# The Impact of Post-editing and Machine Translation on Creativity and Reading Experience

**Authors:** Ana Guerberof Arenas, Antonio Toral  
**arXiv:** [2101.06125](https://arxiv.org/abs/2101.06125)  
**Date:** 2021-01-15  
**Summary page:** https://www.summarizepaper.com/en/paper/2101.06125v1/

## Key points

- Study conducted by Ana Guerberof Arenas and Antonio Toral on impact of post-editing and machine translation on creativity and reading experience
- Translated a fictional story from English into Catalan using three modalities: machine-translated (MT), post-edited (MTPE), and translated without aid (HT)
- Translations done without any aid (HT) scored higher in creativity compared to MTPE and MT versions
- HT translations ranked higher in narrative engagement and translation reception, while MTPE translations were marginally higher in enjoyment
- No statistically significant differences between HT and MTPE translations in any category, significant differences found with MT translations
- Professional translators' intervention resulted in higher levels of creativity
- Creativity in translation could enhance reading engagement and reception of translated literary texts
- Importance of human involvement and creative input in translation processes for better quality outcomes

## Summary

This article presents the findings of a study conducted by Ana Guerberof Arenas and Antonio Toral on the impact of post-editing and machine translation on creativity and reading experience. The study involved translating a fictional story from English into Catalan using three modalities: machine-translated (MT), post-edited (MTPE), and translated without aid (HT). Each translation was analyzed to assess its level of creativity. Afterward, a group of 88 Catalan participants read the story in one of the three assigned modalities and completed a survey. The results revealed that translations done without any aid (HT) scored higher in terms of creativity compared to both post-edited (MTPE) and machine-translated (MT) versions. Additionally, HT translations ranked higher in narrative engagement and translation reception, while MTPE translations were marginally higher in enjoyment. No statistically significant differences were found between HT and MTPE translations in any category, whereas MT translations showed significant differences across all variables tested. Based on these findings, the authors concluded that professional translators' intervention in the translation process, particularly when working without any aid, resulted in higher levels of creativity. They also hypothesized that creativity in translation could be a crucial factor for enhancing reading engagement and the reception of translated literary texts. Overall, this study highlights the importance of human involvement and creative input in translation processes to achieve better quality outcomes that resonate with readers.