Machine translation is an easy tool for translating text from one language to another. You've probably used it. But do you know what machine translation really is? Or when you should or shouldn't use it? Navigate through this presentation to learn more!

1. What?! • How?? • When? • Why..? • Where?

2. What?!
A piece of text which
has been written again automatically
from one language to another
by a machine*.
* In this context
’machine’ is basically
the same as computer.

3. What?! Two Types of Machine
Translation
Machine translator can
utilize certain language
related rules, like grammar Machine translator can use a
and conjugation, with the database as a source for all
help of a separate the information it needs for
dictionary. These rules and translating. Machine
dictionaries are integrated to translator uses the information
the translator by human. in the database to determine
Then the machine translator which words have similar
tries to read the dictionary meanings in different
and to apply the rules to the languages, which expressions
text that is being translated. are most used, which words
are synonyms, etc. Typically
these kind of machine
translators count probabilities
to find out the best translation.

4. What?! The Difference
in Quality
The quality is more
controlled if one teaches all
the rules to the machine A translator which uses a
translator. This method is database can learn from
quite laborious and it it, especially if more data is
requires accuracy. Only if the automatically collected.
groundwork is done Although a bigger database
properly, the machine usually improves the
translator produces good quality, the quality of the
quality. These rules should database is extremely
be updated and reviewed to important. No matter how
maintain the quality. huge the database is if it
contains only bad examples.

5. How?? 4 Ways to Improve
Machine Translation
First translate with machine and then
proofread the automatic translation.
Write your original text
in a way that machine can translate it better.
Evaluate the
quality of machine translation to determine whether the raw
automatic translation has good enough quality for the case.
Modify the
machine translation to equal your translation needs.

6. How?? Guidelines for Writing Text That
Machine Can Translate
Cut long sentences Write Keep your Overuse commas.
into pieces. This full, grammatically language simple. Separate different
advice not only correct sentences. Use common parts of sentences
ease the machine Don’t leave words vocabulary and with commas to
translation but also or marks out of avoid words that help machine
makes the original your sentences have several translators to
text easier to read. and avoid meanings. combine the right
complicated subject with the
sentence predicate.
structures.
Correct spelling mistakes. Spelling mistakes and missing spaces between words are
common and they have a huge impact on the machine translation. Always use spell
check if you have one.

7. When?

8. Why..? Machine Translation
is Easy-to-use.
In its easiest form, one just puts the original text in and the machine gives
the translation.
Professional translation is not available as easily. First of all, finding the
right person to do the translation requires some effort. Then one should
negotiate about the prices and schedule and other relevant things. For
someone who has never bought a translation before this task may feel
overwhelming.
It’s in the human nature to avoid stepping out of the comfort zone. When
machine translation is just few clicks away, it becomes easily the most
tempting option.

9. Why..? Machine Translation
is Fast.
There are situation when “now and here” beats “later and better”.
If a customer sends you a message by email or through social media and
you don’t understand his language, there is no time to send it to a
professional translator. Even the biggest language service providers cannot
be faster than a machine. Communication between humans takes always
time, and it would cost A LOT to have a translator ready for unexpected
situations all the time.
The pace of living is fast nowadays, and people are not used to wait too
long. Machine Translation can give you understandable translation in
minutes or even seconds.

10. Why..? Machine Translation
is Cheap.
Money is also one reason for using machine translation. Machine
translation offers very good price-quality combination.
It is good that professional translators are proud of their profession and
want to produce the best translation quality. However, the best quality is
not always needed. Sometimes good enough translation quality is the goal
or even mediocre quality can be enough to be able to understand the
message.
Today some professional translation service companies proofreads
machine translated texts with half the price of a complete professional
translation. For less crucial translations a machine definitely produces
good enough quality with the most competitive cost.

11. Where?
The more people are interacting between each others all over the
world, the more there is demand for machine translation. Today some
browsers translate web pages, Facebook translates comments and
content, Google and Bing translate pieces of text, etc.
Machine Translation in software and document localization:
Multilizer Localization tools
Machine Translation in PDF translation:
Multilizer PDF Translator