Automatic Translation: The Definitive Guide

Automatic translation offers businesses a cheap, fast way to localize content. But, while there are numerous automatic translation programs online, you may wonder: What quality level do they achieve? A quick Google search reveals many conflicting technological terms and definitions for automatic translation, leaving business owners with more questions than answers.

Can Google Translate really localize your business website? Is there a difference between automated translation and automatic translation? What does each offer for your business?

We’ve put together a definitive guide for automatic translation to give you straightforward answers to all your questions, so you can stop researching and bring your product or service to a global audience faster.

 

What Is Automatic Translation?

Automatic translation allows you to automatically translate your content from the source language to another language using software or machine translation systems. For example, you may have considered translating your business website with Google Translate. After all, it’s cheap, right?

However, every business decision comes with a cost. So you should evaluate the business goals and whether you’re willing to sacrifice quality for cost savings. Because doing so may risk alienating your target audience.

Instead, you may want to consider another option— automated translation.

 

Automated Translation Workflows Vs. Automatic Translation

Automated translation workflows provide a more streamlined and efficient process for translating content, while automatic translation translates text without any regard for context or meaning.

Automated translation workflows involve the use of computer-assisted translation (CAT) tools, which help translators work more efficiently by providing a number of features, such as translation memory and glossaries. CAT tools can also help ensure quality and consistency across different documents and platforms.

Forward-thinking language service providers (LSPs) have created collaborative platforms and translation management systems (TMS), which give businesses more control over their content. You can easily get in touch with the experts at MachineTranslation.com for access to a digital platform with machine translation and localization services. On our platform, you can do all the following:

●     Easily submit text for translation

●     Provide formatting and translation guidelines

●     Inquire about the status of their project

●     Collaborate with their team members

●     Speak directly with their assigned project manager

●     Access all project files in one convenient location

 

We can connect you to a wide range of localization services, such as software testing, SEO optimization, and email marketing in the target language.

On the other hand, automatic translation is simply the process of using a machine engine or software to translate text from one language to another without any human intervention. This type of translation can help get a quick, basic understanding of a piece of text. Still, it is not suitable for most business or legal contexts where accuracy is essential.

 

Fully Automatic Translation Online

There are plenty of fully automated translation platforms online. From Google to Amazon, the top providers offer businesses a quick way to translate websites and applications.

However, fully automatic translation does not include any form of human quality evaluation. So, you may want to consider working with a language service provider to implement translation post-editing. Doing so will elevate your localization strategy.

We’ve listed the top fully automatic translation services below.

 

Top Online Automatic Translation Software

Google Cloud Translation AI

Unlike the app for personal use, Google’s automatic translation technology for multilingual website creation is not free. You can find more information on the pricing here. Google offers several automatic neural translation options, including the following:

●      Translation API Basic

●     Translation API Advanced

●     AutoML Translation

●     Media Translation API

 

Azure Cognitive Services Translator

Microsoft’s Azure Cognitive Services Translator is a cloud-based neural translation service that offers businesses a way to automatically translate their content. This is also a paid translation service. This technology can be used for translating applications and websites, and it’s also compatible with all Microsoft products.

 

Amazon Translate

Amazon Web Service (AWS) offers automatic website translation. This platform also provides machine learning translation for applications and multilingual data processing. While this is also a paid service, there is a free tier available for 12 months, which includes free translation of 2 million characters each month.

 

Partial Auto Translation Supported by Human Translators

Partial auto translation relies on machines or software to complete most of the translation. Then, human translators perform post-editing or quality checks. This approach is also referred to as hybrid translation.

You should consider many factors in deciding whether you need post-editing. Of course, it’s never a good idea to rush into a decision based on costs alone. Some texts, such as medical records, demand the highest level of quality. Other texts, like user guides or manuals, may only require light post-editing.

Let’s look at the applications of automatic machine translation when combined with the skills of human translators.

 

Machine Translation Post-Editing (MTPE)

Machine translation post-editing is a great middle-ground, giving you the increased speed of machine translation and the superior quality of human translation. Plus, it’s cheaper than traditional human translation.

Furthermore, various industries use MTPE for many different types of content, from specialized documents to websites and technical text.

Legal Documents

Contract translation requires the oversight of a highly skilled legal translator to maintain the integrity of the original text. First, the machine engine translates the text. Then, during the post-editing process, an experienced legal translator compares the source text to the translation. They apply their unique cultural and linguistic understanding for superior quality and accuracy.

Medical & Pharmaceutical Translations

Thanks to recent advancements, neural machine translation can achieve a level of accuracy close to human translators. One company specializing in medical translation, Acolad, was able to translate "424,000 source words into 39 languages in record time."

However, medical records and patient-facing texts require the utmost care to provide error-free translations. Remember, one mistake puts lives at risk. Acolad recommends using machine post-editing and automated quality checks to ensure superior quality.

 

Automated Language Detection and Machine Translation

Automated language detection (ALP) uses natural language processing to identify the source language. Language service providers use ALP in a variety of settings.

Multilingual E-Discovery

ALP can help law firms streamline the e-discovery process, which is tedious and involves large amounts of data in multiple languages. Rather than manually sorting through all the data, law firms can partner with a language service provider offering ALP and automatic translation.

ALP and machine translation software scan the data to identify the source language and translate text relevant to the case. Human translators can then provide machine translation post-editing to provide further clarification. This approach has been instrumental in global copyright and patent infringement cases.

Market Research

ALP can also be useful in identifying the source language of user data for market research. Companies can use ALP and artificial intelligence to quickly translate user data to determine sentiment toward the brand or product. Then, human translators can provide light or full MTPE to clarify the machine translations further, as discussed below.

Monitoring Online Platforms

Many multilingual companies use ALP to identify fraudulent or abusive behavior on their digital platforms. After machines translate the text to the target language, human translators address any discrepancies between the source and target language.

 

Automated Translation Workflows

Automated translation workflows implement the latest technology to make the translation process easier for clients and translators. To give you a better idea of how automated translation works, we’ve outlined the localization process.

Optimizing the Localization Process with Automation

Step 1: Project Management

First, language experts assign your project to a project manager, who serves as your main point of contact through every step of the localization process. Your team consists of experts who specialize in your industry and target language. In addition to this, the team creates a custom dashboard to give you access to your project from end to end. You can collaborate with your team and provide direction here as well.

Step 2: Content and Website Review

Localization experts then review your content. If your main goal is website translation, this content is the focus. However, if you also need software translation, those services are available as well. These experts provide feedback based on the culture of your target audience. Through a collaborative process, you can rest assured the translation will be relatable while maintaining the integrity of your vision.

Step 3: Content Extraction

The guidelines for content extraction are updated in the system, and expert tech specialists begin the extraction process. Cutting-edge technology allows for the seamless extraction of content from websites, software, and applications. However, manual extraction is also possible if required or preferred by the client.

Step 4: Project Assignment to Specialized Translators

The source content is then assigned to specific translators based on the scope of the project and the skills required to complete the translation. For example, we can connect you with human translators who specialize in marketing and are certified to provide medical and legal translations. If part of your project requires machine translation, we can implement this as well.

Step 5: Glossary Creation and Translation Memory

Translators work with glossaries and translation memory to make the translation process more efficient. These automate repetitive terms to save time, reduce costs, and get your project to market quicker.

Step 6: Quality Evaluation

During the quality evaluation stage, your project undergoes multiple rounds of proofreading and edits. Advanced technology allows for automated quality evaluation, and in-house editors review the translations as well. Once the project manager reviews the completed translation, the system sends the file to your dashboard for review.

Step 7: Graphic Design

Next, graphic designers collaborate with your team to provide images that reflect your brand and connect with the target audience. This is a crucial step as cultures respond differently to images. The team completes an additional quality at this stage.

Step 8: Delivery, Launch, & Continued Support

Once the team delivers your project, you can continue communication until everything meets your standards. Your team should offer continued support after launch to ensure your success.

 

The Impact of AI on Translation and Localization

The power of machine translation has undoubtedly progressed much faster and further than early researchers could have ever dreamed. Without the recent advances in neural translation, we would not be discussing automatic translation on this scale.

The future of automatic language translation is likely to involve more intelligent algorithms and seamless integration with other technologies. However, the impact of AI on translation (and localization) is likely to be even more profound.

AI has the potential to radically transform the translation industry, making it more efficient and accurate than ever before. Additionally, AI can help improve the quality of translations by providing feedback and suggestions to human translators. As a result, businesses and consumers will see language boundaries erased.