Human translators don’t just translate the text—they improve it. With so much concern about AI-written texts today, it is worth remembering that a human translator does so much more than just regurgitate a poorly written text in another language. This is one of several reasons why AI can still not compete with truly proficient human translators (see: Machines
translate. Humans Write.), albeit perhaps the most important one.
Albert Einstein once said, “If you can’t explain something simply, you probably don’t understand it yourself.” However, writing simply isn’t simple. In fact, it is far simpler to write an overly formal, inscrutable text than to write a simple text that everyone can understand, just as Einstein’s famous equation E=mc2 wasn’t easy to produce, yet most people can understand its profound implications.
Here are some examples below of expressions used by people who think they are writing well, when in fact they are using superfluous words that may confuse some
readers:
IN VIEW OF THE FACT THAT > SINCE
A CERTAIN NUMBER OF > SOME
IN THE MONTH OF MAY > IN MAY
IN THE EVENT THAT > IF
IF THIS IS NOT THE CASE > IF NOT
FOR THE PURPOSE OF > TO
IS LOCATED AT > IS AT
AS A CONSEQUENCE > SO
CONSISTS OF > IS
OF AN OFFICIAL NATURE > OFFICIAL
IN THESE TIMES > TODAY
ORIGINALLY FROM > FROM
WITHIN THE TIMEFRAME OF > IN
IN CONJUNCTION WITH > WITH
FURNISH THE PAYMENT > PAY
AT THE MOMENT > NOW
WITH REFERENCE TO > ABOUT
All languages have many examples of such formalisms used by bureaucrats or generally by people who think “this is the way my professional culture communicates”, when in fact they may be hindering communication with certain audiences such as non-specialised people, children, people with a low level of literacy…in other words, the general public.
They often have favourite, ambiguous words and expressions such as implement, develop or paradigm.
With so much concern about AI-written texts today, it is worth remembering that a human translator does so much more than just regurgitate a poorly written text in another language. We improve the text. So rather than just re-hashing the usual mediocre texts seen all over the internet today, get in touch with a human professional and talk to them about what you really want your text to say and do.
Oh, and in case you’re thinking that it only happen in English, let’s end with a few examples in Spanish:
DE GRANDES DIMENSIONES > GRANDE
CENTRO HOSPITALARIO > HOSPITAL
EN EL MES DE SEPTIEMBRE > EN SEPTIEMBRE
EN EL CASO DE QUE > SI
CON EL OBJETIVE DE > PARA
SE ENCUENTRA UBICADA > ESTÁ
EN LA ACTUALIDAD > HOY
PROCEDEMOS A HACER > HACEMOS
PROCEDENTE DE > DE
EN EL PLAZO DE > EN
CONSISTE EN > ES
CON ANTERIORIDAD > ANTES
EN CONJUNCIÓN CON > Y
REALIZAR EL ENVÍO > ENVIAR
REPRESENTACIÓN GRÁFICA > GRÁFICA
If your readers are human, talk to them in human language!
© Gary Smith Lawson