New job post-editing machine translation for interpreters Thread poster: Jeff Whittaker
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Jeff Whittaker 
United States
Local time: 05:43
Member (2002)
Spanish to English
+ ...
I just watched this video about a skype MT interpreting session.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJIILew6l28
It made me wonder if in the future, companies will "try" to save money by hiring someone not to interpret, but to monitor the machine interpretations to make sure no real meaning is lost and to correct the totally incomprehensible bits (either simultaneously by... See more I just watched this video about a skype MT interpreting session.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJIILew6l28
It made me wonder if in the future, companies will "try" to save money by hiring someone not to interpret, but to monitor the machine interpretations to make sure no real meaning is lost and to correct the totally incomprehensible bits (either simultaneously by typing on the screen like in a courtroom setting (in which case the data could be automatically fed right to the court reporter) - or afterwards for a published video).
Of course, no seasoned interpreter would accept, but new interpreters looking for work may be willing to give it a go.
Cost for interpretation would go down because the now "silent interpreter" or MIME - "machine interpretation monitoring engineer" could be located anywhere in the world.
[Edited at 2014-11-10 14:36 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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If clients accept the idea that language is simply a means of communication, anything could work then.
If the clients admit the reality that language is more than simply means of communication, this kind of entrepreneurial attempts will stall.
In fact, it turns out to be that there is market for virtually anything.
| | | | Phil Hand
China
Local time: 17:43
Chinese to English
| But that would be absurd... | Nov 11, 2014 |
...so why can't clients see that it's absurd in the written mode as well?
| | | | Jeff Whittaker
United States
Local time: 05:43
Member (2002)
Spanish to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Depends on how much the client is willing to interpret and the crucial nature of details | Nov 11, 2014 |
Speaker: "I will be traveling to Germany next week in order to inspect the factory. I look forward to visiting the employees there." = $5.00 to translate
Speaker: "Travel I in the next week Germany. Will inspecting factory. Anticipate staff visit." = Free
multiply x 50,000...
Who knows what efforts people are willing to make to save money...
Phil Hand wrote:
...so why can't clients see that it's absurd in the written mode as well?
[Edited at 2014-11-11 01:52 GMT]
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Phil Hand
China
Local time: 17:43
Chinese to English
| Actually, it's about skill | Nov 11, 2014 |
The reason your interpreter idea would be absurd is because you still need an interpreter there for the same amount of time. Day-long meeting, you have to pay the interpreter for a whole day, whether they are interpreting or fixing MT. And you can't really de-skill: when MT goes wrong, you need someone who can fix it, i.e. interpret. So there is no saving to be made in terms of time or skill.
The economics of PEMT is that you can either save time or deskill or both. For the most par... See more The reason your interpreter idea would be absurd is because you still need an interpreter there for the same amount of time. Day-long meeting, you have to pay the interpreter for a whole day, whether they are interpreting or fixing MT. And you can't really de-skill: when MT goes wrong, you need someone who can fix it, i.e. interpret. So there is no saving to be made in terms of time or skill.
The economics of PEMT is that you can either save time or deskill or both. For the most part, I don't see it. But I think it's worth analysing clearly what it is that PEMT merchants are trying to do.
Many colleagues report some productivity gains doing PEMT, so there is some evidence that it can save time. The big problem is that agencies also want to deskill - to hire people who are not properly skilled/experienced translators, for less than proper translation rates. That is where quality suffers, I suspect. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | No, don't worry--this is totally insane. | Nov 11, 2014 |
Jeff Whittaker wrote: I just watched this video about a skype MT interpreting session. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJIILew6l28 It made me wonder if in the future, companies will "try" to save money by hiring someone not to interpret, but to monitor the machine interpretations to make sure no real meaning is lost and to correct the totally incomprehensible bits (either simultaneously by typing on the screen like in a courtroom setting (in which case the data could be automatically fed right to the court reporter) - or afterwards for a published video). Of course, no seasoned interpreter would accept, but new interpreters looking for work may be willing to give it a go. Cost for interpretation would go down because the now "silent interpreter" or MIME - "machine interpretation monitoring engineer" could be located anywhere in the world. [Edited at 2014-11-10 14:36 GMT]
No professional interpreter in sound mind would agree to do anything like that--interpreters are usually more authoritative and rebellions since they do not face that much competition is they are really good. Not a single person I know would ever agree to participate in that nonsense, bordering on abuse. It is enough to have to listen to a few people speaking at the same time, with some disturbances, and interpret things properly, not to mention having to listen to some machine in addition to all of that--a recipe for insanity.
And, yes, interpreters charge by the hour, half a day, or the whole day, with a certain minimum--just for the time basically, not necessarily for what they actually do, so it would not be cost- effective at all. It may even turn out more expensive (machine+ interpreter)
[Edited at 2014-11-11 10:46 GMT]
| | | | | We won't work for eat | Nov 11, 2014 |
You are right, Jeff, cost for interpretation would go down, but I don't think that the rates for the job of interpreter would also fall.
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