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ABSTRACT
The increasing demand for translation services in the linguistics world has led to the exploration of diverse methodologies, including machine translation. This study undertakes a comparative analysis of human and machine translation of Igbo language to assess their efficacy in achieving accurate and fluid translations. The aim of this research is to understand the differences between human and machine translation of Igbo language. Data collection involved the acquisition of Igbo short stories, both human-translated and machine-translated versions, including works such as "The Flying Tortoise" and "Adaku and the First Mermaid" by Chinelo Anyadiegwu, as well as "Contemporary African Relevance of the Genesis Creation Myth" by the International Association of African Researchers and Reviewers, among others. Human-translated versions were obtained through oral interviews. Utilizing Uwajie's four levels of translation theory, the collected data was evaluated to identify translation details and assess the relationship between human and machine translation. Analysis reveals that machine translation often struggles to capture the figurative implications present in the original Igbo text, providing literal translations that may lack depth and imagery. In contrast, human translation demonstrates a better understanding of the figurative language, preserving the intended imagery and connotations effectively. The findings suggest that while machine translation offers efficiency and speed, it may fall short in capturing the nuanced meanings embedded in Igbo literature. Human translators, are better than the machine translation with their contextual understanding and linguistic sensitivity, they translate based on the figurative and in-depth meaning of words. This study contributes to the ongoing discourse on translation methodologies, highlighting the importance of human involvement in achieving accurate and culturally sensitive translations in Igbo language.
