Translation services have always been an area of good money, simply because communication is important in our multilingual world. In order to close business deals or tap into a new market, one needs to be able to speak their language. It would be nice if the world is able to unite under one language, but the truth is that every country presents its own language as part of their culture, and it would be a shame to lose touch of that.
Presently, Chinese, Spanish, English, and Hindi are the top most spoken languages in the world. There is a vast divide between languages which can only be breached by a translator. Thanks to the internet and the rise of artificial intelligence, along with other technological advances, translating is no longer a one-man job.
While certain tweaks are still necessary for software development, and a human touch to give translated documents the flow and syntax that is naturally included in human conversation (and not so much in software translated pieces), technology has come a long way and here are just a few of the upcoming trends to be on the lookout for.
Localization through translation services
Media is easily consumed anywhere in the world. It is easy to communicate your ideas with the magic of motion pictures but sometimes things might get lost in translation when you don’t have subtitles. YouTubers have been utilizing YouTube’s built-in translating services but like many computer-generated information, it isn’t highly dependable, especially when it comes to conversational speaking. That’s why professional dubbers and subbers are in high demand. Having your content translated into a different language allows you to break into a whole new market, as well as generate more exposure for you and your brand. For instance, Hollywood films are often dubbed in Hindi for their audiences in India. The same can be done for content creators all over the world.
Translations provided by search engines and online platforms
Logging onto the internet in search for translation services is only as easy as what you know and understand. For instance, English speakers can use Fiverr or other English translation services to have their documents translated into a different language. While the opposite is also true, it can be hard for someone with a weaker command of the English language to navigate such websites. On the other hand, a Chinese national might turn to their equivalent of Google, which is Baidu and the translation services it provides through Fanyi. However, like Google Translate, it doesn’t offer the most coherent or comprehensive translations due to conversational syntax.
Photographic translation applications
Of course, not all that needs to be translated can be typed out on your smartphone or computer if you don’t know the language itself. Google has been developing this picture translating application that allows travellers mainly to take a photo of a signpost or menu in order to see it in their language.
Google Translate is an innovation that the translation industry can truly benefit from. It is convenient in your pocket, without the hassle of having to thumb through pages and pages of a translation dictionary.
