An odd question, but try viewing a website that is
written in a language you do not normally use. Depending on the internet
browser you use, you may receive a prompt or a request from the program to
translate as much of the website as possible into your preferred language, and
the process to do this can happen instantaneously, or at most in just a few
minutes. No translator or translation company in Singapore was involved; only
lines of code and vocabulary databases that have been perfected over time to
take text in one language and convert them into another while maintaining high
standards of accuracy and readability. As has been mentioned before, technology
is negating the need for human intervention or assistance in many facets of
life, including the realms of human language. Will the need for human-provided document
translation services disappear entirely? Will certified translation companies
in Singapore become obsolete and eventually be thought of as relics of the
past?
People will very often gravitate towards quicker and
more convenient options. Hypothetically, let us assume legal translation
services are required for a contract, and one of two options must be chosen: a
professional translator who will cost more and take at least a few days to
finish the work; or a program that can be downloaded online (free or for a
one-time purchase) and finish the translation in less than a day. If nothing
else is considered, then one may believe the program to be the natural choice
every time. After all, why would one ever wish to use a service that requires
more time and money?
Well, added time and costs can become more reasonable
if one has more at risk. It is worry-free when you have an internet browser
automatically translate the contents of a store’s webpage, or use a program to
translate some fiction for your entertainment. However, what if it is a PR
application translation you need where success or failure can hinge on the
document itself, or what if you are translating important documents for the
judge to consider in a court dispute? A program itself has no particular care if
a minor error leads to an expensive disagreement on your end. Conversely, a
certified provider of translation services in Singapore will have a vested
interest in ensuring that the final translated document delivered to you will
be of the highest quality and accuracy, since the document’s success in its
intended use will also add to the translator’s own professional reputation.
There is also the question of certifications to
consider, and not just that of the translator. Well-established translators in
Singapore also typically have the means to proceed with a notarized translation, i.e. having the contact details of a notary public on-hand.
Notaries public are recognized for having the authority to determine documents’
authenticity and certifying them as such. Translation programs (at least as
they are now) have no means of contacting other parties on their own for the
certifying of documents for any official purposes.
Even assuming the world was to reach a point where
humans are supplanted by digital programs when it comes to the provision of
document translation services, it is hard to imagine such programs operating
without some level of human supervision, even if it is just one person at the
back of a room full of humming computers. Despite our desire for convenience
and economy, we are also unwilling to leave our most vital documents to
automated programs, especially if some major purpose or goal depends critically
upon them.
Consequently, for such vital documents, people will
still seek out human professionals in the translation industry, if not because
of explicit confidence in translation professionals’ abilities, then at least
just for more pairs of eyes to review and ensure that a document’s translation
is completely correct. Thus, in the meantime, certified translation services in
Singapore will ever yet require that human element.
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