Machine translation has long been an integral part of our lives, but often its results leave much to be desired. To achieve high-quality translation, post-editing is essential, as it helps correct machine translation errors and bring the text into line with stylistic and semantic requirements. But what if you need to edit a translation, and you don’t know the target language? This article will help you understand the key steps of post-editing, regardless of your level of language proficiency.
Machine Translation Use Case
Let’s start by imagining a scenario where an international company is launching an advertising campaign in the Philippines. They need to quickly translate materials from English to Tagalog so that local consumers can understand the message. Seems straightforward — just use machine translation and you’re done. However, there are nuances.
Tagalog is a language with unique grammar and phrases that are difficult to convey through automatic translation. For example, machine translation may not fully capture local idiomatic expressions or may use wording that sounds awkward to native speakers. In advertising, this can be critical — if the text doesn’t sound natural, it may lose its appeal.
Moreover, cultural differences must be taken into account. What works in one country may be perceived completely differently in another. Unfamiliar imagery, humor, or local phrases popular in English-speaking countries may be unknown to Filipinos or even cause misunderstandings. For example, jokes that sound witty in English might not work in a Tagalog context.
All these factors can create problems if the translation and adaptation aren’t carefully addressed. It’s not just about translating words — the goal is to make the text understandable and familiar to the local audience.
What Can Be Done with the Translation?
Now, to resolve these issues, let’s look at how to improve the translation quality and make it more accurate and adapted. We’ll explore several simple steps that can help enhance the result, even without deep knowledge of Tagalog.
- Analyzing the Source Text
The first step is understanding the source text. Even if you don’t know the language, it’s important to compare the original text with the translation. This helps you grasp the general structure and identify glaring errors. You can also use automatic translation tools like Lingvanex, Google Translate, or DeepL to perform a reverse translation and compare it with the original.
Tip: When working with translations, try using several online translators to see how different systems translate the same text. This can help identify mistakes or inaccuracies that may need attention.
- Using Specialized Resources
One of the most common issues with machine translation is the incorrect interpretation of terms, especially in specialized texts. Post-editing involves checking terms for contextual and standard accuracy. If you don’t know the language, you can use terminology databases and glossaries to match terms with the appropriate options.
Tip: Even if you don’t know the language, you can ask the client or team for glossaries and terminology databases to ensure key terms are translated correctly.
- Restoring Style and Structure of the Text
Stylistic consistency is often lost in machine translation. If the translation doesn’t match the intended style (e.g., too formal or overly casual), post-editing can correct this. You’ll need to align the text’s style with its intended genre — business, literary, marketing, etc.
Tip: If you don’t know the language, pay attention to sentence length and the frequency of similar constructions. Too long or short sentences may indicate a stylistic issue, even if you don’t understand the meaning of the text.
- Optimizing Sentence Structure and Eliminating Redundancy
Machine translations often suffer from text overload and complicated syntactic structures. The task of the post-editor is to simplify sentence structures and make them more natural and understandable for the target audience. If you don’t know the language, use automated tools to identify cumbersome constructions.
Tip: Use online tools for syntax and grammar checking (like Grammarly, LanguageTool) to detect and simplify complex constructions.
- Cultural Adaptation of the Text
Translation should take into account not only the language but also the cultural specifics of the target audience. Machine translation rarely handles this aspect well, so post-editing is necessary to adapt the text to cultural norms. If you don’t know the language, do some research on the target culture or consult someone who can check the text for cultural accuracy.
Tip: If you don’t know the language, discuss with the client or colleagues how best to adapt the text for the target audience. Cultural differences can play a key role in how the text is perceived.
- Automated Tools for Quality Checking
Even if you don’t know the language, there are tools that can help you check the translation quality. Automated grammar, style, and even meaning checkers can spot errors missed by machine translation algorithms. Some systems offer quality assessment features that help you determine where the text needs refinement.
Tip: Use automatic checkers such as LanguageTool or built-in tools in word processors for spell checking and grammar. These programs can help eliminate basic errors.
- Consulting a Professional Editor
If you don’t know the language, the best solution is to consult a professional editor. This ensures that the text is adapted with all the nuances of the language, style, and context in mind. An editor will be able to fix errors that automated tools cannot.
Tip: Before consulting an editor, gather all available materials — glossaries, style guides, and text examples. This will help the editor better understand the task and complete the work more efficiently.
Conclusion
Post-editing is the process where artificial intelligence meets human expertise. Even if you don’t know the language, you can become a full participant in this process, like a conductor managing an orchestra of tools and technologies. It’s not just about correcting mistakes but about recognizing hidden connections, restoring style, adapting to culture, and ultimately breathing life into the text.
By using a combination of automated checkers, online resources, and professional help, you can turn even the most imperfect machine translation into a piece that not only conveys meaning but also speaks the reader’s language. After all, quality translation is not a mechanical task — it’s an art of communication without boundaries.