The Latest Trends in the Translation Industry: Implications for Legal Translations

Today, the translation industry is constantly evolving, driven by technological advances and changing client needs that present challenges and opportunities for improvement and discovery. In an increasingly globalized world, the demand for translation and localization services has increased significantly due to the different situations in different corners of the world, which has led to the emergence of several truly exciting trends in this field. Here we will explore some of the latest trends in the translation industry and their impact on the topic at hand, which is the translation of legal documents.

What do we currently have?

The first current option that is causing a stir is neural machine translation (NMT). This is a revolutionary approach to translation that uses artificial neural networks to automatically translate text from one language to another. Unlike traditional machine translation systems that rely on rules and statistics, NMT employs machine learning algorithms that mimic the workings of the human brain, bringing it closer to convincing text; more human-like in some ways. These algorithms allow the NMT to learn to translate from large amounts of training data, capturing linguistic patterns and structures. As the system is trained, it improves its ability to generate more accurate and natural translations. NMT has the ability to understand the context and meaning of sentences in the source language and then produce an appropriate translation in the target language. In addition, NMT has the advantage of being able to pick up nuances and idiomatic expressions, leading to greater fluency in translations. While neural machine translation has improved significantly in recent years, it still faces challenges, such as understanding cultural references or specific contexts. However, NMT has become a valuable tool for translators, as it can streamline the translation process, provide an initial basis for editing and help manage large volumes of work. As the technology continues to evolve, we are likely to see further improvements in the quality and accuracy of neural machine translation, making it an increasingly indispensable tool in the translation industry.

As a counterbalance to the above, we have the always well-regarded specialized translation. With the growth of globalization, there has been an increase in demand for specialized translations in various fields, such as medicine, technology, law and marketing. Translators specializing in these domains are in high demand, as they must have in-depth knowledge of both the language and the field in which they work. This trend has led to further professionalization of the industry, with translators specializing in increasingly specific areas to offer high quality services.

Then there is localization. Localization refers to the adaptation of products or services to a specific market, taking into account not only the translation of content, but also cultural, linguistic and technical aspects. Localization has become essential for companies wishing to expand internationally, as it ensures that their message and product are appropriate and relevant to the target audience in each country. Translators and localization specialists play a key role in this process, ensuring that products and services are successfully adapted to different cultures and markets.

Now, similar to NMT, today we have artificial intelligence-assisted translation tools: Artificial intelligence (AI) has significantly impacted the translation industry. AI-assisted translation tools, such as translation memory systems and speech recognition software, have improved the efficiency and productivity of translators by automating repetitive tasks and providing translation suggestions. The major difference with respect to NMT is that NMT does have a specialized and translation-driven focus, while artificial intelligence is broader in its application and therefore more prone to the lack of detail and adherence to industry standards required when converting legal documents from one language to another. However, it is not to be taken for granted that rather than a solution per se, it can be used as an add-on. These tools allow translators to perform their work faster and more accurately, optimizing their workflow and improving consistency in translations.

Then we come to a phenomenon that in some ways integrates aspects of the above, which is remote collaborative translation and cloud-based work have revolutionized the way translators and industry professionals work together on translation projects. With the help of technology tools and online platforms, translators can collaborate efficiently and productively, regardless of their geographic location. Remote collaborative translation allows translation teams to work in real time, share files and conduct joint reviews without the need for face-to-face meetings. Cloud platforms provide a centralized and secure storage space for translation documents and resources, facilitating access and collaboration from anywhere, anytime. In addition, working in the cloud ensures automatic synchronization of changes made, preventing data loss and ensuring consistency in translations. This form of remote collaboration and cloud working has enabled greater flexibility and agility in the translation process, while improving communication and efficiency among team members. Translators can make simultaneous contributions, share comments and review progress collaboratively, which speeds up the completion of translation projects. In addition, this way of working promotes diversity and inclusion, as it allows the participation of professionals from different parts of the world, with diverse linguistic and cultural perspectives and knowledge. In short, remote collaborative translation and cloud-based work has transformed the way translators work together, facilitating communication, efficiency and collaboration on translation projects, regardless of the physical distance between team members.

In other words, is it good or bad?

As with everything in life, this is a subject to be taken with a grain of salt. Despite the advances and benefits of translation using digital applications or tools such as neural machine translation (NMT), it also has some significant disadvantages. One of the main limitations is the lack of context and deep understanding that can affect the accuracy and consistency of translations. NMT can have difficulty adequately capturing nuances, ambiguities and puns, which can lead to incorrect or unnatural translations. In addition, NMT may have problems with less common languages or complex grammatical structures, resulting in less accurate translations. Another major disadvantage is the lack of specialized knowledge in specific fields, such as legal or medical translation. These fields require precise terminology and in-depth knowledge of technical concepts, which may be beyond the capability of NMT. The lack of human control in the translation process can also be a drawback, as there is no human intervention to check and correct possible errors or inconsistencies in the translations generated by the NMT. This can be especially problematic in sensitive or legal texts where accuracy is crucial. Despite these limitations, NMT remains a valuable tool that can speed up and facilitate the translation process, but it is important to be aware of these disadvantages and use it with caution, always with the intervention and review of specialized human translators to ensure quality and accuracy in translations. Clearly this same problem occurs with artificial intelligence assistants, so the impact of the work done by a human being specialized in translation, and even more so, specialized in specific fields such as the legal one, is still necessary. And it should be clarified that this is not an attempt to eliminate the aforementioned tools and methods, on the contrary, it is necessary to promote them in their rightful measures, remembering that at the end of the day this is a job done by people for people.

Simply put, the translation industry is constantly evolving and the latest trends reflect technological advances and changing market needs. Neural machine translation, specialization, localization, AI tools and remote collaboration are just a few of the trends that are shaping the translation field today. These trends offer exciting opportunities for translators and localization professionals, enabling them to provide higher quality services and meet the demands of a globalized world.