Case Study: When Machine Translation Goes Wrong

The Problem:
A software development company used generic machine translation (MT) tools to localize technical documentation, including code snippets and inline comments, for their development platform targeting the Korean and Japanese markets. Critical errors in translation included:

• Japanese – Code Comments:
  • The English comment: “// Ensure user authentication before proceeding” was translated into Japanese as: “// ユーザーの認証を確実にしてください” (Make sure of user authentication). While accurate in general meaning, this phrasing lacks clarity and conciseness typical of developer comments. A more accurate translation would be: “// ユーザー認証を確認” (Verify user authentication)

• Korean – Reserved Keywords in Resource Files:
  • The English term “false” was mistakenly translated into Korean as 거짓 (geo-jit), which means false in the general sense but is not appropriate in a programming language context. Reserved keywords must remain in English.
• Chinese – API Parameters in Function Descriptions:
  • An English parameter name, user_name, was translated into Chinese as 用户名 (yònghù míng). While it reflects the meaning, parameter names in function descriptions must not be translated as they need to match the actual implementation in code.
    

The Interpretation:
These translation errors caused significant issues for developers, including confusion about functionality, and frustration over inconsistent or unclear comments, ultimately resulting in programming errors. Developers in the target markets found the documentation difficult to work with and unreliable, leading to implementation delays and lost trust in the platform.