We live in demanding times, running to the
rhythm of a tyrannical clock that marks its own rhythm and speed.
In an increasingly interconnected world,
where information can arise from a point on the planet and spread to another in
a matter of seconds, the time is always essential, simply because it
becomes a possibility and is no longer an obstacle.
It is presumed that Ben Franklin once said
that "time is money".And so so easily, the money made its way into
our equation.
In the world of translation services, these
two factors drive the medium which sets the rules of the game.
In the market today's customers expect quickly
at low cost, and which can offer the best balance between price and time
usually is hired, what sets the combat for the competition arena, where
translation services they will maintain a struggle to survive.
But there is a third aspect that represents
a term in this equation that completes the Holy Trinity and returns things to
their natural balance: the quality. That essence that we strive to
preserve it as linguists or poets.
The quality, cost and time are the three
basic pillars of this natural equation. And so idyllic structure can only
sustain itself when only one prevails over the other two. It cannot be all
at full capacity.
And in general, the time and cost are the
factors that share the center of attention.
In this Trinity, one of them always will be
sacrificed for the sake of the other two. It's tragic, really.
It's like a romantic triangle, in which the
quality is usually set as the third wheel, alone in a dark corner, full of
apathy and a sense of unrequited love.
Think of fast food. It is fast and
cheap (and even tasty), but it has no nutritional value.
And that is what you have much demand these
days. In an era in which boasts the largest chain of fast food in the
world with "in a minute or it's free", where businesses develop
exciting pace driven by low costs and deliveries on time, it is easy to forget
our purpose as Paladins of the leng UA vernacular.
The so-called "miracle" of automatic
translation takes place in this increasingly competitive environment where
being able to process complex parameters in seconds makes you win the race.
But what is this race? From where or
where you are? What is the purpose of all this?
Let us not forget why we chose the path
that has led us to where we are today. The noble path of the linguist,
those are the colors that I support.
But there are many tracks in this race,
many fields of battle in which this "war" is being waged, and the most
powerful armies of this conflict are increasing his power of fire as fast as
they can.
A few weeks ago, Amazon announced the
development of its own machine translation engine, defying Google in a market
that so far belonged mostly to them, establishing a bipolar scenario equally
competitive forces suddenly. Sound familiar?
Therefore, while this "rage of
Titans" modern takes shape, and reform the industry of translation
services at the same time, it is important to know where each one of us and
where our loyalties lie.
In an era in which money is the engine and
the fuel that moves the gears of the civilized world, mega corporations like
this, govern the industry with the awesome power of their technical and
financial resources, making us forget the most important thing: the essence-the
ex official.
