Machine translation with post-editing

When man and machine work hand-in-hand

In a world in which everything is optimised, it should come as no surprise that even machines can deliver fluid, convincing translations. The quality and style of the language are sometimes so good that it can be easy to overlook the fact that the machine has not conveyed the content correctly in the target language. This has led to post-editing becoming a highly sought-after service in the translation industry. Post-editing and machine translation form an effective duo when it comes to saving time and money.

KEY FACTS

Post-editing is the revision of machine-translated texts by native-speaking translators with specialist knowledge.
Suitable for text types such as legal documents, operating instructions and technical texts.
Use online tools with caution: do not use free online machine translation tools for confidential data.

Post-editing: a compromise between efficiency and quality

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What is post-editing and how is it used?

Putting it briefly, post-editing is the review of a text translated by machine, done by a person with extensive specialist knowledge and working into their mother tongue.

Combining machine translation and post-editing allows translations to be completed more quickly, potentially saving costs and time for clients. This is because the language professionals do not have to start the translation from scratch – they receive a draft translated by machine, which they then check and optimise in terms of content, style and grammar, until the overall quality closely approaches that of a translation done in the conventional manner.

When is post-editing useful?

Certain types of text are more suitable for machine translation with post-editing than others, including legal documents, instruction manuals, corporate communication and technical texts. Criteria such as set phrases, repetitive texts and extensively standardised terminological conventions are material in this decision. Literary works and texts that need to be interpreted or contain puns, idioms, symbolism or metaphors typically cannot be adequately translated by machine. The intended purpose of a text also has a major influence on whether using machine translation with post-editing makes sense.

Data protection and confidentiality

The use of machine translation systems has become considerably more popular and widespread since 2015, even outside the translation industry. Something of which many users of free translations systems are unaware is that texts typed in or uploaded can be reused by the system providers in their entirety. Therefore, and particularly when dealing with texts that contain sensitive data and information, the utmost caution is advised. Documents like this should never be translated by machine, unless you are using a platform with a licence that guarantees that the data may not be reused. Needless to say, this is systematically guaranteed at SemioticTransfer.

We’ll gladly advise you!

You can discuss the details of a future project with your own dedicated language manager, either directly over the phone or in writing. We look forward to you!

contact@semiotictransfer.ch or +41 56 470 40 40

Frequently Asked Questions about Post-Editing

What is post-editing of machine translation and why is it important?

Post-editing of machine translation involves checking and improving texts created by machine translation software . This step is essential for ensuring the accuracy, coherence and readability of the translation.

How does the quality of machine-translated texts differ before and after post-editing?

The quality of machine-translated texts is significantly improved by post-editing, because native-speaking human editors correct any mistakes that the machine translation software may have made. Post-editing greatly improves the flow and readability of texts.

What kinds of texts are suitable for post-editing?

Clearly structured texts containing consistent terminology tend to be particularly suitable for machine translation with subsequent post-editing, as they require fewer manual adjustments. Conversely, a professional translation by a specialist translator is often the better option for a text where a freer translation is more appropriate.

What are the benefits of post-editing compared with machine translation alone?

Post-editing offers the advantage of a quick translation while at the same time guaranteeing a higher level of quality than a straight machine translation without subsequent revision.

Are additional services such as quality checks or revisions available after post-editing?

Yes, we’re happy to accept requests to supplement the post-editing process with additional services such as a second review or further quality checks to ensure that the final text meets your requirements and expectations.

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