The Numbers Game: A Comparative Study of Microsoft Translator and Professional Simultaneous Interpreters

Abstract

Interest in computer-assisted interpreting tools has increased as a result of the desire to prevent cognitive saturation during interpreting. The present study examined the quality of interpreting numbers by Microsoft Translator and professional simultaneous interpreters. For this purpose, a collection of political speeches delivered at the United Nations was gathered. The results showed that there was no significant difference between Microsoft Translator and professional interpreters in terms of interpreting numbers. There was a significant difference in the error categories across the types of numbers, indicating that interpreting errors varied depending on the type of number. The findings of this research suggest that Microsoft Translator could be a useful tool for assisting human interpreters during simultaneous interpreting. In other words, Microsoft Translator could provide a quick and accurate interpreting of numbers, alleviating the cognitive burden on human interpreters and enabling them to focus their attention on other aspects of the conversation.

Keywords

• simultaneous interpreting
• problems triggers
• numbers
• microsoft translator
• professional interpreters