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- Volume 9, Issue 1, 2020
Translation Spaces - Volume 9, Issue 1, 2020
Volume 9, Issue 1, 2020
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“A tiny cog in a large machine”
Author(s): Joss Moorkenspp.: 12–34 (23)More LessAbstractTranslators have worked with the assistance of computers for many years, usually translating whole texts, divided into segments but in sequential order. In order to maximise efficiency and inspired by similar moves in the tech industry and predictions for Industry 4.0, large translation companies have begun to break tasks down into smaller chunks and to rigidly define and monitor translation processes. This is particularly true of platform-mediated work, highly collaborative workflows, and multimedia work that requires near-live turnaround times. This article considers such workflows in the context of measures of job satisfaction and discussion of sustainable work systems, proposing that companies prioritise long-term returns and attempt to balance the needs of all stakeholders in a translation process. Translators and translator trainers also have a role to play in achieving this balance.
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‘Time is money’ and the value of translation
Author(s): Félix do Carmopp.: 35–57 (23)More LessAbstractThis article uses a multi-faceted approach to discuss the relation between time, money and different perspectives that help define the value of professional translation. It challenges the narratives created by the translation industry on post-editing as a revision of pre-translated content, confronting them with the detailed description of the task in industry standards and with the reality of translators’ work. The article also addresses the different roles that time plays as an instrument of analysis and evaluation of translation, and as a fundamental factor in the definition of labour relations in the translation market. The main claim of the article is that translation is increasingly specialised high-value work, requiring translators that are able to make complex and efficient decisions, especially when they are expected to work under time restrictions, with the support of content that has been previously processed by machine translation.
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Risks in neural machine translation
Author(s): Carmen Canfora and Angelika Ottmannpp.: 58–77 (20)More LessAbstractThe new paradigm of neural machine translation is leading to profound changes in the translation industry. Surprisingly good results have led to high expectations; however, there are substantial risks that have not yet been sufficiently taken into account. Risks exist on three levels: first, what kind of damage can clients and end users incur in safety-critical domains if the NMT result contains errors; second, who is liable for damage caused by the use of NMT; third, what cyber risks can the use of NMT entail, especially when free online engines are used. When establishing sustainable measures to reduce such risks, we also need to consider general principles of human behaviour if we want to make sure that all agents comply with provisions and requirements.
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Social groups in machine translationpost-editing
Author(s): Akiko Sakamoto and Masaru Yamadapp.: 78–97 (20)More LessAbstractWe analysed focus group interview data collected from 22 project managers (PMs) working in Japan, covering their experiences of machine translation post-editing (MTPE). A Social Construction of Technology analysis of how PMs describe different social groups in translation enabled us to examine the meanings those groups attach to MTPE, the intricate and complex power structures which exist between them, and the negotiations that take place in their day-to-day operations. The examination discovered that MTPE is still in a fluid and controversial state due to the difficulty of meeting all groups’ interests, which may lead to MTPE’s disappearance as a business model and the eventual dominance of conventional human translation and raw MT. We conclude that establishing ethical and sustainable translation workflows for all social groups will be vital for MTPE’s survival, which will require careful consideration of the complexity of these social groups and negotiations between them.
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Machine translation in the news
Author(s): Lucas Nunes Vieirapp.: 98–122 (25)More LessAbstractMachine translation (MT) is now firmly in the public eye. The media can reflect and influence the public perception of MT and, by extension, of translation itself, but the news coverage of MT has to date remained largely unexplored. This study draws on the news framing literature to present an analysis of how MT is described in the written press. Based on a sample of 284 MT-focused newspaper articles, the news reporting on MT was found to be significantly more positive than negative. This positive framing was unrelated to the launch of neural MT. Furthermore, the portrayal of MT in the press tended to lack nuance, with few instances that raised awareness of the technology’s use implications. The study calls for higher standards in the public discussion and promotion of MT and for more research on non-professional conceptualisations of translation technologies and their role in communication.
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Machine translation, ethics and the literary translator’s voice
Author(s): Dorothy Kenny and Marion Winterspp.: 123–149 (27)More LessAbstractRecent work in translation studies has established the literary translator’s voice as an ethical concern, but there has been little empirical research so far into how the translator’s voice is affected in workflows involving machine translation. In this article, we investigate how the use of neural machine translation influences the textual voice (Alvstad et al. 2017) of renowned translator from English into German, Hans-Christian Oeser. Based on an experiment in which Oeser post-edits an excerpt from a novel he had previously translated, we show how his textual voice is somewhat diminished in his post-edited work compared to its stronger manifestation in his translation work. At the same time Oeser’s contextual voice (ibid.) remains strong in his comments on the text he produces in post-editing mode. The article is offered as a methodological intervention and represents an initial attempt to design studies in literary machine translation that put the focus on human translators, allowing their voices to be heard more clearly than has previously been the case.
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Machine translation and fair access to information
Author(s): Mary Nurminen and Maarit Koponenpp.: 150–169 (20)More LessAbstractThis article contributes to the discussion on fairness and ethics in MT by highlighting efforts that have been made to use MT for the humanitarian purpose of increasing access to information for groups that are underserved. The article provides an overview of example projects in which MT has been implemented for this purpose in three contexts: civic participation, public health and safety, and media and culture. In addition, the article examines some of the ethical issues surrounding efforts to use MT for accessibility, including issues of quality, acceptability, and the need to involve stakeholders in development.
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O’Hagan, Minako (ed). 2020. The Routledge Handbook of Translation and Technology
Author(s): Christopher D. Mellingerpp.: 170–176 (7)More LessThis article reviews The Routledge Handbook of Translation and Technology
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“A tiny cog in a large machine”
Author(s): Joss Moorkens
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Training citizen translators
Author(s): Federico M. Federici and Patrick Cadwell
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