‘Full Post-Editing’ is Facing Resistance
“完全译后编辑”面临阻碍
Readers interested in science fiction are surely familiar with Star Trek’s Universal Translator (UT), conceived by the famed TV series creators as a hand-held device and much discussed online by rabid fans and detractors alike. With the advent of AI voice translation, the possibility of an almost universal translator is closer than ever, and the functionality is being integrated into devices and online platforms.
对科幻小说感兴趣的读者肯定对《星际迷航》中的万能翻译器（UT）不陌生。这个设备是由这个著名的电视系列剧的创作者构思出来的，同时也受到了粉丝和批评者的广泛讨论。随着人工智能语音翻译的出现，几乎实现通用翻译的可能性比以往更近了，这种功能正在被集成到设备和在线平台中。
One such platform is Spotify. The digital audio content provider is piloting a new service for podcasters called “Spotify Voice Translations.” According to founder and CEO Daniel Ek, “using AI, [it] translates podcasts episodes into alternate languages, all in the podcaster’s voice.”
其中一个平台是Spotify。这家数字音频内容提供商正在为播客制作者试点一项名为“Spotify Voice Translations”的新服务。根据创始人兼首席执行官丹尼尔·埃克的说：“利用人工智能，可以将播客剧集以播客制作者的声音翻译成其他语言。”
Quite a few AI-enabled voice translators that claim to do the same have entered the market since late 2022, some, like HeyGen making headlines across the world. Spotify made people take notice with their version of AI voice translation by sharing a video on X of famous podcasters Lex Fridman and Steven Bartlett switching seamlessly from English to Spanish.
自2022年末以来，已经有不少AI语音翻译器声称能够做到同样功能，并进入市场，其中一些像HeyGen一样在全球范围内引起了轰动。Spotify通过在推特上分享了一个视频，展示了著名播客主持人Lex Fridman和Steven Bartlett在英语和西班牙语随意切换的AI语音翻译版本，引起了人们的注意。
We asked readers if they think Spotify’s Voice Translations feature will get traction within two years, and half of respondents (50%) said they doubt it. Over a third (35.7%) answered that it will probably get traction, and the rest were split between “yes, definitely” (8.9%) and “definitely not” (5.4%).
我们询问读者是否认为Spotify的Voice Translations功能在两年内会受到关注，一半的受访者（50%）表示他们怀疑。超过三分之一（35.7%）的人回答说它可能会受到关注，其余的人则分为“是的，肯定会”（8.9%）和“肯定不会”（5.4%）。
That’s what Ian El-Mokadem, CEO of RWS Group, said in his keynote speech at SlatorCon Zurich 2023 when addressing the central role humans play as AI grabs more attention. In the era of machine (and AI) translation post-editing, translators “must expertly localize communications across media formats, cultural contexts, and regulatory frameworks,” he remarked.
2023年，在苏拉托康斯（SlatorCon Zurich），RWS集团首席执行官伊恩·埃尔-莫卡迪姆演讲中提到了随着人工智能越来越受关注，人类在其中所扮演的核心角色。在机器（和人工智能）翻译后编辑的时代，他指出翻译人员“必须在各种媒体格式、文化背景和法规框架下，精确地本地化沟通”。
We asked readers if they think the term “Translator” will disappear over the next five years, and close to half of respondents don’t believe (absolutely not) that to be the case (43.2%). A quarter of respondents (25%) think it’s always been five years, while a small percentage (16.7%) think it will definitely disappear and the rest of respondents (15.1%) think it is a possibility (maybe).
我们询问读者是否认为在未来五年内，“翻译员”这个术语会消失，接近一半的受访者（43.2%）表示绝对不相信会发生这种情况。四分之一的受访者（25%）认为这个问题在过去五年一直存在，而小部分受访者（16.7%）则认为它肯定会消失，剩下的受访者（15.1%）认为这是可能的（也许）。
Jakub Absolon, CEO of ASAP-translation.com, shared some insights on machine translation post-editing with SlatorPod listeners. His company has offered and researched the service for a few years, and in his view, which he has expressed on several occasions, there are three types of translation: raw machine translation; post-edited machine translation, and human translation.
ASAP-translation.com的首席执行官Jakub Absolon与SlatorPod的听众分享了有关机器翻译后编辑的一些见解。他的公司已经提供和研究这项服务多年，他在多个场合表达了自己的观点，认为有三种类型的翻译：原始机器翻译、机器翻译后编辑和人工翻译。
Absolon told podcast viewers that “full post-editing is simply human translation and should be priced and timed as such.” A strong position, no doubt, and we were curious to know how many readers agreed or disagreed with Absolon’s view of post-editing, so we asked if we (language industry folk) should stop using the term “full post-editing.”
Absolon告诉播客观众，“完全译后编辑只是人工翻译，应该按照人工翻译的价格和时间来定价。”这无疑是一个坚定的立场。我们很好奇有多少读者同意或不同意Absolon对后编辑的观点，所以我们询问了读者们是否我们（语言行业从业者）应该停止使用“完全的后编辑”这个术语。
The majority of respondents (65.3%) agree with Absolon, and said Yes to stop using the term “full post-editing.” The rest of the respondents chose to continue using the term (No, 18.7%) or to do whatever the client prefers (16.0%).
大多数受访者（65.3%）同意Absolon的观点，并表示同意停止使用“完全的后编辑”这个术语。剩下的受访者选择继续使用这个术语（不，18.7%）或者根据客户的偏好来决定（16.0%）。
Admittedly, in 2022 people in the language industry were still shying away from in-person events after the long-drawn pandemic abstention. 2023 has been different. All major events that gathered industry movers and shakers are back in 3D.
不可否认，在2022年，由于长时间的疫情限制，语言行业的人们对现场活动仍持保留态度。然而，到了2023年，情况发生了变化。所有重要的行业活动都以现场形式重新举办，吸引了行业的领军人物。
SlatorCon Zurich 2023 highlighted a positive outlook for the language industry on October 4, 2023, and gave everyone in attendance a glance at the immediate future, one that foretells rapid transformation, driven not only by technology, but also by a new market direction that highlights opportunities as enormous amounts of content continue to be produced and translated.
2023年10月4日，苏拉托康斯（SlatorCon Zurich 2023）展现了对语言行业积极的前景，并为所有参会者展示了即将到来的未来。这个未来预示着快速的转变，不仅受到技术的推动，还受到市场新方向的影响。这个新方向突显了在大量内容持续产生和翻译的背景下的巨大机遇。
GALA, LocWorld, and many more live events were also enthusiastically documented and discussed on LinkedIn in 2023 by attendees, so we wondered if this momentum will carry through until next year.
GALA、LocWorld等许多现场活动也在2023年受到参会者的热情记录和讨论，这些内容在LinkedIn上得到广泛关注。因此，我们想知道这种势头是否会延续到明年。
We asked readers how many language industry conferences they were planning to attend in 2024, and a third of respondents said none (31.3%). One-quarter of respondents (25%) said they’d attend 2-4 events, and another quarter (25%) said they’d attend 5-9 events. The rest (18.7%) said they planned on attending one conference. Not one person chose more than 10 events (OK, maybe that’s a lot).
我们询问读者他们计划在2024年参加多少个语言行业会议，三分之一的受访者表示不参加任何会议（31.3%）。四分之一的受访者（25%）表示他们将参加2-4个活动，另外四分之一（25%）表示他们将参加5-9个活动。其余的人（18.7%）表示他们计划参加一次会议。没有人选择参加超过10个活动（好吧，也许那太多了）。
