Machine translation and Welsh: analysing free statistical machine translation for the professional translation of an under-researched language pair

Screen, Benjamin 2017. Machine translation and Welsh: analysing free statistical machine translation for the professional translation of an under-researched language pair. Journal of Specialized Translation 28 , pp. 317-344.

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Abstract

This article reports on a key-logging study carried out to test the benefits of post-editing Machine Translation (MT) for the professional translator within a hypothetico-deductive framework, contrasting the outcomes of a number of variables which are inextricably linked to the professional translation process. Given the current trend of allowing the professional translator to connect to Google Translate services within the main Translation Memory (TM) systems via an API, a between-groups design is utilized in which cognitive, technical and temporal effort are gauged between translation and post-editing the statistical MT engine Google Translate. The language pair investigated is English and Welsh. Results show no statistical difference between post-editing and translation in terms of processing time. Using a novel measure of cognitive effort focused on pauses, the cognitive effort exerted by post-editors and translators was also found to be statistically different. Results also show however that a complex relationship exists between post-editing, translation and technical effort, in that aspects of text production processes were seen to be eased by post-editing. Finally, a bilingual review by two different translators found little difference in quality between the translated and post-edited texts, and that both sets of texts were acceptable according to accuracy and fidelity.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Welsh
Subjects:	P Language and Literature > PB Modern European Languages > PB1001 Celtic languages and literature Q Science > QA Mathematics > QA75 Electronic computers. Computer science
Uncontrolled Keywords:	MT evaluation, cognitive effort, text production, Welsh translation, language planning.
Publisher:	JoStrans
ISSN:	1740-357X
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	14 July 2017
Last Modified:	04 May 2023 19:01
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/95166

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