Translation as human–computer interaction

Abstract

This paper seeks to characterise translation as a form of human-computer interaction. The evolution of translator-computer interaction is explored and the challenges and benefits are enunciated. The concept of cognitive ergonomics is drawn on to argue for a more caring and inclusive approach towards the translator by developers of translation technology. A case is also made for wider acceptance by the translation community of the benefits of the technology at their disposal and for more humanistic research on the impact of technology on the translator, the translation profession and the translation process. KeywordsHuman-computer interaction; translation memory; machine translation; translation technology; cognitive ergonomics IntroductionThe field of professional translation is, without a doubt, a form of human-computer interaction (HCI). In a period of less than thirty years, technology has radically transformed the way in which professional translators work (Folaron 2011: 429). Among other technologies, translation memory (TM) tools are now standard in many professional translation domains and recent successes in Machine Translation (MT) have led to a significant increase in usage and commercial implementation, which is in turn touching on the lives of professional translators. 2The objective of this paper is to characterise translation as a form of HCI and to explore the benefits and challenges that the interaction between translation, translator, and the computer present. I wish to expand on the discussion on how computers have changed the translation landscape over time and how, perhaps more importantly, the current landscape is changing radically and speedily and how we, translation researchers, trainers and practising translators, are reacting to this change. I will raise some important questions throughout, and will offer some potential answers, but I do not pretend to have all the answers.A discussion about translation as a form of human-computer interaction requires a statement about the concept of 'translation' being reflected upon. Tymockzo (2007) argues that the narrow English-language Western European concept of 'translation' as a form of transfer between a written source language text and a target language one must be broadened into a concept of '*translation' as cross-cultural understanding that is not reliant on dominant Western European views nor on restricted notions of what constitutes a text.1 I agree in principle with Tymoczko's appeal for broadening the concept within translation studies, while, at the same time, I defend the legitimacy of the concept of translation I mainly refer to here, i.e. bilingual, text-based translation in a specialised domain destined for public consumption for which the translator is paid (though exceptions to this latter qualifier are now emerging). While this may be a restricted concept of translation, it constitutes a significant global economic activity and is, in my experience, the type of translation from which many translation studies graduates e...

Assessing the Usability of Raw Machine Translated Output: A User-Centered Study Using Eye Tracking

“…The current study builds upon previous work conducted by the researchers in which the usefulness of eye tracking as a semi-automatic method for the evaluation of MT output was investigated (Doherty and O'Brien, 2009;Doherty et al, 2010, Doherty andO'Brien, 2012), in addition to the effects of controlled authoring 1 on the readability and comprehension of MT output (O'Brien, 2010;Doherty, 2012). Related work includes that of Tomita (1992) and Tomita et al (1993), who examined the comprehension of MT output, and of Fuji (1999), who, in addition to this measure, included informativeness and fluency.…”

“…It is apparent that usability of translated content remains relatively unexplored, and how usable raw MT output is for the end user and, indeed, how translation and its associated technology can be understood and explored from a HCI perspective (for a discussion, see O'Brien, 2012), needs further attention. By drawing attention to this topic, we aim to further interdisciplinary interaction between HCI and translation researchers, something that is identified as being important (Sears et al, 2008;).…”

Translator Attitudes towards Translator-Computer Interaction - Findings from a Workplace Study

“…This means that the initial template will often need revision, for example, through the insertion, deletion or merging of codes and the data will typically be reread several times and the template adjusted accordingly. This process will go on until the researcher reaches a point of analytical saturation where all sections of text relevant to the research question have been assigned codes, the analysis stops producing new codes and the template represents the themes in the data (King 1998, 2004, 2012, O'Brien/Saldanha 2013). This final template is then used as the point of departure for producing an account of the data, providing illustrative examples.…”

“…The transcribed retrospective interviews, field notes and the translators' written answers to question 16 in the post-experimental questionnaire concerning their attitudes to MT were analysed adopting a template analysis approach (King 1998, 2004, 2012, Crabtree/Miller 1999, Brooks/ King 2012. Next, the template analysis results were supplemented with a synthesis of the translators' answers to question 17 about their expectations relating to the consequences of MT for their future careers as translators.…”

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AbstractToday technology is part and parcel of professional translation, and translation has therefore been characterised as Translator-Computer Interaction (TCI) (O'Brien 2012). Translation is increasingly carried out using Translation Memory (TM) systems which incorporate machine translation (MT), referred to as MT-assisted TM translation, and in this type of tool, translators switch between editing TM matches and post-editing MT matches.

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