I have difficulty dealing with texts in another language (C9).
Translation or dictionary programmes can be useful when reading or writing a text in a foreign language. But they contain a number of problems which you should be aware of.
Between simple word replacement and translation programmes
There are automatic translation and simple word replacements dictionary programmes. Dictionary programmes - often marketed as ‘translators’ - simply replace each word by its equivalent in another language. Dictionaries, however, can not really qualify as language translators. What is meant by automatic translation is a process that involves some context and grammatical analysis. The depth and quality of such programmes varies widely. There are free programs available on the internet (such as Babelfish) while the more sophisticated are for sale. Though frequently coarse and erroneous, automatic translation is useful in a number of ways:
• It gives a rough idea of what the text is about. This is particularly helpful when you are doing research on the web and find a document in a foreign language. Automatic translation will tell you quickly whether or not the document is worth looking at in detail. Though the text may not be translated perfectly, simpler things such as tables will also be translated and these facts and figures can reveal interesting information.
• It serves as a basis for a human translator. This saves a lot of time, though there is a risk that the human translator will produce low-quality translations.
• Lastly, an author can use automatic translation as an extra check for clarity and grammatical correctness of the own text. Translation errors can indicate problems in the original text, such as complicated grammatical structures. If a translation programme cannot correctly process a piece of text, this could for instance be due to features in the original language that will make it difficult for a human reader to understand it as well.
As translation programmes improve, more complicated texts can be translated. As for now, automatically generated text can never be relied on completely.
