I, Translator in 2020

When Robots Do it Better

It's easy to feel disheartened about the translation industry today. It's easy to believe what you read, especially if an algorithm has presented this information to you, almost on a daily basis.

If this is all sounding a little bleak, don't stop reading just yet!

I'm here to bring a little optimism to the argument because I’m a big advocate that this isn’t the case.

Photo credit: Lenin Estrada on Unsplash

I wonder if there are other disciplines that are so frequently compared to robots by those intending to employ them.

Perhaps in the future a robotic chef will cook all your meals, a babysitter robot will look after your kids, and a robo-dog walker will take your pets out (and pick up their poo, preferably).

We've all reduced our human contact this year, replacing physical meet ups with Zoom calls and in-person exercise classes with virtual ones on our screens.

If you're someone who puts in the same amount of work in an at-home exercise class, instead of sitting out the difficult bits and waiting for the next instruction, I salute you. You are truly a person of substance and self-discipline.

Anyway, I digress.

If you are a linguist, you will have heard this argument before. Maybe it was your university lecturer, a family friend when you told them you were studying translation, or maybe even a stranger on the bus. There will be a moment when they arch an eyebrow, and say "Can't Google Translate do that?”

There are numerous blog posts and articles on the subject and I'm not going to add to the fire except to say F*CK THAT.

Whether you are a newly-fledged translator or a worn-down, disillusioned linguist, consider this your professional pick-me-up. I, translator, will never be replaced by a robot and I'll tell you why.

Robots are our friends

There is a common misconception that translators are luddites, fearful of technology and working solely with pencils and giant hardback dictionaries in musty libraries.

In fact, today's modern and fancy translators use tech all the time. From CAT (computer-assisted translation) to time management apps and invoicing software, shared glossaries, online dictionaries, tools for voice transcription, project management and terminology databases. I could go on.

If it makes us more efficient, we'll use it.

Automating more mundane tasks is a lifesaver that makes a serious dent in how much time is spent on non-billable work.

We've been using technology for a long time already, thank you. We work together just fine.

Robots can't make jokes (and if they do, they're pretty bad)

Have you ever tried putting a joke into GoogleTranslate or DeepL? It's no laughing matter (Sorry. Couldn't resist).

Computers are great at checking typos, grammar and format. They're also really good at making sure terminology is consistent and no tiny human errors have been overlooked.

But, they can't transmit emotion, nuance or even gender-neutral language. For example, my CAT tool is distinctly sexist and assumes all nurses are women. Sigh.

Robots can't form human connections

If this year has taught us anything, it's the value of human connection. While we can't physically network and meet our clients in-person, webinars and online events have exploded.

Building relationships the human way—through communication and empathy—still prevails.

People buy from people, as they saying goes. People trust people too, and a human who makes mistakes, and recognises it, is a much better colleague. You try arguing with sexist software.

My advice?

These translating robots I speak of (I wonder if they also make cups of tea?) aren't going anywhere and that’s absolutely FINE.

Eliminating menial tasks so you can focus on the creative ones? I'm all for it.

The big G-Translate is here to stay and there will always be those who say translators will be obsolete within 10 years, but you know what? You don’t need to work with them.

Do you fancy working with a non-robot translator? Get in touch.