MT output + human editing Thread poster: Merab Dekano
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Recently, I’m getting requests to edit MT output at a pace of 1,000 words an hour. That, for me, is the pace a human can edit a human translation. I can edit 1,000 words in one hour provided the text is of a decent (not even excellent) quality. But MT output? Naaa.
Any thought on that?
Thank you!
| | | | Thayenga 
Germany
Local time: 18:46
Member (2009)
English to German
+ ...
This is a strenuous task. If you only proofread (not edit) MT, you can cover 1.000 words an hour, provided that the MT is good and sticks to the original text without "inventing" words that nobody has ever heard of.
Personally, I have just proofread an MT translation (despite my aversion against it), allegedly already post-edited by a human being. It turned out not too good because of said invented words which needed to be found in a source text of an unknown language.
... See more This is a strenuous task. If you only proofread (not edit) MT, you can cover 1.000 words an hour, provided that the MT is good and sticks to the original text without "inventing" words that nobody has ever heard of.
Personally, I have just proofread an MT translation (despite my aversion against it), allegedly already post-edited by a human being. It turned out not too good because of said invented words which needed to be found in a source text of an unknown language.
To cut a long story short, this was the first time (in a long, long time) that I had accepted such a project and it will definitely be the last time... for good.
[Edited at 2022-08-08 17:24 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Merab Dekano
Spain
Member (2014)
English to Spanish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Well, the text I got today had the same term translated in several different ways (almost impossible to get the consistency right at that pace). It even had the company names translated. Almost all terms were wrong and out of context, etc.
I offered the client to do the translation from scratch at my standard rate. They refused. I offered them a pace of 500 words/hour. They refused. I offered them to stick to the original pace (1,000 words) but without guaranteeing total consistency/fitnes... See more Well, the text I got today had the same term translated in several different ways (almost impossible to get the consistency right at that pace). It even had the company names translated. Almost all terms were wrong and out of context, etc.
I offered the client to do the translation from scratch at my standard rate. They refused. I offered them a pace of 500 words/hour. They refused. I offered them to stick to the original pace (1,000 words) but without guaranteeing total consistency/fitness of the text. They refused. I just dropped the project. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 18:46
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
| It's just about my limit | Aug 8, 2022 |
Merab Dekano wrote:
Recently, I’m getting requests to edit MT output at a pace of 1,000 words an hour.
I can do that, with pure neural MT, with a made-for-translation source text and a field that I'm well versed in. But it's just about my limit -- all things need to fall exactly into place for that to be possible.
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Merab Dekano
Spain
Member (2014)
English to Spanish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | I see where they are going | Aug 8, 2022 |
Samuel Murray wrote: Merab Dekano wrote:
Recently, I’m getting requests to edit MT output at a pace of 1,000 words an hour. I can do that, with pure neural MT, with a made-for-translation source text and a field that I'm well versed in. But it's just about my limit -- all things need to fall exactly into place for that to be possible.
I see. Thanks, Samuel for your input. Well, in my case things were way apart. They wanted "crap in gold out". Just figure this:
1. Human translation + editing of a 10,000 word project:
- EUR 1,000 for translation + EUR 300 for editing = EUR 1,300.
2. MT output + human editing of a 10,000 word project:
- EUR 0.00 for MT + EUR 300 for editing = EUR 300.
I understand where they are going, but I also don’t really believe in miracles.
| | | | | Promises, misleading info and harsh reality | Aug 8, 2022 |
Thayenga wrote:
I have just proofread an MT translation ... allegedly already post-edited by a human being. It turned out not too good...
Merab Dekano wrote:
They wanted "crap in gold out". Just figure this:
1. Human translation + editing of a 10,000 word project:
- EUR 1,000 for translation + EUR 300 for editing = EUR 1,300.
2. MT output + human editing of a 10,000 word project:
- EUR 0.00 for MT + EUR 300 for editing = EUR 300.
I understand where they are going, but I also don’t really believe in miracles.
The standard QA process should include at least a review by a linguist other than the original translator. The agency omits this "four-eyes" principle, a.k.a. the "two-man" or "two-person" rule. So, the output quality here fully depends on the post-editor. But even an experienced translator can make a mistake.
They're likely to assure their clients that MTPE/PEMT process, unlike pure MT, guarantees excellent translation. But what the client gets is an unreviewed translation. Period.
| | | | Thayenga
Germany
Local time: 18:46
Member (2009)
English to German
+ ...
Merab Dekano wrote:
Well, the text I got today had the same term translated in several different ways (almost impossible to get the consistency right at that pace). It even had the company names translated. Almost all terms were wrong and out of context, etc.
I offered the client to do the translation from scratch at my standard rate. They refused. I offered them a pace of 500 words/hour. They refused. I offered them to stick to the original pace (1,000 words) but without guaranteeing total consistency/fitness of the text. They refused. I just dropped the project.
All this sounds just too familiar, including differently spelled names for one and the same person.
And of course they refused. They want the cheapest possible "translation" which comes from a machine and a totally underpaid reviewer. Dropping such projects, rather not accepting them at all, is a wise decision.
| | | | Merab Dekano
Spain
Member (2014)
English to Spanish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Vladimir Pochinov wrote:
But what the client gets is an unreviewed translation. Period.
Absolutely. And I don't want to be part of that, as I value my reputation.
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