What does our translation service do? From sounding like gobbledygook to making sense

An interesting word indeed. A word we use when something is unintelligible. Sometimes something can be so unintelligible that it leaves you flummoxed (another word for ‘confused’, which we can unpack another time). 

I have in mind a very specific example of ‘gobbledygook’ that many of you will be familiar with. Remember a time when you have excitedly opened the box of a newly-purchased gadget. Tucked in the box is a set of instructions in multiple languages. This is just what you need to get you started. How thoughtful of the manufacturer you may think. That is until you try to read these instructions. 

I would put money on these instructions being translated by AI. Unlikely there was any human input in the writing of them or the translation. Those people in the factory don’t know how indecipherable their instructions are to the people across the world who buy their products. We see them. We laugh. We tut. And then… we wing it and work it out for ourselves. I’ve done it and I am sure you have too. 

This is where professional translation services could make the difference between a half-baked attempt to inform and something that is a credit to the care and quality of the manufacturer. And this is only one very, very small example of where effective translation can make a difference. So, what exactly is the difference between AI translation and a human eye?

The cultural nuance of language

Professional translation services promise to be effective because they have the human eye that reads and understands languages and their contexts on a deeper cultural level. AI reduces the cost of translating but it does not do the whole job. There are even times when using AI translation tools can have damaging consequences on someone’s life, such as for those seeking asylum or refugee status. A lot more serious than simply communicating gadget instructions better!

Missing from an AI translation are the cultural nuances and intricacies of the target language. Something that one can only gain from experiencing language in their cultural contexts, learning through practice and relationships. A good translator will retain the meaning and the tone of the text. A good translator will have a deeper grasp of languages enabling your work to be read by a wider audience. 

Language according to AI

So, why is it that AI doesn’t compare to a human’s understanding of language? That is simply because, to AI, language is made up of data processed by an algorithm. It doesn’t have the same lived experiences people have that shape the way we communicate through language and the way that language shapes our reality. 

Famously, one of the greatest pioneers of AI, Alan Turing, came up with the ‘Turing Test’ to see whether AI could recreate the complexity of human intelligence and language. To-date, many believe that its value has stood the test of time and AI is still yet to pass it. A dense but interesting topic to read up on!

Maybe one day it will. Who knows! At that point we can rest assured that product instructions will speak to us exactly how we need them to. For now, it is safe to say that there are many things the human brain can do that AI simply cannot.

So, why us?

At Boldface Editing, by making the most of our translation service you can guarantee that your reader won’t be flummoxed by your writing in any of the languages we provide a service for - no more gobbledygook! What’s more, we always aspire to share what we know and how we know it. Translating from one language to another doesn’t need to have any mystique about it. Let us help you keep your tone and find the right language - idioms, grammar and more - to achieve your aims.