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Google Translate and other free online translation tools can be great for instant, informal translation. When expectations are properly set, particularly for low-value text, unedited machine translation can be quite useful. However, when a user overestimates machine translation capabilities, the results can be confusing at best.
When one online machine translation tool apparently mistranslated a common Chinese word as “Wikipedia,” Chinese menus began popping up everywhere with English translations for menu items like “stir-fried Wikipedia" and “barbecued Congo eel with Wikipedia and fermented bean curd.” Though odd, the error is relatively harmless. However, when the text has important implications in law, finance or marketing, the results can be terribly costly.
Potential customers reading marketing materials may get the gist of a translation, but successful marketing text usually needs to convey more than just a general idea. Wayne Bourland, a senior manager on Dell’s global localization team, noted, in a recent usability study conducted in Germany, Dell observed that… "buyers who needed to form an emotional connection as part of the purchasing process were both distracted and disappointed by translation errors.”
When a Moscow-based marketing firm asked my company to review some previously translated marketing Web pages, we had to tell the company it paid a lot of money for what was actually a very crude machine translation. If this marketing company and its clients had expected machine translation, the news would have been acceptable. Unfortunately, the firm and its customers were expecting high-quality translations that captured the nuances of the original marketing text. The need to pay for a complete retranslation by professional human translators was a bitter pill to swallow.
In a 2010 legal mishap, “a Russian trucker in (the Netherlands) involved in a bar brawl was released because the (court) summons he received was poorly translated from Dutch into Russian using Google Translate,” reported the Dutch-English news blog 24oranges. Instead of reading, “you are to appear in court on 3 August 2010,” as it should have, the summons said something more like “you have to avoid being in court on 3 August 2010.”
This column has previously mentioned many other incidents resulting from improper use of machine translation. A Chinese restaurant sign displayed the words “Translate Server Error” above its storefront after a free translation site failed. A newspaper mistranslation repeatedly misquoted a former president of Kazakhstan as referring to the important issue of “passing gas.” Israeli journalists nearly sparked an international incident when they seemed to insult a Dutch diplomat’s mother in a machine-translated message. Finally, an automatically translated furniture tag contained a racist slur that seriously offended customers in Toronto, Canada.
What differentiates the merely humorous from the cringe-worthy are often the value of the text undergoing translation coupled with readers’ quality expectations. Informal instant-messaging conversations or user-generated content in social media is of relatively low value, so translation errors result in minimal repercussions for even the most horrendous mistranslations. By contrast, legal contracts, financial reports, marketing collateral and application user interfaces usually include text of much higher value that should be translated by human professionals. Text of intermediate value may support a quality level between the two, if the expectations of both the customer and vendor are set appropriately.
When Canadian hockey fans expected quality translation from the French shopping website of their Olympic hockey team, they were sorely disappointed. Machine translation errors irked many visitors, and the team shut down that e-commerce section of the website, foregoing the potential revenue stream.
In contrast, when someone intentionally uses machine translation to simply get the “gist” of a document, and when the alternative to that low-quality translation is no translation at all, they are not nearly so disappointed by the results. When machine translation’s limitations are understood and anticipated, such automatic solutions can be successfully implemented to translate large knowledge bases of user-generated help documentation. Automatic translation can even help facilitate some casual, low-value conversations that would not usually justify an interpreter.
In other cases, legal, financial and political workers are able to comb through enormous volumes of machine translated files — translated behind firewalls using secure systems, not free online tools — to identify key words and select the most pertinent and critical documents, which are then forwarded for higher-quality human translation.
These principles are even understood by Google and other companies that build and market machine translation products. Yes, Google has built an impressive statistical machine translation system, but the search giant involves human professionals to translate higher-value content.
These tips may seem like common sense, but we should not assume everyone “gets it.” As I was so painfully reminded earlier this year, everyone in the content production process must understand the basic capabilities and limitations of machine translation. Unedited, low-cost machine translation can be excellent for translating low-value text and providing the general idea to people who only expect the “gist.” For texts of greater value and for audiences with higher expectations, professional human translation will help companies avoid translation blunders and their costly consequences.
Adam Wooten is director of translation services at Lingotek. He also teaches a course on translation technology at BYU. E-mail: awooten@lingotek.com . Follow him on Twitter at AdamWooten..
參考譯文：
對dui於yu即ji時shi，非fei正zheng式shi翻fan譯yi作zuo業ye來lai說shuo，穀gu歌ge翻fan譯yi和he其qi他ta免mian費fei在zai線xian翻fan譯yi工gong具ju大da有you用yong處chu。如ru果guo期qi望wang值zhi不bu高gao，尤you其qi是shi對dui低di價jia值zhi文wen字zi，未wei經jing編bian輯ji的de機ji器qi翻fan譯yi可ke能neng非fei常chang有you用yong。然ran而er，當dang用yong戶hu過guo高gao估gu機ji器qi翻fan譯yi的de功gong能neng，其qi結jie果guo就jiu不bu止zhi文wen字zi混hun亂luan那na麼me簡jian單dan了le。
一個在線機器翻譯工具顯然將一個普通的中國詞“雞樅”誤譯成“維基百科”，英文翻譯的中國菜單鋪天蓋地而來，如“爆炒維基百科”和“叉燒剛果鰻魚與維基百科和腐乳。”雖然不知所雲，其錯誤尚無大礙，但是，當涉及到具有重要影響的法律，財務或營銷文本時，其結果可能是極其可怕的昂貴。
qianzaikehuzaiyueduyingxiaocailiaoshikenenghuidedaofanyideyaodian，danchenggongdeyingxiaowenbentongchangxuyaobujinjinshichuandayigezongtiguannian。daiergongsiquanqiubendihuatuanduidegaoguan-韋恩•博爾蘭在德國進行的最近的一項可用性研究中就指出，戴爾注意到... ...“購買者在采購過程中還需建立一種情感連接，他們讓翻譯錯誤搞得既困惑又失望”。
dangmosikedeyingxiaogongsiyaoqiuwogongsishenzhayixieyiqianfanyideyingxiaowangluoyemianshi，womenbudebugaosugaigongsitamenweishijishangfeichangbeijiaodejiqifanyizhifulehenduoyuanwangqian。ruguozhejiayingxiaogongsijiqikehuningyuanyongjiqifanyi，zhexiaoxibenlaiyekejieshou。yihandeshi，gaigongsijiqikehudouzengqidaidedaonengtixianyuanyouyingxiaowenbenjingsuidegaozhiliangfanyi。xuyaozhifuzhuanyefanyirenyuanchedituidaozhongyidefeiyongduitamenlaishuobuchishiyiweinanyixiayandekuguo。
在2010年的一起法律事故中，“一個參與酒吧鬥毆的俄羅斯卡車司機（在荷蘭）被釋放，因為他收到的（法院）傳票是用穀歌翻譯從荷蘭語濫譯成俄文” - 荷蘭語-英語新聞博客24oranges報道。傳票本應讀為，“你必須於2010年8月3日出庭，”但它讀起來更像是“你必須避免於2010年8月3日出庭。”
本專欄先前也曾提到過由於不當使用機器翻譯所造成的許多其他事件。由於免費翻譯網站出現故障，一個中國餐館店麵上就掛上了寫有“翻譯服務器錯誤”字樣的標牌。報紙誤譯多次錯誤地引用哈薩克斯坦前總統將“過境天然氣”這一重要問題說成是“放屁（passing gas）”。yiseliejizheyipianjiqifanyidexiaoxisihuwuruleyiweihelanwaijiaoguandemuqin，chadianyinfaguojishijian。zuihou，yigezidongfanyidejiajubiaoqianbaohanyouzhongzuzhuyidewuruyuyan，chedirenaolejianadaduolunduodekehu。
單dan純chun的de幽you默mo之zhi所suo以yi有you別bie於yu阿e諛yu奉feng承cheng，往wang往wang體ti現xian的de就jiu是shi根gen據ju讀du者zhe的de質zhi量liang預yu期qi所suo翻fan譯yi文wen本ben的de價jia值zhi。非fei正zheng式shi的de即ji時shi消xiao息xi對dui話hua或huo社she交jiao媒mei體ti用yong戶hu生sheng成cheng的de內nei容rong相xiang對dui價jia值zhi較jiao低di，因yin此ci即ji使shi是shi最zui可ke怕pa的de誤wu譯yi，翻fan譯yi錯cuo誤wu也ye不bu會hui產chan生sheng多duo麼me大da的de影ying響xiang。相xiang比bi之zhi下xia，法fa律lv合he同tong，財cai務wu報bao表biao，營ying銷xiao材cai料liao和he應ying用yong程cheng序xu用yong戶hu界jie麵mian的de文wen本ben通tong常chang具ju有you較jiao高gao的de價jia值zhi，應ying當dang由you人ren類lei專zhuan業ye人ren員yuan進jin行xing翻fan譯yi。中zhong間jian值zhi的de文wen本ben可ke能neng會hui支zhi持chi介jie於yu兩liang者zhe間jian的de質zhi量liang水shui平ping，當dang然ran還hai需xu客ke戶hu和he供gong應ying商shang提ti前qian設she定ding好hao其qi期qi望wang值zhi。
加jia拿na大da冰bing球qiu球qiu迷mi期qi望wang從cong其qi奧ao林lin匹pi克ke冰bing球qiu隊dui的de法fa語yu購gou物wu網wang站zhan看kan到dao高gao的de質zhi量liang翻fan譯yi，然ran而er他ta們men大da失shi所suo望wang。機ji器qi翻fan譯yi中zhong的de錯cuo誤wu激ji怒nu了le許xu多duo遊you客ke，團tuan隊dui不bu得de不bu關guan閉bi其qi網wang站zhan中zhong的de電dian子zi商shang務wu部bu分fen，其qi潛qian在zai收shou入ru來lai源yuan也ye付fu之zhi東dong流liu。
相反，當有人故意利用機器翻譯隻是想了解一份文件的“要點”，低(di)質(zhi)量(liang)翻(fan)譯(yi)的(de)替(ti)代(dai)品(pin)簡(jian)直(zhi)就(jiu)算(suan)不(bu)上(shang)翻(fan)譯(yi)，然(ran)而(er)他(ta)們(men)對(dui)這(zhe)樣(yang)的(de)結(jie)果(guo)並(bing)不(bu)感(gan)多(duo)麼(me)的(de)失(shi)望(wang)。如(ru)果(guo)你(ni)可(ke)以(yi)理(li)解(jie)並(bing)接(jie)受(shou)機(ji)器(qi)翻(fan)譯(yi)的(de)局(ju)限(xian)性(xing)，那(na)就(jiu)完(wan)全(quan)可(ke)以(yi)利(li)用(yong)這(zhe)樣(yang)的(de)自(zi)動(dong)解(jie)決(jue)方(fang)案(an)，對(dui)用(yong)戶(hu)生(sheng)成(cheng)的(de)幫(bang)助(zhu)文(wen)檔(dang)中(zhong)大(da)量(liang)基(ji)本(ben)知(zhi)識(shi)信(xin)息(xi)進(jin)行(xing)翻(fan)譯(yi)。自(zi)動(dong)翻(fan)譯(yi)甚(shen)至(zhi)還(hai)可(ke)以(yi)幫(bang)助(zhu)進(jin)行(xing)某(mou)些(xie)隨(sui)意(yi)而(er)低(di)價(jia)值(zhi)的(de)交(jiao)談(tan)，這(zhe)種(zhong)交(jiao)談(tan)通(tong)常(chang)不(bu)需(xu)借(jie)助(zhu)口(kou)頭(tou)翻(fan)譯(yi)。
在(zai)另(ling)外(wai)一(yi)些(xie)情(qing)況(kuang)下(xia)，法(fa)律(lv)，金(jin)融(rong)和(he)政(zheng)治(zhi)工(gong)作(zuo)者(zhe)能(neng)夠(gou)梳(shu)理(li)那(na)些(xie)由(you)有(you)防(fang)火(huo)牆(qiang)保(bao)護(hu)的(de)係(xi)統(tong)，不(bu)是(shi)免(mian)費(fei)在(zai)線(xian)工(gong)具(ju)所(suo)翻(fan)譯(yi)出(chu)來(lai)的(de)機(ji)器(qi)翻(fan)譯(yi)文(wen)件(jian)中(zhong)的(de)大(da)量(liang)信(xin)息(xi)，並(bing)找(zhao)出(chu)其(qi)關(guan)鍵(jian)詞(ci)，從(cong)而(er)選(xuan)出(chu)最(zui)切(qie)題(ti)和(he)最(zui)重(zhong)要(yao)的(de)文(wen)件(jian)，然(ran)後(hou)再(zai)轉(zhuan)給(gei)更(geng)高(gao)質(zhi)量(liang)的(de)人(ren)力(li)翻(fan)譯(yi)處(chu)理(li)。
甚shen至zhi穀gu歌ge和he其qi他ta一yi些xie建jian立li和he推tui銷xiao機ji器qi翻fan譯yi產chan品pin的de公gong司si也ye能neng理li解jie這zhe些xie原yuan則ze。是shi的de，穀gu歌ge已yi經jing建jian立li了le一yi個ge令ling人ren印yin象xiang深shen刻ke的de統tong計ji式shi機ji器qi翻fan譯yi係xi統tong，但dan這zhe個ge搜sou索suo巨ju頭tou同tong樣yang利li用yong人ren類lei專zhuan業ye人ren員yuan來lai翻fan譯yi高gao價jia值zhi的de內nei容rong。
這些技巧可能看起來像些常識，但我們不要認為大家都“理解它。”jinnianzaoxieshihou，woturantongkudiyishidao，neirongzhizuoguochengzhongdemeigerendoubixulejiejiqifanyidejibennenglihejuxianxing。weijingbianji，dichengbendejiqifanyizaifanyidijiazhidewenzi，weinaxiezhixianglejie“要點”的(de)人(ren)們(men)提(ti)供(gong)總(zong)體(ti)觀(guan)念(nian)方(fang)麵(mian)具(ju)有(you)出(chu)色(se)的(de)可(ke)用(yong)性(xing)。但(dan)對(dui)於(yu)更(geng)高(gao)價(jia)值(zhi)的(de)文(wen)本(ben)，對(dui)於(yu)抱(bao)有(you)更(geng)高(gao)期(qi)望(wang)值(zhi)的(de)受(shou)眾(zhong)而(er)言(yan)，專(zhuan)業(ye)人(ren)力(li)翻(fan)譯(yi)才(cai)能(neng)幫(bang)助(zhu)企(qi)業(ye)避(bi)免(mian)嚴(yan)重(zhong)的(de)翻(fan)譯(yi)失(shi)誤(wu)和(he)代(dai)價(jia)高(gao)昂(ang)的(de)後(hou)果(guo)。
亞當•伍滕是Lingotek的翻譯服務總監。他還在楊百翰大學教授一門翻譯技術課程。電子郵件：awooten@lingotek.com。 在Twitter上（AdamWooten）關注他..
原文鏈接：http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705371107/Google-Translate-has-great-uses-disastrous-misuses.html?pg=3
