Machine Translation Post-Editing – How to Master?

The machine translation post-editing (MTPE) process is straightforward. It is the translator’s job to carefully review the source text, read the MT output and compare it with the source text to identify language errors. They are in grammar, spelling, punctuation, word order, words not translated properly and any potential mistranslations.

The linguist needs to pay close attention to these things when using MT. It is important to know that not all types of texts can be translated, as some are more suitable for human translation. After reading the MT output and comparing it to the source text, they need to be prompt in deciding whether they should post-edit the machine translation suggestion or delete it and translate from scratch.

Speed is one of the key advantages of MTPE. If you find yourself altering MT-generated strings out of personal preference, then using machine translation isn’t really worth the effort. Instead, it might be a more effective use of your time to translate from scratch.

When NOT use machine translation

MTPE is generally useful for types of texts such as blog posts, articles or informal texts that can readily be edited. However, it is necessary for people to refrain from MT in these types of cases:

– Advertising and marketing texts that are expected to be read by many people. These types of texts often contain wit or humour, which can easily get lost in translation if you use machine translation.

– Some texts require an expert in a particular field (e.g. medicine, law, or engineering). For these types of texts, you should have a native speaker of the target language review your machine translation to verify that it makes sense and is correct.

– UX/UI copy that heavily depends on context. You will need to see the entire user interface before you can decide what words to use exactly.

In short, when dealing with high-stakes texts, always consider post-editing your machine translation. If you have a choice between MT and human translation, go for the latter unless you are pressed for time.

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