Many people imagine that a translator simply swaps words from one language into another. In reality, the work is closer to rewriting. A joke, a legal clause or a line of poetry rarely has an exact equivalent, and the translator must decide what matters most: the literal meaning, the tone, or the effect on the reader. Machine translation has improved dramatically and now handles routine texts competently, which has led some to predict the end of the profession. Yet professionals point out that errors in a contract or medical leaflet can have serious consequences, so organisations still want a human to check the final text. Translators increasingly act as editors of machine output, a role that demands judgment more than vocabulary.

Answer and explanation

Correct answer: D. Machine translation

  1. Step 1: The passage says machine translation has improved.
Answer
Machine translation.
Why not the others: Pay, legal clauses and leaflets did not improve; machine translation did.

Practise more Reading: science, culture and everyday life.

Free questions with an explanation for every one, and full timed Cyprus English Language Certification (B2, C1, C2) mock tests.