Google to offer services for translators?

I first noticed this article at CNET News before the recent Obon holidays, but details seem to have leaked out that would suggest Google is preparing a document translation service that would put people who need translation services in touch with translators who can provide them. Although the service itself is not available yet, it seems to include tools for translating and reviewing documents, managing glossaries, and viewing one’s previous translations, all of which are features typically found in computer-assisted translation (CAT) tools.

Google’s motive for providing these services is not yet clear, but it’s not difficult to imagine that Google would be interested in using the translations stored in this system to improve their automated translation capabilities. Whatever the motivation, if Google’s translation center does come to fruition, it will be interesting to see what effect it will have on sites like proz.com, on translation agencies and other middlemen in the translation business, and quite possibly on the makers of CAT tools like Trados.

Thanks to Philippa Hammond at Blogging Translator for the heads up and to Philipp Lenssen at Google Blogoscoped for more details.

Posted by S. Patrick Eaton on 08/23 at 10:31 AM

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