Machine translation in the news

Vieira, Lucas Nunes

doi:10.1075/ts.00023.nun

Cited by 16 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 18 publications

(15 reference statements)

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“…However, in the same study, the clients/users of translations demonstrated more positive assessment of the quality of machine translation compared to that of professional users (García, 2010 ). Our findings are also in line with the implications revealed by Vieira ( 2020 ) who concluded that there is a clear divide between the perceptions of professionals and non-professionals toward machine translation and its capabilities. In his study, Vieira acknowledged that the public coverage of machine translation veers more toward positive attitudes rather than negative.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Is machine translation a dim technology for its users? An eye tracking study

et al. 2023

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State-of-the-art research shows that the impact of language technologies on public awareness and attitudes toward using machine translation has been changing. As machine translation acceptability is considered to be a multilayered concept, this paper employs criteria of usability, satisfaction and quality as components of acceptability measurement. The study seeks to determine whether there are any differences in the machine-translation acceptability between professional users, i.e., translators and language editors, and non-professional users, i.e., ordinary users of machine translation who use it for non-professional everyday purposes. The main research questions whether non-professional users process raw machine translation output in the same way as professional users and whether there is a difference in the processing of raw machine-translated output between users with different levels of machine-translated text acceptability are analyzed. The results of an eye tracking experiment, measuring fixation time, dwell time and glance count, indicate a difference between professional and non-professional users' cognitive processing and acceptability of machine translation output: translators and language editors spend more time overall reading the machine-translated texts, possibly because of their deeper critical awareness as well as professional attitude toward the text. In terms of acceptability overall, professional translators critically assess machine translation on all components of which confirms the findings of previous similar research. However, the study draws attention to non-professional users' lower awareness regarding machine translation quality. The study was conducted within a research project that received funding from the Research Council of Lithuania (LMTLT, agreement No S-MOD-21-2), seeking to explore and evaluate the impact on society of machine translation technological solutions.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Is machine translation a dim technology for its users? An eye tracking study

et al. 2023

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“…The findings presented in this article open a door to research on the social implications of this trend. Our findings echo the studies that demonstrate the largely negative attitudes of professional translators to MT, but show that a negative disposition toward MT is common also to end users who are not translators (which, interestingly, does not correspond to the largely superficial, positive framing of MT in the press, see Vieira, 2020b). Non-translator end users, despite being by far the main users of the technology, have been largely overlooked in sociological-oriented research of MT.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

Human evaluations of machine translation in an ethically charged situation

Asscher

Glikson

2021

New Media & Society

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Despite the immense influence of machine translation (MT) on cross-cultural communication worldwide, little is known about end users’ predispositions toward MT. Our online experiment ( N = 284) compares people’s perceptions of MT and human translation in an ethically charged situation, in which the translation serves an immigrant worker in an interaction defined by power imbalance. Using hierarchical linear regression, we found that an otherwise identical translation was evaluated differently when it was attributed to MT or human translation. Results reveal that translators and non-translators alike exhibit a negative bias toward the MT product when asked to assess its accuracy and reliability, its ability to convey cultural and emotional otherness, and its potential effectiveness in helping the disadvantaged immigrant in need of the translation. We also demonstrate how lower evaluations of the MT product lead to a stronger wish to intervene in the translation by introducing changes to the original message. Our results suggest that predispositions toward MT must be taken into account in any consideration of MT-mediated communication, as these predispositions may shape the communicative act itself.

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“…However, since law tends to be a local discipline, domain experts may be unaware of the pitfalls of legal translation. All this confirms that MT literacy is indeed much needed among lawyers, particularly among those who seem to believe in the overstated claims about MT capabilities (Vieira 2020) or fail to realise the ethical dimension of asking for "revision" of machine-translated texts. Much has been said about the ethics of translators (Chesterman 2001), and there are a growing number of discussions on various aspects of MT ethics (e.g.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 61%

Supporting legal scholars’ efforts to communicate in English as a lingua franca in a globalised world

Setkowicz-Ryszka

2024

MonTI

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This article examines problems encountered in revising legal academic texts translated into English or written in English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) by legal scholars themselves. It starts by discussing globalisation and the rise of ELF in general and specifically in law and academia, considering the importance of publishing in English for individuals and academic journals. This is followed by a presentation of the Polish perspective on globalisation, as well as the challenges of revising academic legal writing. Specific examples are provided from the author’s professional experience in revising such texts. Two error-prone areas were selected: fixed phrases (including Latin) and legal terminology. Results from several corpora of English are used to justify corrections. Conclusions concern the considerable power and responsibility of revisers, as well as the need for greater awareness of the pitfalls of legal translation and better MT literacy among legal scholars.

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Machine translation in the news

Cited by 16 publications

References 18 publications

Is machine translation a dim technology for its users? An eye tracking study

Is machine translation a dim technology for its users? An eye tracking study

Human evaluations of machine translation in an ethically charged situation

Supporting legal scholars’ efforts to communicate in English as a lingua franca in a globalised world

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