Typically, I jot down spontaneous thoughts on Facebook without revisions. I see it as an exercise in impromptu writing. Later, I sometimes transfer these musings to my blog for posterity – a practice I've maintained for the past 2-3 years.
Since this spring, with the mindset of "It'd be a bonus if any foreigner reads this," I started having articles translated into English by Chat-GPT. I believe that knowing my work might be read by others influences my approach to writing. Driven by a desire to uphold personal standards and avoid embarrassment, I've ventured into this translation endeavor.
Of course, the primary driver is personal enjoyment. However, this journey with Chat-GPT has offered some revelations:
① GPT's translations closely resemble native English. The translations invariably feel more natural than anything I could produce after exhaustive research. The intricate nuances, including articles and prepositions, seem spot-on.
② Yet, there are shortcomings:
(a) Chat-GPT isn’t flawless and occasionally misinterprets or omits parts of the original. If one doesn’t scrutinize the translated text, it risks misrepresenting the message or becoming ambiguous.
(b) This means proficiency in assessing translated English, considering alternative expressions, is paramount. Especially when translating someone else's work, it requires not only English skills but also a deep understanding of the original Japanese content.
(c) Delving deeper, it's become evident to me that for future Japanese-to-English translations aspiring to achieve native-like proficiency, utilizing Chat-GPT as a starting point is imperative.
In essence, mastering Chat-GPT to elevate translations to a native level hinges more on one's capability to comprehend and evaluate the English output than merely on the ability to write in English. While it can generate the initial English draft, it's paramount not to rely solely on it. Post-translation, the translator should take the reins, maximizing Chat-GPT as an invaluable assistant. This perspective, I believe, is applicable to machine translations beyond just Chat-GPT. As the saying goes, “One has to be responsible for one’s own actions.”
While I mainly use Chat-GPT for fun translations of my blogs, the iterative process of refining texts through dialogues with Chat-GPT has undoubtedly honed my English. Consequently, even though I don’t actively market Japanese-to-English translation services and rarely undertake such projects, I'm now confident about producing superior English texts, surpassing even some native writers, in a short span.
I believe that translators shouldn't unnecessarily fear that advanced AI translations will take away their jobs, nor should they dismiss or avoid machine translations, thinking they are useless. Revisiting our definition of 'what translation is,' reconsidering the scope of translation work, and redefining the role of translators seem crucial. With innovation and sustained effort, I feel we can continue to remain relevant and thrive.
These are the genuine sentiments of someone who has 'played' with Chat-GPT during this period.
Please refer to the link below for the original text in Japanese of this posting.
