabulary, but you need to study languages to follow them.

And if you want to see what I mean, simply do some international online research using translation tools on a subject you are familiar with.

The areas of the text that are obvious mistakes to you are what I am referring to. And while you are there noticing the obvious mistakes, have a look at everything the translation software got right.

Now some readers here are not familiar with translation. If this is your case, and you are a stickler for perfection, you have to know something. The software may not have used the exact words you would use if you were to write the same text. But give the same big chunk of text to a dozen qualified translators and you will probably get a dozen different variations.

Bending Your Communication To Fit An International Market

Now, aligning your writing to fit with translation software may seem like you are giving up on some marketing power.

The question is, how are you communicating with your international markets?

Next week I will write about how International English is evolving to fit the web communication platform.

Need a free translation widget to put on your website?

Download this Translation Widget on Get International Clients

More On Translation Tools

• How To Use Online Translation Tools
• Over The Counter Translation Perfection Not Here Yet
• Translate Server Error
• Translation Software – It Is Time To Question Old Truths
• Translation Widgets – A Small Step Towards Website Globalization

Copyright Cindy King 2006-2010 - International Business Blog

Over The Counter Translation Perfection Not Here Yet