[JamesAdir]

You've moved to different country with a language that is vastly different from yours. Let's say you're an American moving into the Czech Republic. You need to sign an important document that has legal and business ramifications. Would you trust an AI translation on the document or ask for a professional to be in the loop?

[BlackFly]

For such a literal case, automatic translations generally suffice. The real translator touch comes about when their is some nuance to the language.

Was that a double entendre or not? If not, you might make a literal translation to get the meaning across. If so, then a literal translation will not get the message across. Vice versa, if it was not a double entendre but you translate it as one, you may confuse the message and if it was and you translate it as such, then the human connection can be maintained.

That is also the tricky bit where you cross from being proficient in the language (say B1-B2) to fluent (C1-C2), you start knowing these double meanings and nuance and can pick up on them. You can also pick up on them when they weren't intended and make a rejoinder (that may flop or land depending on your own skill).

If you are constantly translating with a machine, you won't really learn the language. You have to step away at some point. AI translations present that in full: a translated text with a removed voice; the voice of AI is all of us and that sounds like none of us.

[krisoft]

> The real translator touch comes about when their is some nuance to the language.

And as we all know legal language is famous for having no nuance whatsoever, there are no opaque technical terms with hundreds of years of history behind their usage, there is no difference between the legal systems of different countries, and there is no possible difference in case law or the practicalities of legal enforcement. /sarcasm

What is clear to me that in a situation like this neither AI translation nor human translation is sufficient. What the imagined American signing an important legal document in the Czech Republic needs is a lawyer practicing in the Czech Republic who speaks a language the imagined American also speaks.

[lazide]

The first part is absolutely not true.

As someone who has been in that situation before, ‘literal’ translation is not actually a thing. Words and phrases have different meanings between legal systems.

You need a certified translation from someone who is familiar with both legal systems or you’re going to have a very bad time.

Which I think you know from the second part of your statement.

Legal documents likely have much more impact than a random chat with a stranger.

[mickeyp]

Is the professional _just_ a translator, or an expert in translation _and_ the domain? The latter is preferable; for the former? I'd trust Gemini or Claude.

[AlecSchueler]

I know many people who until last year would have just signed and hoped for the best. Most people can't afford professional translation services.

[rwmj]

If the document was some standard thing, like say a standard tax form that every CZ resident needs, then I'd absolutely use Google Translate / AI translation on it. The assumption is that there's no specific trick or catch in the document.

If it was a customized contract then I'd want to use a local legal professional who could also speak English.

[anovikov]

I will totally just do google translate with a phone's cam and that will be it.

[csomar]

You need a real professional for this and not just a translator (the translator can just as well run your document through an LLM and just send you the result). You preferably need a professional who has skin in the game (ie: approved by court).

[marginalia_nu]

It's probably advisable to have a lawyer eye through such a document even if that document is in English if there is the slightest question about what it says.

Pacta sunt servanda can be a real bitch sometimes.

[lbreakjai]

When we bought our house in the Netherlands, an official translator was legally required to be present. I'd never have trusted an AI translation for a three-quarters of a million signature.

[moffkalast]

You ask the Czech who is handing you the document, cause there's a 99.9% chance they speak perfect English. In Hungary though... yea.

[nicbou]

These translations usually need to be certified, at least in Germany.

[block_dagger]

I’d query the top 3 frontier models.