MT has totally changed the way we communicate something from one language into another, providing instant time-saving solutions across languages. But post-editing (PE) is still vital since machine translation has greatly improved but does not reach the very good quality contextually accurate translation standards. We shall discuss here the key benefits of post-editing and how this further improves the quality of the machine translation.
With one of the largest advantages being accuracy, post-editing ensures that this accuracy is improved. Machine translation systems fail on nuances, idiomatic expressions, and many contexts involving language. A post-editor, a professional human translator, scrutinizes output from the machine translation system where it looks for errors that the AI might have missed. This may include correction of grammatical mistakes, misinterpretation, and even contextual inaccuracies. This goes further to produce an even more precise translation that will portray the actual meaning of the author, hence the output works within the expectations of the target audience.
The machine translations are not as fluent and readable as those produced by human authors. The machines may translate word and phrases correctly, but sometimes, they may fail at producing sentences that will be read fluently or sound natural in the target language. This is solved through post-editing by making the text more readable. The post-editor is able to reorder sentences, select more suitable words for the situation, and ensure that the tone is correct for the audience. Such clarity in writing makes it easier to understand and spreads the message more easily.
Language is culturally penetrative, and there are phrases or expressions which have to be cultured and their meanings cannot be translated by machines. That's the reason posteditors are very crucial in preserving cultural nuances when their experience and knowledge of cultures are in action. They can immediately point out if literal translation will cause misunderstanding or convey a wrong message, making the correction as necessary. This cultural sensitivity ensures that the final translation appeals to the audience and has not lost the original intention of the message.
Consistency is a must in translation, especially for business concerns with a lot of documents or marketing materials that need the same level of uniformity. Machine translation systems might give translations of the same term or phrase with different text. Consequently, this would lead to inconsistency and uncertainty. Post-editing, therefore standardizes the terminology and style; the final outcome would be the same all throughout the project. Hence, for organizations with brand recognition or those using specific industry terminology, this ensures that their message and character are enforced.
Paradoxical as it may sound, post-editing can also be cost-saving in the long run. In as much as organizations reduce the time and resources utilized in full human translations by using the preliminary machine translation first draft before delegating the rest of the job to the post-editors, the hybrid approach will allow them to have quality content faster. Translation efforts can be scaled without the cost of devaluing quality as companies expand across regional markets.
The value added by the post-editing step in a machine translation workflow is immense, enhancing the quality of translated content by many folds. From accuracy it improves fluency to cultural nuance and the need for consistency, post-editing is essential in filling the gap between the machine-generated translations and top-quality output. As such, with the high prevalence of machine translation, it will only be the skilled post editors who continue to stand tall at the top as experts in providing coherent, accurate translations. All one needs is to embrace the concept of post-editing in the actual process of translation in order to succeed in the new globe.
