Nowadays, we can find many translator tools or translation machines. We can also use free online translation machines, such as “Google Translate.” Many translation machines translate one by one. Some translation machines translate based on frequently used phrase or sentence.

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When you use translation machines without editing, you may get the bad. Machine translation may not meet your satisfaction even if the original text is rather simple. Some sentences may not make sense because it is the result of unedited machine translation.

Translation machines usually fail to translate properly the complex sentences or non-casual language style. The result may not convey the real meaning when the sentences are too long. You must be careful when you use them to translate legal text or poem.

Some people think that translation machines can replace human translation skill. They think that in translation, they just need to copy the text, paste it in the machines, copy the result and paste it on the document page. They are wrong. Translation machines cannot replace human translation skill. They are the tools to help people. They cannot become substitutes for people.

However, it does not mean that translation machines are useless. Translation machines are useful invention but we need to use it properly. They help people to reduce their time to type word by word. When we use machine, we still have to edit.

Machine translation is not equal to human translation. A dictionary has its limit to record all words and so do translation machines. One word may have various meaning. It can have two or more meanings. An English word may have various meanings in another language. The combination of two words in original text may have different meaning. Sometimes, the meaning of a word depends on its relationship with other words in a sentence. Translation machines have no feelings to sense the true meaning. Translation machines cannot recognize whether they must translate a word or the word is proper name. Translation needs human touch. The sentence structure in English may be different with the structure in other language.

Many people tend to translate manually because the translation machines fail to translate accordingly. Some lazy people just use translation machines without editing because they are not aware of the weakness of the machines. Some people use translation machines as the support tool and they must act as editors to edit the result. These people see the strength and weakness of translation machines. They are aware that they must edit but they know that using the machines can save their time in typing process.

Although he uses translation machine, a translator must have the knowledge on the language of original text and target language. A translator must understand the original text. Some people think that they do not need to understand the original text because they totally believe in the accuracy of translation machines. To totally trust the accuracy of machine translation is wrong.

If you use translation machines, you must play your role as an editor. When you edit, you must edit it manually because most editing tools provided by software only edit grammar. They cannot sense the meaning accordingly. Language is the tool to convey the meaning. You must understand the meaning in original text. You must check whether the translation result has the same meaning with original text. You must check the style and the grammar of translation result. A translator must play his role to select the right words. You must check whether you must translate the word or it is a proper name. If you are not sure, you can check the meaning of a word in dictionary or encyclopedia. If you do not find the meaning of a word in your dictionary, you can ask your friends or use on-line dictionary or encyclopedia. You must pay attention to every single word.

The most important is not the gun but the man behind the gun. The accuracy does not depend on the translation machines but the man who uses the machines. Machine translation without editing leads to bad translation. Bad translation leads to misunderstanding. Translation machines are not the substitutes for translators. They are the supplemental tools.