Why wait for a human to do something that a machine can do in a fraction of the time?
In a world where technology is getting better all the time, we’re always looking for ways to do things faster and cheaper. Machine translation has the potential to do precisely that. The good news is that automated translation tools are continually improving. The not so good news? Despite the hype, machine translation isn’t perfect.
However, if your content is for information only, will have limited visibility, or has a short lifecycle, you may not need a translation that has been:
- crafted from scratch by an experienced professional translator with subject matter expertise
- revised by a second linguist, and
- rigorously QA checked
In these cases, machine translation post-editing could be a cost-effective alternative. This is where a specially trained linguist edits the raw MT output to produce a translation that meets your needs.
Depending on your requirements, Planet Languages can provide you with full post-editing or light post-editing services as an alternative to our full TEP service. The aim of full post-editing is to achieve translations that are comparable to human translation, while light post-editing is suitable if you are looking for a comprehensible translation for internal use only and are not too fussed about style or minor linguistic issues.
Planet Languages is certified to the ISO 18587 – post-editing of machine translation output standard – and takes a responsible approach to integrating machine translation into workflows.
What level of post-editing does your project require? And how does post-editing differ from full TEP (translation, editing and proofreading)?
Light post-editing | Full post-editing | Full TEP (translation, editing and proofreading by professional human translators) | |
Translation accuracy: no omissions or additions | Flawlessly accurate transfer of information and excellent command of the subject matter | ||
Editing any inappropriate content | Potentially inappropriate content in the source text flagged to the client before delivery | ||
Restructuring sentences in the case of incorrect or unclear meaning | Complete comprehension and appropriateness of rendering and lexis | ||
Translate untranslated source segments | No unjustified omissions or additions | ||
Integration with computer-assisted translation tools | |||
Formatting | Not important | ||
Grammar | Minor issues acceptable | Correct | Correct |
Spelling | Minor issues acceptable | Correct | Correct and consistent, in keeping with client/house style and/or reference dictionary spellings |
Punctuation | Variations/errors acceptable | Correct and consistent | Correct and consistent, in keeping with client/house style |
Terminology | Understandable and usable | Adherence to domain terminology; consistent | Adherence to client and/or domain terminology; accurate and consistent |
Tone | Not offensive | Appropriate for content | Faithful to brand tone of voice, appropriate to the subject matter and to the spirit and intention of the source text |
Style | Variations acceptable | Consistent | Choice of language and register entirely appropriate, in keeping with client-specific style guide |
Some content types are better candidates for machine translation than others. If your content involves highly creative marketing copy that includes plays on words, we would recommend our creative / marketing translation services. However, if you have a huge volume of content that needs to be translated quickly and is not intended for high-profile publication, machine translation might be an option for you.
If you’re wondering whether your content is suitable for a workflow that includes machine translation, get in touch. We will be happy to advise on the best approach for you.
FAQs
In contrast, modern machine translation systems leverage neural networks to automatically translate text from one natural language to another.
If you’re wondering whether your content is suitable for a workflow that includes machine translation, please get in touch with us. We will be happy to review your requirements and advise on the best approach for you.
You are right to be concerned about this. Over the last few years, a number of fake translation agencies but also well-regarded translation companies have sold raw machine-translated output as publication-quality translation. The standardization community responded to this concern by publishing an ISO standard that outlines best practice for LSPs to incorporate machine translation into their workflows. Planet Languages was among the first companies in the world to achieve certification to the ISO 18587 post-editing of machine translation (MT) output standard. We use machine translation wisely. We would never provide clients with machine-translated output that has not been professionally post-edited.