Technology and online tools have become part of the translation profession. MT give users quick and easy access to translations. Ideally, these tools help users to get the gist and a first overview of what’s been said in a foreign-language text.

Machine translation is suitable for creating an initial translation, especially when dealing with larger text volumes. However, please note that translation and interpreting is more than merely transferring words from an original into a target language. In reality, it is a matter of transferring linguistic and cultural concepts into a target culture (e.g. when translating word play or ad slogans as they need to provoke similar feelings in the target audience as they do in the culture of the original language). It is all about transmitting ideas rather than words. As machines are not or are only partly able to work within a given context, it is paramount that human experts revise the pre-translated texts. This interplay of people and technology is called post-edited machine translation (PEMT). Translators mainly work with the machine-generated translation; however, it can be necessary to consult the original if the translation is unclear and for verification purposes.

Another delicate aspect of MT and tools such as Google Translate and DeepL is data protection. These tools “learn” from the data they are fed. There is no guarantee of secure use. Personal data and confidential information should therefore not be translated by MT. Full MT versions are exceptions.