Is a spear a spear? window?
We can easily view many translation programs. However, that doesn't guarantee that we won't face difficult situations. Sometimes when I run the translator, I get results that I can't laugh at. I want to translate the fact that they used a “spear” as a weapon into English, but sometimes it's translated as “Window” instead of “Spear.”
At this time, technology is developing, and people are even saying that the job of a “translator” will disappear in the future. Why is the translator's translation so awkward? The technology may still be insufficient to capture the complexity of the “language,” or it may be because Korea's translation history is relatively short. However, I can think of another reason.
First, it's the difference in 'grammar'.
Each language has a grammatical structure and regularity with unique characteristics, and we learn that language through it. They also learn by grasping the framework and applying for college from within. However, the grammar of each language does not follow the same word order, and the word order can also vary in a language depending on the length (length) of the sentence. In other words, there are anomalies in grammar that are not applied to the rules every day. There are always “exceptions,” and there are as many differences in languages as there are similarities, so it may still be difficult to capture them all.
Second, non-verbal situations cannot be considered.
Language consists of “speech” and “conversation,” and non-language refers to communication activities other than this language. And in our everyday lives, we use non-language as much as language. They communicate through gestures, gaze, facial expressions, and touch, and communicate with different tone, speed, and performance even with a single voice. Since non-language does not only mean body language, clothing, jewelry, and accessories can also be nonverbal. In non-language, which has such a large share, we also read the other person's intentions and understand the other side of things that cannot be conveyed in language. However, since most translations, especially program translations, are done in letters only, it is natural that it is much more difficult to understand the meaning because it does not contain non-language words.
Third, translation is limited because it doesn't contain a historical or cultural context.
Even in the same situation, depending on the context of each country, some languages use direct language centered on the speaker, and others use indirect language centered on the listener. Also, languages are created, died out, and changed according to the lifestyle and trends of that country. In particular, in the digital generation and digital media, this change is even faster. Therefore, in an age that is changing day by day, in order to be able to accurately translate such ever-changing languages, translators must also be aware of the context of the times and the flow of history. It may still be a difficult story.
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I don't know how translation programs will evolve in the future. If the day comes when translators can translate perfectly according to our wishes, how will the world and us develop at that time?
See you in the next post
*This content has been transferred from Gicon Studio to Letterworks.
