Translation can get costly, and that’s an understatement. In fact, whatever the scale of your organization, you’ve most likely tried various different methods to cut down the cost of it. That’s where Machine Translation (MT) comes in. MT has gained popularity in recent years and is now used around the world to conduct translation tasks more efficiently and affordably.
However, MT is no rival to manual translation because it takes a considerable amount of tweaking and care to get right. Though it’s a powerful tool for bulk translation, you’ll also need to be aware of some tips and tricks when it comes to MTPE – Machine Translation Post Editing. So without further ado, let’s dive right in.
A Quick Guide to Machine Translation Post-Editing
Machine translation post-editing is the act of polishing a machine translation (HT), done by a human translator. It’s a great compromise between the bulk capacity of machine translations and the precision of manual translations. When undertaken correctly, MTPE can lead to translations of impeccable quality, while allowing organizations to save time and money. MTPE has actually been around since the 1950s, but it has truly exploded since 2014, and we can see why!
The Two Different Types of MTPE
There are two different types of post-editing: light post-editing and full post-editing. Light post-editing involves a human translator touching up the obvious mistakes on the surface, like typos or non-sensical sentences. The goal is to make the translation understandable.
Full post-editing is more of a heavy editing and rewriting of an MT. Style is taken into consideration, in order to accommodate specific needs. Full post-editing treats translations like global pieces worthy of coherence and relevancy.
Choosing which type of post-editing you want to undertake really depends on the amount of time and skill you have available. It’s also important to consider the nature of the translation – if it requires to be treated in-depth. Full post-editing can be very time-consuming, so it’s not a method to be used systematically. It’s also obviously more costly than light post-editing.
So, if there are two different types of machine translation post-editing to choose from, how can you make sure you’re making the right decision? Let’s explore.
How to Get the Right MTPE for Your Business?
When it comes to MTPE, it’s all about assessing if the benefits are worth the cost. If you want to achieve seamless readability and a high standard of quality, then it can really help. A high-quality translation means reaching your target audience more efficiently, which is a huge advantage. The quality of your translation will also be affected by the source material because as you probably know, machines aren’t good at making something amazing out of something awful!
But what about the cost? Well, the cost of MTPE depends on whether or not you go for a high-quality process, as well as whether you go for full or light post-editing (the former will cost more than the latter, as we discussed earlier). But, as a good rule of thumb, you can expect to pay from $11,07 to $38,77 for machine translation post-editors in the US. You’ll have to add the cost of your machine translation to that in order to get an accurate idea of budget. However, you’ll most likely find that you’ll be spending much less compared to a from-scratch translation.
All in all, you’ll have to consider your organization’s usual deadlines, language needs, and tailored budget if you want to get the perfect MTPE.
Translation in general can feel overwhelming, especially when it’s not your business’s main goal. Your organization should be able to perform its daily operations without having to worry about the peripheral tasks, like translating with the highest quality in mind. The good news is that machine translation post-editing can be an amazing tool to achieve just that.
And we’ve got better news yet – here at Future Trans, we’ve got you covered when it comes to all things MTPE. We’re experts in translation and localization into Middle Eastern and African languages, and we’re here to help. Get a free quote today to start your MTPE journey.
