The effect of MTPE on quality in EU translations Thread poster: Thomas Johansson
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Hello,
During the last few years (approx. between 2017-2021), the EU translation industry (the agencies that provide translations for the different EU institutions) has gradually switched from pure human translations (supported by TMs) to MTPE processes.
Practically, this means that while EU translators previously used to translate documents "from scratch", today they are more and more (almost exclusively) post-editing machine translations. (This involves not only the u... See more Hello,
During the last few years (approx. between 2017-2021), the EU translation industry (the agencies that provide translations for the different EU institutions) has gradually switched from pure human translations (supported by TMs) to MTPE processes.
Practically, this means that while EU translators previously used to translate documents "from scratch", today they are more and more (almost exclusively) post-editing machine translations. (This involves not only the use of MT, but also lower rates paid to translators and faster, more stressful, workflows.)
What I am trying to figure out is whether this transition from pure translations to MTPE has had any impact on the overall quality of EU translations.
It would be especially interesting to hear from people who have been working as EU reviewers for a long time, since the time when all translations were "pure", if they have noticed any changes in the translation quality over the years, due to this transition.
I myself used to work as an EU translator, but eventually switched to becoming an EU reviewer approx. in 2022 (when the transition already had happened).
What I am noticing is that ALMOST ALL MTPE translations that I receive as a reviewer are of very weak quality. What I am trying to figure out is if this always has been the case or if the transition to MTPE has contributed to a deterioration of the overall quality of the translations.
Thomas
[Edited at 2024-03-12 04:57 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Lieven Malaise
Belgium
Local time: 12:37
Member (2020)
French to Dutch
+ ...
Thomas Johansson wrote:
What I am trying to figure out is if this always has been the case or if the transition to MTPE has contributed to a deterioration of the overall quality of the translations.
It wouldn't be a big surprise if MTPE has led to a deterioration of the overall quality. I'm afraid a lot of post-editors offer or accept rates that are too low and subsequently try to compensate that by neglecting translation quality.
But I also wouldn't underestimate how bad translations could be before the MT era. I've been a reviewer all my translator's life and what I've seen through the years is... special.
| | | | | MTPE will likely drive the quality down | Mar 12 |
Hi!
I used to translate for the European institutions through a couple of different agencies. This type of translation is very demanding and time-consuming if you do it right, as there is a lot of research involved, and a strict style code to follow. I am interested in politics, so I put up with it for a few years. And one day I just decided it was not worth it anymore. First, as a linguist, I was frustrated by the very conservative writing style that was still the norm for this typ... See more Hi!
I used to translate for the European institutions through a couple of different agencies. This type of translation is very demanding and time-consuming if you do it right, as there is a lot of research involved, and a strict style code to follow. I am interested in politics, so I put up with it for a few years. And one day I just decided it was not worth it anymore. First, as a linguist, I was frustrated by the very conservative writing style that was still the norm for this type of translation (in French at least, there was no effort to introduce gender-inclusive writing). Second, the agencies were dragging their feet to pay the price required to get first quality work. So now I am out and I don't miss it one little bit! Knowing that MTPE is now being used there too just reassures me that I made the right choice to leave it behind!
I do think that MTPE will inevitably lower the overall quality of the work produced, and it is likely that a lot of MTPE translations of EU texts coming to reviewers are not up to scratch! MTPE is a process that requires an enormous amount of attention from the translator, because you read sentences that feel right overall but are not necessarily a correct translation of the source. In my opinion, if you did MTPE "properly", aiming to obtain the same quality as translating from scratch, you would probably spend just as much time on the task, if not more. And that is not possible when you are paid half! That is why, personally, I have simply decided to refuse any type of MTPE work. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Marina Aleyeva 
Israel
Local time: 13:37
Member (2006)
English to Russian
+ ...
| Garbage in, garbage out | Mar 13 |
If you look at how some of the big translation names train their AIs, they will basically use anyone who is willing to accept low rates and high output expectations. So this is a garbage in, garbage out, everyone happy production cycle.
And some of the AIs are not afraid to showcase what they are capable of. "Переведите любой язык за считанные минуты", as one of the industry leaders claiming to be "The most accurate AI-driven translator" put it on... See more If you look at how some of the big translation names train their AIs, they will basically use anyone who is willing to accept low rates and high output expectations. So this is a garbage in, garbage out, everyone happy production cycle.
And some of the AIs are not afraid to showcase what they are capable of. "Переведите любой язык за считанные минуты", as one of the industry leaders claiming to be "The most accurate AI-driven translator" put it on their website. For those of you who cannot read Russian, this is a glaringly awkward phrase translated word-for-word from their English slogan, "Translate any language in minutes".
So there they are, showcasing garbage on their own websites. So much for quality there.
[Edited at 2024-03-13 16:56 GMT]
[Edited at 2024-03-13 16:58 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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Quentin NEVEN
Belgium
Local time: 12:37
Member (Jan 2024)
English to French
+ ...
| I am not against MTPE | Mar 13 |
Hi!
I am not necessarily against MTPE at the moment. I started in January of this year, and the only job I got so far was a MTPE mission. The pay was not incredible, but it was better than 0 for sure!
Anyway, when it comes to international organisations and the EU, I can't say exactly.
However, in general, paying half the price for a product and giving half the time (or less) to produce it can only encourage mediocre quality.
I can already ... See more Hi!
I am not necessarily against MTPE at the moment. I started in January of this year, and the only job I got so far was a MTPE mission. The pay was not incredible, but it was better than 0 for sure!
Anyway, when it comes to international organisations and the EU, I can't say exactly.
However, in general, paying half the price for a product and giving half the time (or less) to produce it can only encourage mediocre quality.
I can already see AI-generated work on several journalistic websites, and the content is readable, but also a bit "weird", quite artificial.
I wonder where this is leading us... ▲ Collapse
| | | | Steve Robbie
United Kingdom
Local time: 11:37
Member (2017)
German to English
+ ...
| I think their English is getting worse | Mar 13 |
Over the past few years, I've have a general sense that the quality of the EU's published English texts has been declining: less idiomatic, with a heavier load of Frenchified syntax. This is my impression as an outsider, mind you. I don't do any work for the EU institutions.
Initially, I thought that it somehow signalled a loss of influence on the part of English-speakers after Brexit. But nowadays, I suspect that an unreflective use of MT is probably the culprit.
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