It is a digital Pentecost was a miracle: all of a Sudden the Computer understood foreign languages, suddenly translation provided programs useful texts, grammatically correct, and understandable.

The jump happened almost two years ago. “It was obvious to all: from Now on nothing would be like before,” says Florian Faes, the “Slator”, a world-wide online magazine for the translation industry.

At Roland Zünd is actually nothing like you used to. The 47-Year-old has virtually lost his Job (which is why he wants his real name is not public). Until two years ago, he worked as a freelance Translator, often he translated screenplays into German. “The customers understood quickly what the new programs can. I almost lost all the jobs,” says the father of a family. He’ll be like a coachman according to the invention of the car.

DeepL managed the miracle

for a Long time work of machine translation programs is amazingly bad. Their suggestions consisted mainly of errors and showed little sense. To the ruins of work “with such a Text, is tedious. Many Translators do not,” says Faes. The Computer facilitated the work with databases of previously translated examples. Much more did not succeed.

Then DeepL, a German company that hardly anyone had heard came, and made the miracle. “The results are poor to mediocre human Translators to compare,” says Faes. And DeepL will not stay alone. The Big as Amazon or Google would have to catch almost.

in order To become Translators reality, what many people fear at present: The Computer is growing to the direct competitors. It makes it faster, cheaper, in almost the same quality.

another danger comes. “Internet firms are investing very much in their translation services”, says Florian Faes. Soon, they would make traditional translation companies, the contracts in dispute.

Even the Computer makes mistakes

However, until today, two years after the miracle, remained in the disaster. As hard as Roland Zünd, it has affected hardly anyone. He is a Freelancer. The large providers, however, it is good, says Florian Faes. Also in the case of the Swiss interpreters and translation Association, we know of no members who have had to give up due to DeepL.

This is due to the fact that even the best programs continue to make mistakes. In the case of simple texts on holiday, for example, or operating manuals catalogs – mind the less. In the case of sensitive documents, clinical studies, legal opinions, laws tolerate it, neither flaws nor inaccuracies. Because it still need people to help out, says Florian Faes. But their role will change. In the future, the Control counts, Correct and Refine machine-translated texts. This activity has already a name: “Post-Editing”.

In some texts, the machines fail. These include Slogans, headlines, literature; texts with language play and break the rules. So far, it succeeds only people to transfer. Also, this activity has an English name: “TRANS-creation”.

For Translators has become a reality, what many people fear.

It is the hope of the digitization optimists rests: Specific tasks overwhelm the Computer. On such Islands, the complexity will save the people.

There is another reason for hope. The work takes not mandatory. Principal Translations have to deal with two possibilities, with the gains in productivity that DeepL and co. create. You can trim your Budget, because you get the same amount of text for a lot less money. This is bad for the Translators. Or you don’t touch your Budget for Translations. They will leave their texts in more languages than before, for the same price. “Apparently, many companies have chosen this option, especially in the area of marketing”, says Florian Faes. With other Translations new markets could open up.

Multi-language, multi-work

“There will even be additional work,” says Yvan Zimmermann. He is the boss of Syntax, a medium-sized translation company. The digitization holds a carpenter for a Chance, you must come only with the right “Mindset”. Zimmermann believes that the amount of text is increasing. The pointing of the research. On social media a lot more texts would be brought up as before, in a faster rhythm, through a variety of channels. Among experts, the language industry is therefore seen as a growth market. This means that Translations be to do less. For this, we need more of them. The technology takes the technology out there.

Also safety concerns to slow down the March of the Computer. “The information you einfüttert translation machines that can read their provider,” says Zimmermann. While many providers would guarantee confidentiality and Translations on a local Server. “The highest safety standards is not enough, though.” In the case of highly confidential Jobs Translators are permitted to take neither a mobile phone nor a Laptop. There is a strict Inclusion policy. Many of the companies would reveal their secrets more of a Swiss SME as an international company.

So, all is not so bad? Gary Massey, Director of the Institute of translation and interpreting at the ZHAW in Winterthur, sees no reason to close his school: “the extinction of just a bad Translator.”

“Swiss-German and French part of Switzerland react sensitive if the text is to high German, or high French sound.”Christine Wintringham, Vice-President of the interpreters and translators ‘ Association (DÜV)

Massey himself is the living proof of how good some people are proficient in languages. The German-born British, you don’t just listen with the utmost attention, that it is his mother language. Computer called Massey “great tools, which are responsible for the cognitive routine work”. For the Rest of this Routine is also, it need still people. “In our training, we back this human value to the forefront.” The demand in many areas: during the Repair of the computer errors, and when Targeting different target groups, strategic or ethical Considerations. The automation make the profession more challenging, more exciting.

at Least the boys seem to convince Massey’s arguments. The applications in his field of study had remained more or less stable.

Christine Wintringham, Vice-President of the interpreters and translators ‘ Association (DÜV), is not especially concerned, when she talks about the future of their industry.

Wintringham operates as an interpreter, quite satisfied she is the arts, nevertheless, not with your Voice. “I grew up in Germany. I would love to speak Swiss German, but I just can’t get it right.” This experience shows how much fine feeling in need of it, so that language arrives authentic. “Swiss-German and French part of Switzerland react sensitive if the text is to high German, or high French sound,” says Wintringham. A precise “localization” of Translations requires a lot of intuition and Knowledge. “I don’t see how the Computer could soon make it.”

Translate any rigorous science, says Wintringham. Language leave a lot of nuances, and not to want of accuracy, to recognize all people. Some companies would assign your orders only to a single Translator, because this hit the perfect tone. In the case of a distribution of machine Translation, everything would get the same Sound.

The rescue: A Blackout

As Roland Zünd, the Freelancer, almost all of his translation jobs lost, he rose to Post-Editing. With moderate success. For this work, he get only half of the translation fee. Twice as many jobs he could not get in. “Many former Client, edit the texts yourself, not always with good results.”

The optimism of his colleagues in ignition can’t share. As a Freelancer he get to feel the market movements of the fastest. “The post will disappear-drawn carriages.” In 10 to 20 years, says ignition, would interpreting master the machines also, almost all those tasks that today are considered to be much too demanding – for example, the Live. “Then we have the famous Babel fish from the movie “the hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy”. Nobody needs to learn a foreign language.”

And he added: at least as long as the Internet runs.

(editing Tamedia)

Created: 24.03.2019, 20:09 PM