How Accurate Is Machine Translation?

Food for translation engines: parallel corpora

For most translation engines, such as machine translation, to convert texts from one language to another, they need a base of data called a parallel corpus. A parallel corpus contains a large set of simultaneous translations in various languages. machine translation engines use such data to decide the equivalence between languages.

For this process to be accurate, huge amounts of parallel translations are needed, preferably, from multiple genres—such as novels, films, official proceedings, news reports, and even social media.

Benefits of machine translation

The benefits of machine translation are of course, its speed and convenience. Yet, inaccurate translations are not uncommon, especially in languages that have less support in terms of having a good corpus. In such cases, one often runs into translations that either are awkward or, sometimes, do not make any sense.

Limitations of machine translation

Machine translation’s benefits are not universal to the world’s many languages. Whether a language becomes available on machine translation or other engines depends on a few factors like the number of speakers, how much the language is used in official proceedings (which increases the availability of its translations), and the affluence of its people group.

The number of speakers of a language no doubt plays a role in shaping their online presence on machine translation and other sites. Yet, although the top translated languages have hundreds of millions of speakers, the online presence of those ranking in the middle do not necessarily correlate to the number of speakers.

This is because other factors like the scope of influence and affluence of the country that uses the language matter too. For example, official EU languages like Greek and Swedish, which only have a few million (less than 20) speakers, have a much better presence on machine translation and translated Wikipedia pages than many languages with the same or larger speaker population, like Bhojpuri (51 million speakers). Bhojpuri was among the 24 languages made available on machine translation only recently, in 2022. Furthermore, the translation model it uses is not backed by the usual parallel corpora; instead, it uses Google’s new “Zero-Shot” monolingual model that Google itself describes as “impressive but imperfect”.

Conclusion – machine translate for rough translations

In conclusion, machine translation engines can be useful for personal use and rough translations. It is often used when traveling, travel planning, or when browsing or shopping online on foreign websites. In these cases, basic translations are often all you need, and not much is at stake.

However, machine translations can be inaccurate or even unavailable, especially if the target language has a poorer online presence. Hence, if you need an accurate or certified translation, it is best to approach a trusted translation company where real human language experts can assure you an accurate translation. 

How To Accurately Transcribe Audio And video recordings for court use

Audio and video recordings are often submitted as evidence for court proceedings. In Singapore, under the State Courts Practice Directions 2021, Part XIX, Paragraph 130, regarding the documentation of audio and video recordings for the community courts and tribunals cluster, “A transcript of the important part(s) of the audio or video recording must be prepared to state the relevant fact (ie, the action that is seen, the exact words that are used, the type(s) of sound(s) that are heard).”

Although this does not have to be done by a transcription service provider, legal firms often refer the task to one to save on time and to ensure quality.

If you would like to know how an accurate transcript is produced, read on.   

Accuracy

For audio recordings, repeated listening is key to producing an error-free transcript. This is to ensure words are heard correctly, no word is missed out, and overlapped speech can be differentiated as best as possible. We recommend listening to a recording at least three times, especially for difficult ones, such as those containing muffled words, overlapped speech, or an unfamiliar accent. It can also help to have more than one person review the recording.

Maintaining objectivity is also very important. Any subjectivity or interpretative quality to a transcript may be deemed biased or unfair in court, rendering the evidence useless. For example, if a person in a video is seen smiling, you should describe the person as “smiling”, but not “happy”, as the person who is smiling may not necessarily be happy. Hence, it is important to maintain objectivity and to avoid introducing subjective interpretations when transcribing.

Formatting

Apart from being accurate, a transcript must also be easy to follow. A range of formatting tricks will help you to do this. Let’s discuss some of them.  

Before you start, know what style of transcription you would be using--full verbatim or clean verbatim. Full verbatim retains filler words and stammering while clean verbatim presents the speech in Standard English.

You may also want to consider other formatting elements that will help you present your transcripts clearly or that may be relevant to meet your needs. Some suggestions are listed below.

·         Headings and paragraphs – Sectioning the document into different parts with headers and splitting up large paragraphs into smaller ones can help improve readability. 

·         Speaker labels – Speaker labels are required to differentiate between different speakers. If a speaker’s identity is not known, generic labels like “Male”, “Female”, or “Speaker 1” can be adopted. 

·         Timestamps – Placing timestamps helps the reader to locate parts of the recording that correspond to particular places in the transcript. Timestamps can be inserted at regular time intervals, for example, every 5 minutes, by inserting [0:05:00], [0:10:00], etc. at the relevant points, or may be inserted every time a different speaker begins their turn. 

·        Tags for inaudible speech and crosstalk – Tags like [inaudible] and [crosstalk] can be used to indicate instances of inaudible speech or crosstalk. 

·         Describing non-speech sounds – Non-speech sounds can be indicated by enclosing them within brackets. For e.g., [clapping], [door closing], etc. 

·         Describing actions – For video recordings, you may italicize or enclose actions in brackets. For e.g., [Mike walks over to the table].

There it is! With these tips, you are on your way to producing a solid transcript.

Alternatively, you may leave the job to a professional company such as ours.

Parts of the recording that require translation

What if your recording contains parts that are not in English? According to the rules stated in State Courts Practice Directions 2021, when words in the audio or video recording are not in English, a certified translation of the words into English must be provided. 

Legal Translation Service Singapore

Legal translation services are specialized language services that involve the translation of legal documents, contracts, agreements, court materials, and other legal texts from one language to another. These translations must be accurate, precise, and culturally appropriate, as even the slightest error or misinterpretation could have significant consequences in a legal context.

Legal translation is a highly sensitive and complex field that requires expertise in both legal terminology and language proficiency. It demands not only a deep understanding of the legal systems in both the source and target languages but also the ability to maintain the original meaning and intent of the text.

Some common types of legal documents that often require translation services include:

1. Contracts and agreements: Business contracts, partnership agreements, employment contracts, etc.
2. Legal judgments and court rulings: Decisions and verdicts issued by courts.
3. Patents and intellectual property documents: Patent applications, trademarks, and copyrights.
4. Immigration documents: Visa applications, passports, residency permits, etc.
5. Corporate documents: Articles of incorporation, bylaws, and company regulations.
6. Trusts and wills: Legal documents outlining inheritance and estate distribution.

When seeking legal translation services, it is crucial to work with reputable translation agencies or translators who have specific expertise in the legal domain. They should be well-versed in the laws and regulations of the countries involved and possess a proven track record of accurate legal translations.

Confidentiality is paramount when dealing with legal documents, so it is essential to ensure that the chosen translation service provider adheres to strict data protection and privacy measures.

Moreover, some countries have certification requirements for legal translations, such as obtaining notarized or sworn translations, which may be necessary for official use. Therefore, it's crucial to inquire about the specific requirements of the target country.

Overall, legal translation services play a crucial role in facilitating communication and legal processes across language barriers and are indispensable for businesses, individuals, and legal entities dealing with international matters.

Tools of Translation: Machine Translation

 

In the past, numerous jokes have been made about the awkward nature of machines, especially when they were used to simulate typical human actions. Robots were portrayed with clumsy movement and stilted speech; texts produced entirely by a computer were either nonsensical or unfocused. Even today, one can personally witness the difficulty machines have with human words and speech by selecting YouTube’s options for automatic transcription or translation. However, this clumsiness is becoming a thing of the past, as technological advances and increasingly refined data morph the capabilities of machines from science-fiction jokes to frighteningly useful tools. The translation industry is no stranger to this, where machine translation can potentially achieve results on par with that of a certified translation company in Singapore.

Though clients seeking guarantees of quality may still turn to humans, particularly for crucial work such as a notarized translation, one key reason for opting for machine translation would simply be volume, or rather the capability of converting a high volume of pages from one language to another very quickly. After all, it may be simple enough to provide a translation service for a dozen or so pages, but if the client requires the translation of hundreds of pages in a limited window of time, then it may be too unmanageable for only a few translators to do on their own, or it may be that the certified document translation services in Singapore necessary to finish that work before the specified deadline would be too costly for the client. Of course, clients aiming to seek out cheaper translation services in general is a key reason of its own.

On the other hand, the adage of “you get what you pay for” applies here as well. Machine translation programs may have advanced in quality as tools since their creation, but on its own, machine translation still has a reputation of producing noticeable errors as well. A computer may have whole encyclopedias of various languages in its database, but it may end up making obvious mistakes if it is unable to understand context like a human. For example, if a legal translation service is being provided, then it requires more formal language. Some machine translation programs use a brute-force method of running words through countless dictionaries for their equivalent in another language, but if they run into the names of peoples or places (such as in a PR application translation) and are not instructed to leave them alone, the program can make the grievous error of translating a name into something unrecognizable.

Mind you, this is not making an argument against machine translation, as it is a tool just like any other. Rather, it is an argument against blindly using machine translation. A dictionary may know each word’s meaning, but it cannot put together a letter. It is still up to thinking humans to direct the meaning of the text, just as it is still up to a certified translation professional in Singapore to compensate for what a machine translation program lacks. This process of machine-translated results being later reviewed and rectified by a human translator has a specific name: Machine Translation Post-Editing.

What Translators Need: Practice

Even if a translator in Singapore has a formal education in the languages they work with, there is still further effort required on their part. To succeed in the many ever-competitive certified translation companies in Singapore, one must constantly endeavor to maintain their strong understanding of their languages of choice. Better yet, one can improve their skills with such languages and provide document translation services of an even higher quality. To address this ever-present necessity for retention and improvement, there are several activities that one can undergo, whether one is an aspiring translator or an experienced professional. One such act is ‘Practice’.

This does not just mean the active ‘study’ of a language, such as through textbooks and learning exercises. Rather, it is recommended to put your knowledge of a particular language to use in a ‘real’ situation, which can include reading a text written in such a language, using it in conversation with another person, or writing something for someone else to read. Though the effects are rarely immediate, every use of a language not native to a person is one small step on a long path, and with every step that person gets closer to having that language become second nature to them. In turn, this of course makes one even more capable of being certified to provide translation service in Singapore.

Granted the process of these continual acts may grant one greater prowess with a specific language, but the question then arises as to how this would help with translations of a more specific nature, or rather translations that must be precise on the use of particular words and phrases. This is the case with PR application translations and legal translation, where specific words must be used in the correct manner and associated with the correct meaning. Translating such words incorrectly or placing them in the incorrect position or context can lead to several unpleasant consequences for all involved.

Though opportunities for practice in this context may be comparatively rarer to come by, options still exist. In their free time, translators could find a sample document to translate and later refer to. They could also build up a stockpile of previous works they have produced, which they can then use as reference materials to more quickly produce future translations.

In the same way one might get to Carnegie Hall, there is a single word to keep in mind for any one professional who seeks to provide certified translation services to clients in Singapore: “Practice”.

Legal Documents: Proof of Ownership Documents

As any translator in Singapore is familiar with, a good portion of the official documents they are tasked with are primarily for the purpose of proving and certifying an individual’s identity. For instance, during the process of PR application translations or notarized translation, a translation company can work with numerous birth certificates and driving licences. There are other purposes though, one such being to serve as proof of ownership.

Of course, to get to the point of requiring official documentation to prove that you rightfully possess something, the item in question will already be something with substantial value. It can range from standard objects like a vehicle to larger investments like a whole building or a business. Then, if ownership of such a significant item must be proven, and if the documentation proving that something was properly procured is from a different country and in a different language, one must be prudent and seek the document translation services of a certified translation company in Singapore.

As such documents are typically lengthy and detailed, the best option would be to seek out a certified translation service from a company in Singapore, or rather a legal translation. This will help you ensure that the document is accurately translated to properly present the correct details and with the most appropriate wording. This is especially essential if the document is to be used in a thorny issue (accusations of misrepresentation, divorce proceedings, and so on). In the case of documents that determine who is the legitimate proprietor of a particular item, there are certain indispensable elements within them. So that they can properly render these elements into the needed language with the exact meaning you require, you in turn must be certain that they are appropriately understood by your chosen provider of translation services in Singapore. These elements are:  

·                   All the parties and objects involved, such as the seller and purchaser of the item in question, as well as the item itself. All parties and objects involved must be clearly and correctly identified with their proper names. Any relevant identification numbers or identifying details must also be included.

·                   Clear descriptions of the objects involved (including any necessary measurements and figures), as well as the processes and exchanges by which ownership of the item is granted or transferred.

·                   Proper use of wording in the language that the document is being translated to. This has significant importance, especially when it comes to terms with specific legal meaning, and must be carefully reviewed by you (or someone with legal expertise on your behalf) and the translator tasked with the legal translation.

In summary, if you desire success in a particular legal situation in another country, then it is always preferable for you to seek out professional assistance. By engaging a company certified to provide translations in Singapore, you not only gain access to high-quality legal translation services but also greatly increase the chances of positive results from what your translated document is later used for.

The Important Details : Legal Documents

           When providing document translation services to others, it is essential for any translator in Singapore while doing this to pay careful attention to the key details of the documents in question. In the case of legal documents, reviewing and confirming the accuracy of critical aspects of the document are especially necessary.

Granted, in the process of a legal translation, a translation company would review the entire document multiple times to ensure that all the details are correct and that the formatting and language of the document is of an appropriate nature. After all, such a business must maintain its reputation for providing certified translations with quality in Singapore. However, there may be situations where one is short on time and/or energy and will only be able to review a few parts of the document before it is submitted and used for its intended purpose. To that end, it is then essential to single out the most crucial elements of the legal document to verify.

Names of people and places are one such element. Similar to how translators are closely attentive to the use of names in PR application translations and notarized translation, so too must one be vigilant that a name is accurately translated and written down. This can be straight-forward if it is written in an English alphabet but can be more difficult when a name is written in Japanese Kanji or the Arabic alphabet.

Numerical Figures that can represent sums of money, dates, identification numbers, and so on. This may seem like an easy detail to transpose while rendering a translation service, it can also be easy to mistakenly enter the wrong number when it is long with multiple different digits. Furthermore, any certified translation company in Singapore must be aware of the fact that different countries can have different conventions for how they use numbers, such as France and Germany (as well as many other countries) which use commas instead of a decimal point to separate their dollars and cents.

Phrasing is an area that can be given some leeway when it is a document used for certain other purposes. If it is a document meant to prove a person’s identity and status, then as long as crucial details such as the person’s name and citizen status are properly translated, the phrasing of headings or notes or other details considered tangential could be overlooked. However, with legal translation, the phrasing of particular terms or whole paragraphs can be essential to the document’s purpose, with business negotiations and legal liabilities being at the mercy of the quality and accuracy of a legal document’s translation.

A legal document can have a weighty impact upon its creators and its recipients, whether it carries out its intended purpose or it inflicts consequences when mistranslated. With such knowledge in mind, it behooves one to ensure that certified legal translation in Singapore is performed for such a document, to make certain that no misunderstandings are had,and that the document’s original objective is achieved.