The federal Translation Bureau is defending its plan to make a new machine translation tool available to all government employees, amid concerns that it could lead to job losses.
In a letter to the union representing government translators and interpreters, Translation Bureau CEO Donna Achimov said the new tool, developed by the National Research Council, “demonstrates that the public service is capable of innovation and is keeping up with technology.”
“The Translation Bureau needs to strike the right balance between its desire to offer a useful tool and the current state of technology,” she wrote. “Based on the assessment of the existing technology, the Bureau believes it is preferable to use this tool to improve the understanding and translation of short, unofficial internal communications.”
A pilot project of the tool will be tested with more than 200 employees in various federal departments and agencies, Achimov wrote, with the purpose of assessing its effectiveness before it launches on all desktops by 2016.
The Canadian Association of Professional Employees had expressed concern that a plan to make a machine translation tool available could threaten the translation profession and “sully” the Translation Bureau’s reputation by lowering the quality of government communication. More.
See: Metro News
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Indonesia
Local time: 08:36
English to Indonesian
+ ...
In future, robot will rule the world, not only in translation field, but also in any field you can think about.
United States
Local time: 21:36
Russian to English
+ ...
However, I have to admit that I use Google Translate when I receive a job offer in a language I don't know.
United States
Local time: 21:36
English to German
+ ...
However, I have to admit that I use Google Translate when I receive a job offer in a language I don't know.
Do you use Google Translate when you "apply" for that job in a language you don't know?
What's the point here?
If you're referring to agencies contacting you in Chinese wanting a translation from Russian into English, you're not also going to use Google Translate as your ultimate translation tool. Right?
But it's not even a good idea to (have to) communicate with an agency in Google Translate Speak, wouldn't you think?
[Edited at 2015-06-20 22:26 GMT]
United States
Local time: 21:36
English to German
+ ...
"But on its website, the Translation Bureau says machine translations can be useful to give the reader a general idea of what a document’s about, but not to correctly communicate the information in another language."
Not correctly communicate - the Translation Bureau's new credo
If we want readers to get general ideas that at any time can become slightly ... See more
"But on its website, the Translation Bureau says machine translations can be useful to give the reader a general idea of what a document’s about, but not to correctly communicate the information in another language."
Not correctly communicate - the Translation Bureau's new credo
If we want readers to get general ideas that at any time can become slightly wrong, very wrong, or unintelligible rubbish, then go for it.
And who are these readers? Government employees reading letters and documents created in languages they don't understand? When it's complete rubbish, who are they going to turn to?
Isn't there a need also for translations into other languages than English or French that are typed in acceptable versions of those languages? What I mean is it's not going to be a policy of crappy reading and crappy writing at the Translation Bureau?!
[Edited at 2015-06-20 22:09 GMT] ▲ Collapse
United States
Local time: 21:36
Russian to English
+ ...
However, I have to admit that I use Google Translate when I receive a job offer in a language I don't know.
Do you use Google Translate when you "apply" for that job in a language you don't know?
What's the point here?
If you're referring to agencies contacting you in Chinese wanting a translation from Russian into English, you're not also going to use Google Translate as your ultimate translation tool. Right?
But it's not even a good idea to (have to) communicate with an agency in Google Translate Speak, wouldn't you think?
[Edited at 2015-06-20 22:26 GMT]
Yeah, that's what happens when you toss off an answer without thinking too much about how you're wording it. What I meant was that I use Google translate to read the email. That's all.
[Edited at 2015-06-21 21:15 GMT]
[Edited at 2015-06-21 21:16 GMT]
Norway
Local time: 03:36
Member (2002)
English to Norwegian
+ ...
Canada has pretty solid track record of assuring the rights of citizens through the legal system, (also the right to information about issues that may affect you), even if the current government is doing its darndest to chop away the the rights and freedoms in the Constitution, they usually lose in court
Thailand
Local time: 08:36
English to Thai
+ ...
Canada has pretty solid track record of assuring the rights of citizens through the legal system, (also the right to information about issues that may affect you), even if the current government is doing its darndest to chop away the the rights and freedoms in the Constitution, they usually lose in court
I understand that countries with many official languages require MT to improve mutual understanding. This is better than leaving conflicts among people due to language handicaps. Many translation agencies continuously assess and test MT accuracy. MT is reported to improve translation accuracy in specific domains.
Soonthon L.
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