Post-editing of Machine Translation

Post-Editing | The Symptoms

Machine translators (such as Google Translate or Bing Microsoft Translator) are a fantastic and convenient resource.

But do you really trust that they are good enough for your business critical documents?

Post-Editing | The Diagnosis

Background - Post-editing of Machine Translated Documents

Machine translation of documents is a godsend when you need a "quick and dirty" translation to understand the gist of a document. Unfortunately while machine translation of documents is undoubtedly quick the downside is that it is often excessively "dirty"!

Machine translation is very literal and struggles with nuanced and idiomatic language (for example, in Swedish you can't teach an old dog to sit, while in British English you can't teach that same dog new tricks!)

The Language Doctor will carefully check that the document / translation is correct from a language and grammatical perspective, and that the actual message is communicated in the right way. The Language Doctor will also ensure that the document / translation is in line with your requirements in terms of internal language usage, tone and style, and that it is consistent throughout.

Language Verification - Machine Translated Documents

This can include:

Proofreading
Editing
Fact checking
Disambiguation (making the language more precise)
Eliminating SwEnglishness
Checking appropriate use of jargon (will the audience understand?)
Eliminating "buzz" words and expressions ("At this moment in time...", "Going forward..." )

Editing incorporates all of the functions of proofreading but is focused on revising and making suggestions about the content of a document. Editing wil improve the accuracy of language, flow, and overall readability, as well as checking for grammar and spelling. Editing is about improving consistency and clarity.

Post-Editing | The Treatment

Background - Post-editing of Machine Translated Documents

When you contact the Language Doctor please write a brief description of the purpose and mechanics of the document. This should include:

Date that the document is required
Audience - Internal (colleagues, co-workers), External (general public, customers, shareholders etc)
Profile of the audience (language ability, expert/novice, age demographic (if applicable) etc)
Overall purpose of the document (e.g., welcoming, informing, selling etc)

Contacting the Language Doctor

If you are new to the Language Doctor, please make contact, in the first instance, via the chat button in the bottom right hand corner of this web site.
If you are a returning customer on the AD HOC basis, please make contact via the following email: ld@languagedoctor.atlassian.net
If you are a returning customer on the RETAINER basis, please send an email to the email specified in your agreement. (If you are unsure about this, please use the chat button below and ask fo a clarification.)

Document formats and video conferencing

Please send unlocked PowerPoint presentations.
Text content outside of PowerPoint should be sent in unlocked Word format (.pdf files should not be used)
For video consultations we use Microsoft Teams

Process - AD HOC basis

Once you have made contact regarding your assignment, the Language Doctor will respond as soon as possible.
For Post-editing assignments, a delivery date and time estimation for completion will be communicated.

Process - RETAINER basis

Once you have made contact regarding your assignment, the Language Doctor will respond within the timeframe detailed in your Service Level Agreement (SLA).
For Post-editing assignments, a delivery date and time estimation for completion will be communicated.