Is this the end for interpreters? The launch of the Chinese version of Skype Translator has triggered a debate online over the pros and cons, and what the future may hold for these professionals.

The software, now available on desktop and tablets using Windows 8.1 and Windows 10, can provide real-time, vocal translation between Mandarin and English.

Skype, acquired by Microsoft in 2011, said in a news release on April 10 that the software was "an exciting milestone" and "the result of decade-long research" by its technicians in China and the US.

"The Chinese language has 10,000 frequently-used characters with different pronunciations and intonations, which posed a great challenge to the development of this program," the news release said.

Wang Shijin, a manager with the automatic machine translation division at iFlytech, said technology related to the sector had been stagnant for some years, but "now thanks to things such as big data and cloud computing we're seeing great developments".

"The processing time is much shorter, but the accuracy still needs to be improved," he said, predicting that "barrier-free" communication between languages will be realized in five years.

The auto-translation caters to a fast-growing market in China, which is increasing its activities in outbound trade and overseas tourism, resulting in thousands of international meetings every year.

China's largest search engine, Baidu, launched an online auto-translation service and mobile app in 2011.

Auction website eBay also launched a translation tool last year as part of its strategy to boost cross-border trade.

Professional interpreters are split over how this latest advance in technology will affect their careers.

"I'm terrified about what this might mean for jobs," Tomas Zhao, an English major at a Beijing university who plans to be an interpreter, wrote in one online forum on the topic.

However, not everyone is convinced. "The answer is impossible to know," said Cheng Xing, 35, an interpreter in Beijing. "Basic translation can be done by machine, but interpretation, especially simultaneous interpretation, is a complicated job that builds understanding between people not only with different languages but also with different mindsets and cultural backgrounds.

"Moreover, communication is often unpredictable in many conditions. How can a machine cope with a changing language environment?"

wangru@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily USA 04/24/2015 page4)