Human versus AI Translation in Preserving The Soul of Children's Stories

In recent years, the intersection of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and translation studies has garnered increasing scholarly attention, particularly in relation to the human dimensions of meaning-making in literary contexts. This paper investigates the limitations of machine translation tools-despite their impressive advances in speed and syntactic accuracy-in capturing the emotional, cultural, and metaphorical subtleties that human translators inherently perceive. Grounded in Nida's theory of dynamic equivalence and Venuti's notion of the 'translator's invisibility,' this study underscores the irreplaceable role of human agency in maintaining authorial intent, especially in delicate genres such as children's literature. Through comparative analysis of case studies and theoretical frameworks, the paper demonstrates that while AI excels in processing linguistic structures, it often fails to embody the empathy and interpretive insight essential to literary translation. Reflecting on recent uses of AI-based translation in educational and creative settings, the study argues that true understanding originates not from computational logic, but from human interpretation- a process rooted in contextual awareness and emotional resonance.

کلیدواژه ها:

machine translation ، human touch ، semantic nuance ، contextual meaning ، artificial intelligence