Abstract:

Machine translation (MT) has been evolving rapidly due to the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI), and has had a significant impact on traditional language services. At the same time, the era of globalization and big data is characterized by an exponentially expanding amount of information. In this new era, how will language service providers (LSPs) in China grasp the opportunities generated by the evolution of MT and meet the challenges posed by the information explosion? In this study, the authors, based on a survey involving 218 LSPs in China, summarize how MT and machine translation post-editing (MTPE) have been applied in these enterprises. This is followed by a discussion of the areas for improvement in MT quality and MTPE workflow, and suggestions to improve these aspects from the perspectives of the language service industry, institutions of higher education, and individual translators. It is hoped that the application of, research on, and talent training for MTPE will receive due attention in the future.

Keywords: machine translation; post-editing; translation technology; language service providers

摘要：

随着人工智能技术的进步,机器翻译发展迅猛,对翻译生产方式产生了巨大影响,给语言服务企业带来了机遇。同时,在全球化浪潮与大数据时代,语言服务市场需求迅速膨胀,也给语言服务企业带来了挑战。在新时代,中国语言服务企业应该如何把握机遇、应对挑战?本研究调查了218家中国语言服务企业对机器翻译与译后编辑的应用情况,分析了现存的问题,主要包括机器翻译质量有待提升、译后编辑模式有待普及等;并针对这些问题从行业、高校和译者3个层面提出了相应的建议。机器翻译与译后编辑的使用、研究和人才培养应该得到足够的重视。

关键词: 机器翻译, 译后编辑, 翻译技术, 语言服务企业