As technology advances, society’s needs change as does the responsibilities of government. Due to technological advances, cultures are more connected globally than ever before. With a broad, diverse reach, governments must be clear and consistent with communication. Accurate translations between cultures are imperative to understanding rights and responsibilities related to government services and policies.

Translating a Government Document

Effective communication is key for public and international relations. A simple language mishap could unravel any talks of peace or swiftly end a new business or government partnership. Below are the many aspects that go into successfully translating a government document.

  • Document Layout: Languages vary in sentence structure and tense. To smoothly translate a document, the phonics and construction of the language has to be understood in its essence. For example, a study was done to determine any discrepancies in official translations of China’s foreign policy statements from Chinese to English. The study observed that more than half of the foreign policy statements that were analyzed contained substantial differences between the Chinese and the English translations. The most pertinent of these documents were the ruling party’s reports. These had more translation discrepancies than the party’s speeches did. This is just one example from 2 different languages. This shows that the entirety of a foreign document is not fully captured by machine translation alone.
  • Specific Vocabulary: Government documents contain specific vocabulary that is unique to its context. Rules of law have been established in governments for thousands of years. Many of the legal terms you will hear in English stem from original Latin terminology. For example, “Habeas Corpus” and “Prima Facie”. These words are specific to the rule of law, so their translation wouldn’t make legal sense. “Habeas Corpus” literally translates to “Show me the body”, but that is not its meaning when used in legal cases. Therefore, several specific vocabulary terms cannot be translated verbatim and still keep the same meaning.
  • Legal Compliance: Many national organizations have governance reporting and strict international regulations for business dealings. This is important for accurate global compliance. Translations need to be accurate to know if there is compliance with international regulations.
  • Accessibility and Data Security: When translating a government document, the data security needs to be tightly secured. The only ones accessing the documents are those responsible in the translation process and the sending and receiving of the document.

The Value of Professional Translation Services in the Government Context

The value of professional, human translation services outweigh AI translation.

  • Strict Security and Compliance Adherence: Translation services help minimize any risk and ensure compliance with regulations and laws. Confidentiality is important when submitting something for regulation and a human cannot be hacked like a machine. The CEO of one of the most popular language software programs, ChatGPT, admitted to a data breach where users’ chat history was being shared with others. You can have confidence that a professional translation company will guarantee strict security and discretion.
  • Quality and Accuracy: Native speakers of a language hold greater value in translation because they understand the language intimately and fluently. In fact, many government organizations do not even accept machine-translated documents and a professional translation service is required.
  • Cultural Sensitivity and Localization: A professional human translator can ensure the machine translation is correct and the wording is culturally appropriate, giving the document a human touch.
  • Expertise, Experience, and Credentials: A professional translation service has the necessary experience and credentials for quality assurance. A professional understands the target audience and has the knowledge and experience necessary to formally communicate the context.

Limitations of Machine Translation

AI can give sufficient language results, but it lacks the capacity to handle the nuances of government document translation. A professional translation company like Ulatus can help with these limitations described below.

  • Cost-Effectiveness: AI translation is becoming popular because it initially appears to reduce costs. It is estimated that AI translation costs around 10 cents per word as opposed to around 22 cents a word for human translations. Many people have been making the change to AI translation due to the price, but they are trading the quality of translation. An MIT study concluded that the cost to keep and update AI technology is too pricey to eliminate the human job. It will gradually increase and surpass the price of human translation services. Ulatus is a trusted brand that offers high-quality translation for the price. It will save you time and money in the long run, rather than trying to work with AI.
  • Security and Confidentiality: An AI cannot guarantee confidentiality. Its main job is generating communication to any user. It is a technological machine that can be easily utilized by anyone. These machines are effective because they are built to learn and remember the data they give and receive. If its primary use is for government and translation, sensitive government data can easily be stored without notice and then breached or stolen in the event of a cyberattack. There could be data at risk that you may not have even realized the AI collected. A professional translation company like Ulatus prides itself on its strict confidentiality and data protection.
  • Accuracy and Nuance: When using machine translation, human intervention in some capacity will always be needed to resolve any translation discrepancies. AI cannot suffice the quality of translation on its own and will need to be reviewed. It is pertinent for translations to be communicated flawlessly for compliance and Ulatus can reconcile these limitations with our robust ISO-certified Quality Control Processes. With state-of-the-art technology and over 3000 experienced translators, we can fully translate any subtle variations in legal documents across languages.

Conclusion

The demand for human translators is estimated to increase by 4% from 2022 to 2032 despite machine translation. Sophistication in languages sets us apart in society and is something no machine can capture. Professional translation services are invaluable when dealing with government documents in a multi-cultural world.