Machine translation has been around for a very long time, but the emergence of neural machine translation such as DeepL and generative AI such as ChatGPT has really shaken up the translation industry around the world. The technology has advanced significantly and become more accessible, and as companies explore its potential as a cost- and time-saving tool, more and more translation agencies are adding MTPE (machine translation and post-editing) to their service offerings. I regularly receive messages from agencies asking if I would be interested in post-editing work. My answer is. for now, a firm ‘no’.
Earlier this year, the Institute of Translation and Interpreting published its slow translation manifesto. Inspired by the philosophies of the slow food and slow tourism movements, the document sets out ITI’s position on machine translation and why, in this age of instant, free translation at your fingertips, trained human translators still has an important role to play.
It explains what I and many other professional translators believe: translation is much more than putting words, phrases or sentences in equivalents in another language. It’s understanding what’s said – and what’s not said – and why it is said in that particular way. And it’s knowing how it can be best conveyed to the reader who does not know the language or cultural context in a way that comes across without losing the cultural context, underlying meanings and unspoken intentions behind the text.
Join the slow translation movement.