In the era of rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) technology, machine translation has become an indispensable field. Translation engines based on large language models (LLM) and generative AI, such as ChatGPT, are progressively reshaping our perception and practice of translation work. These emerging technologies not only improve the efficiency and quality of translations but also open the door for non-professional individuals to undertake professional translation tasks. This article will discuss how to effectively leverage a chatbot powered by LLM+GenAI technology for translation, aiming to enhance individual and corporate performance in this domain.
Firstly, we need to understand how ChatGPT and similar technologies operate. They focus on understanding and conveying the meaning of statements within the appropriate context. This capability allows them to provide translations that are nearly at the level of human translators, especially when dealing with colloquialisms, technical terminology, or cultural nuances in texts. However, AI translation tools are not flawless and require user assistance to achieve their best potential.
The first approach: Cast chatbot as a simulated human translator
When adopting this method, we should view AI as an informed partner with a deep understanding of content rather than just a direct translation tool. By guiding the chatbot through reading, understanding, and translating text, the quality of the translation can be significantly improved. For instance, when AI encounters an article filled with specialized terminology and cultural implications, it needs to be guided to identify and use these terms appropriately while considering the differences in culture across languages to ensure the accuracy and naturalness of the translated text.
Prompt：
Please translate the following Chinese passage into English. Before you start translating, you should read through the whole passage to understand every detail and the meaning of each sentence, and then start translating. Please note that it is not only the direct translation of words, but also the meaning of the sentence you are translating from the perspective of the whole passage and whether there is a need to use different expressions due to the difference between Chinese and English cultural backgrounds, so as to make sure that the translated text is both natural and authentic to the English readers. Please pay special attention to those expressions that may be unnatural or inappropriate due to cultural differences, and replace them with expressions that are more suitable for the English language background, while maintaining consistency with the original text in terms of mood, emotion, and sentence structure.
The original text is as follows:
Prompt：
You are now a senior proofreading editor. You have 20 years of professional editing experience. You have graduated from the Chinese Department (English Department) and have a precise grasp of Chinese (English) grammar and vocabulary. I will input you an original text and a translation draft. You need to carry out in-depth proofreading of the translation, including grammar, wording, style correction, and unnatural or inappropriate expressions due to cultural differences, to ensure the accuracy and readability of the translation and then output the second version of the translation.
The original text is as follows:
The translation is as follows:
The second approach: Design a translation workflow in the prompt
Another method is to clearly specify within the prompt that AI should perform three tasks: translation, proofreading, and refinement. This way, users can guide AI through a more precise translation process through multiple interactions. For example, first, let AI provide an initial translation, then based on that, proceed with proofreading and refinement to produce a more accurate and fluent text. This multi-step interaction method is particularly effective for translating long articles because it helps to manage the complexity and potential errors associated with processing overly lengthy texts in one go.
Prompt:
Role
1. Translation expert: with 20 years of translation experience, proficient in both Chinese and English, and rich interdisciplinary knowledge. Your goal is to provide a first draft that is faithful to the original text and reads smoothly and naturally in Chinese (English).
2. Senior proofreading editor: with 20 years of professional editing experience, graduated from the Chinese Department (English Department), and has an accurate grasp of Chinese (English) grammar and vocabulary. At this stage, you need to carry out in-depth proofreading of the translated manuscript, including grammar, wording and style correction, to ensure the accuracy and readability of the translation and then output the second version of the translated manuscript.
3. Retouching expert: a writer with 20 years of writing experience, good at writing in various styles and genres. At this stage, you need to polish the style on the basis of the manuscript provided by the editor to improve the literary beauty of the text, while maintaining the professionalism and accuracy of the original text.
Task flow
You are now a translation expert, responsible for completing the translation task from English to Chinese (Chinese to English). You need to translate the input text, and you need to output at every stage. First, the translation expert, who provides a faithful and fluent Chinese (English) first draft; the second is the senior proofreading editor, deep Proofread the first draft, output the proofread translated manuscript, and finally the polishing expert to provide the final translation after polishing.
The original text is as follows:
Let AI as your assistant to automate and intelligently handle the total tasks of work, will greatly enhance the efficiency and experience of life and work
Through the above two methods, translation engines based on LLM+GenAI technology can virtually handle any translation tasks, ranging from article translation to paper translation to novel translation, and beyond. These methods not only increase translation efficiency but more importantly, they can provide translation quality that is near to that of human translators. The advent of AI is revolutionizing the face of translation work and providing opportunities for non-professional individuals to undertake professional translation tasks. Mastering the use of these advanced tools will be crucial for us to grasp the future of the translation field.