Online Translators can Only do so Much
Online translation services abound. Copy and paste your text into Google Translate, for example, and you’ll get a result almost instantly. But unfortunately we are still a long way from perfect online translation. These programs rely on AI, so that the translations, more often than not, result in shallow and cumbersome language. Online programs simply aren’t equipped to fully understand all of the nuances of language, and will typically be unfamiliar with jargon or field-specific technical terms, so some things will always, as they say, get lost in translation. Conversely, when a human expert translates your paper they will deeply process your source text, and consult multiple translation sources and dictionaries—not to mention their own training and experience—to ensure they stay true to your intentions. Professional translators also have a better and more colloquial understanding of the language that can lead to a more concise, and therefore academically legitimate, translation.
Expert Translators for Your Area of Interest
As mentioned above, jargon and other technical or field-specific terms cause a real problem for AI translators. Professional academic (human) translators, however, understand how academic text should be constructed and are familiar with technical terms. This ensures that your arguments are clearly conveyed and are not buried under a subpar translation.
Translation Plus Proofreading Boosts Your Chances of Getting Published
In order to get your work published in a top English-language journal your writing must meet incredibly high standards, which, in basic terms, means it must read as though written by a native English speaker. Thus, when you send your work to us we match you with a translator who not only speaks your language, and English, fluently, but is also familiar with your subject area. They are also able to translate to British or American English, depending on your or your target publication’s preference. After translation, to make absolutely sure that your paper flows, that all syntax is correct, and that the paper meets any relevant style guidelines, your paper is subject to our usual proofreading/copy editing by our expert editors—who are also specialists in academic writing. AI has a long way to go to compete with all that!
For a no-obligation translation and proofreading quote, click here. And for some awkward, hilarious, and often not safe for work Google Translate fails, check out Babbel Magazine’s article on this very topic.