Technology and Translation
Lynne Bowker, Des Fisher · The Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics · 2012
Abstract The application of technology to translation got off to an early but inauspicious start in the post‐World War II period, when initial attempts were made to develop fully automatic high‐quality machine translation systems intended to replace translators. Researchers learned, however, that translation was a highly complex task consisting of more than simply word‐for‐word substitution. Contextual, pragmatic, and real‐world information proved very difficult to program, and attention has since shifted to finding ways in which computer tools can assist, rather than replace, professional translators. Indeed, in our current fast‐paced, globalized, and information‐thirsty society, the use of technology by translators is no longer a luxury but a necessity if they are to meet escalating market demands for the speedy delivery of high‐quality texts in many languages.