How Not To Use Google Translate
Google Translate is an online language tool that’s free to use, and in part because it carries the name “Google,” is widely known. It is not, however, a tool that can be used as a replacement for translation services from a skilled human linguist. I repeat, it is not!
On occasion we’ll receive a comment from a new client with a question about a translation we’ve delivered that doesn’t match the machine translation output of Google Translate. Sometimes these questions carry the implication that since the translations do not match, something must be wrong with the human prepared translation. A tactful response is then required, in keeping with the adage that “clients may not always be right, but they’re never wrong.”
So if only to reinforce the point, Google Translate should not be used to:
- Check the work of a skilled human translator, or to
- Replace professional translation services for text requiring high quality translation
For anyone doubting the accuracy of the above two statements, we offer the following video in support. The video is a Google Translate version of “Hello” by Adele with lyrics run through Google Translate from one language to another and eventually back into English.
