All computing devices are based on a binary code. They perform only Yes or No operations. Translation software is no exception. It stores a dictionary of words in different languages and translates a source sentence word by word with the best matching word of the dictionary. No current software, however sophisticated, is capable of conveying the true meaning of every sentence with all its nuances, irony, wit etc., and often even lacks correct grammar, appropriate sentence structure and recognizable syntax.

The samples below show two translations performed with one of the better translation software available. We chose a relatively simple text and let the software perform a translation from German into English:

Original German Source Text:
Der Architekt schuf einen Baukörper, der aus keiner Perspektive gleich aussieht.

Machine Translation:
The architect created a solidium, which looks alike from no perspective.

Professional Human Translation:
The architect has created a structure that does not look the same from any two angles.

Original German Source Text:
Die Vielfalt der Medien und die wachsende Anzahl von Sprachen, in denen diese Medien publiziert werden, erfordern immer mehr die Freigabe eines muttersprachlichen Mitarbeiters, der verantwortlich das Ergebnis der Übersetzungen prüft, im Bedarfsfall ändert und abschließend freigibt.

Machine Translation:
The variety of the media and the increasing number of languages, in which these media are published, require ever more the release of a nut-linguistic coworker, who examines, if necessary changes and finally releases responsible the result of the translations.

Professional Human Translation:
The wide variety of media and the growing number of languages in which these media are published mean that approval of texts by an employee is an ever-increasing requirement. This employee should be a native speaker, who is responsible for checking the result of the translation, amending this if necessary, and then finally giving it his/her approval.

We encourage you to perform your own translation test by going to one of the sites that offers machine translations, for example: http://babelfish.altavista.com.

Copy and paste any text you would like to translate into the translation window of the translation software provider and let the software perform the translation into your target language. The result speaks for itself.