Neural Machine Translation of Arabic to English Legal Texts Using Trados Studio: Efficiency and Consistency From the Perspective of Saudi Translation Students’ Post-Editing Practices

Authors

  • Mimouna Zitouni PNU
  • Fadia Alshehri PNU
  • Nadia Idri University of Bejaia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1407.33

Keywords:

Legal Arabic-English Translation Trados Studio, post-editing, Saudi Arabia female translation students

Abstract

This article examines the efficiency and consistency of Trados Studio in Arabic-English legal translation by analyzing the post-editing practices of 15 female Saudi translation students. The legal texts used are moderately complex, laden with Saudi-specific legal terminology and Islamic rules, sourced from Adel Azzam Saqf Al-Hait's "The Reliable Guide to Legal Translation" (2012). The Trados Studio Machine Translation Post-Editing Questionnaire (TMTPEQ) was employed to gather users’ insights. The study utilizes mixed methods, combining qualitative content analysis of Trados Studio-translated texts and student post-editing tasks with descriptive quantitative analysis of the questionnaire. The results reveal the ongoing challenge of achieving precision and extra-linguistic significance in written texts, especially in legal translation, exacerbated by specialized terminology, cultural nuances, and complex syntax. They also underscore the significance of qualitative assessments in post-edited translations, emphasizing the multifaceted role of translators encompassing linguistic, cultural, and specialized content precision and functional and legal equivalence.

Author Biographies

Mimouna Zitouni, PNU

Translation Department, College of Languages

Fadia Alshehri, PNU

Translation Department, College of Languages

Nadia Idri, University of Bejaia

Faculty of Arts and Languages, LESMS Laboratory

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Published

2024-07-17

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