难怪都在看《歌手》 原来是在默默练翻译

昨晚，《歌手2024》首场袭榜赛落下帷幕，袭榜歌手亚当·兰伯特（Adam Lambert）的竞演引发关注。

而作为亚当的音乐合伙人，歌手刘柏辛在直播现场的“口译”引发热议。有网友称其“乱翻，和原话没有一一对应”，有网友称其并非专业译员，不应过分苛责。

你看直播了吗？觉得翻得怎么样？

借（cèng）此（gè）机（rè）会（diǎn），我们就来看看人工翻译是不是会被如今火热的人工智能所替代呢。

🤔️小作业：

1. According to the passage, why might the bar to entry into the literary translation industry be raised?

A) Because only those with sufficient wealth can afford to enter the industry

B) Because AI can perform literary translations more effectively

C) Because the demand for literary translations is decreasing

D) Because translators prefer non-literary work

A) Generative AI is improving the quality of translations

B) Translators prefer AI-generated texts over human translations

C) The use of AI in translation is widely accepted and embraced

D) Generative AI poses a significant threat to the livelihood of translators

无注释原文：

Survey finds generative AI proving major threat to the work of translators

From: The Guardian

More than a third of translators have lost work due to generative AI, a survey by the Society of Authors (SoA) has found. More than four in 10 translators said that their income has decreased because of generative AI, while more than three-quarters believe the emerging technology will negatively affect their future income.

The SoA, the UK's largest trade union for writers, illustrators and translators, ran the survey in January. It found that 37% of translators had used generative AI to support their work, and 8% used it because they were asked by their publisher or commissioning organisation.

Thomas Bunstead, whose translations from Spanish include The Book of All Loves by Agustín Fernández Mallo, said it is important to draw a distinction between literary translators and “commercial” translators. “Though a third of translators have responded to the SoA survey saying they think they've lost work to AI already, literary translation remains in the hands of humans,” he said. “The work that has presumably been handed over to AI will be the kind of uncomplicated bread-and-butter stuff which doesn't require so much nuance,” such as instruction manuals.

“Idiomatic, knotty and complex writing,” is likely to remain with human translators, agrees Nichola Smalley, whose translations from Swedish and Norwegian include A System So Magnificent It Is Blinding by Amanda Svensson. “But perhaps the people translating crime and romance novels who are currently getting less work due to AI will all start getting into the complex stuff and we'll all be fighting for space in that niche. I hope not!”

Ian Giles, the co-chair of the Translators Association whose translations from Scandinavian languages into English include the forthcoming The Cuckoo by Camilla Läckberg, said that his income from commercial translation work has fallen significantly since the beginning of 2023. The loss of non-literary streams of income for literary translators will mean the “raising of the bar to entry into the industry, with only those with wealth able to translate literature for publication”. He also said that cost-cutting is not confined to non-literary translation – a publisher specialising in ebooks and audiobooks for which he previously translated has switched to a process known as post-editing, when an AI translator has a first go at translating a text before a human editor checks it and makes tweaks.

Nuanxed, a company which facilitates translation via post-editing, said that while translators are “essential in maintaining high quality literature in translation”, their “methodologies will need to evolve alongside technological advancements”. CEO Robert Casten Carlberg said that “integrating AI into the translators' toolbox” will enhance productivity “without sacrificing creativity or quality”.

However, Smalley said there are concerns that post-editing can create “a lot more work” for translators, who have to carefully compare texts to catch misreadings and “poor or unidiomatic” style. “Colleagues who have done this kind of post-editing work say that it requires a far higher degree of attention, because the AI generated text often reads so plausibly,” she said.

Bunstead added that “translators, like all freelancers, can go through lean periods. They won't always know for certain the reasons why, but AI is currently the obvious explanation. A few years ago Brexit insularity was the root of all our money worries.”

Of the 787 SoA members who responded – including writers of fiction and nonfiction, scriptwriters, poets and journalists, as well as illustrators and translators – 94% reported wanting credit or compensation when their work is used to develop generative AI tools. In light of the survey, the SoA said that there is an “urgent need” for government regulation of AI tools to ensure they are developed and used “ethically and lawfully”.

“I'm certain that the act of creative and literary translation will live on in one shape or another,” said Giles. “For many there is a deep-seated desire to translate and I also believe there is an audience that desires human-translated content.”

- ◆ -

注：完整题目见本文开头；中文文本为机器翻译并非一一对应，仅供参考

含注释全文：

Survey finds generative AI proving major threat to the work of translators

From: The Guardian

More than a third of translators have lost work due to generative AI, a survey by the Society of Authors (SoA) has found. More than four in 10 translators said that their income has decreased because of generative AI, while more than three-quarters believe the emerging technology will negatively affect their future income.

英国作家协会（Society of Authors, SoA）的一项调查发现，超过三分之一的译者因生成式人工智能（Generative AI）技术而失去了工作。超过四成的译者表示，他们的收入因生成式人工智能而减少，而超过四分之三的人认为新兴技术将对他们的未来收入产生负面影响。

generative /ˈdʒen.ər.ə.tɪv/ 表示“有生产能力的；能生成的”，英文解释为“able to produce or create something”如：the generative power of the mind 大脑的生成能力。

📍ChatGPT全名就是：Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer.

📍词根“gen-”来自拉丁语“generare”，表示“产生”，后缀“-ative”表示形容词，即“有产生作用的”。想象生成式AI能够基于现有数据创造新内容。近义词：productive（生产的），同根词：generate（生成），常用短语：generative model（生成模型）

The SoA, the UK's largest trade union for writers, illustrators and translators, ran the survey in January. It found that 37% of translators had used generative AI to support their work, and 8% used it because they were asked by their publisher or commissioning organisation.

英国最大的作者、插画师和译者工会SoA于今年1月份开展了这项调查。调查发现，37%的译者使用过生成式人工智能来辅助工作，8%的译者是应出版商或委托机构的要求而使用。

trade union /ˌtreɪd ˈjuː.ni.ən/ 表示“工会”，英文解释为“an organization that represents the people who work in a particular industry, protects their rights, and discusses their pay and working conditions with employers”

illustrator /ˈɪl.ə.streɪ.tər/ 表示“（尤指书籍的）插图画家”，英文解释为“a person who draws pictures, especially for books”

commission /kəˈmɪʃ.ən/ 1）作名词，表示“（负责调查问题真相或原因的）委员会”，英文解释为“a group of people who have been formally chosen to discover information about a problem or examine the reasons why the problem exists”如：a commission on alcohol abuse/racial tension 酗酒问题/种族间紧张关系调查委员会。

2）作动词，表示“委任（或任命）…为军官”，英文解释为“to give someone the official authority to be an officer in the armed forces”举个🌰：She was commissioned in 2024. 她于2024年被任命为军官。

3）作动词，表示“（正式地）安排…做，委托…做”，英文解释为“to formally choose someone to do a special piece of work, or to formally ask for a special piece of work from someone”举个🌰：She's commissioned an artist to paint her portrait. 她请了一位艺术家为她画肖像。

4）in commission表示“（机器、军舰等）在使用中的，在服役的”，英文解释为“If something, such as a machine or a military ship, is in commission it is working and ready for use.”这个含义也可以直接将commission当作动词用，相当于to put (a ship) in commission. 举个🌰：The ship was commissioned in 2024. 该舰于2024年服役。

5）out of commission 表示“（机器、军舰等）坏了的，不可使用的，退役的”，英文解释为“If something, such as a machine or a military ship, is out of commission it is broken or not available to be used.”

Thomas Bunstead, whose translations from Spanish include The Book of All Loves by Agustín Fernández Mallo, said it is important to draw a distinction between literary translators and “commercial” translators. “Though a third of translators have responded to the SoA survey saying they think they've lost work to AI already, literary translation remains in the hands of humans,” he said. “The work that has presumably been handed over to AI will be the kind of uncomplicated bread-and-butter stuff which doesn't require so much nuance,” such as instruction manuals.

托马斯·邦斯特德（Thomas Bunstead）曾翻译过西班牙作家奥古斯丁·费尔南德斯·马洛（Agustín Fernández Mallo）的《众爱之书》（The Book of All Loves）。他说，区分文学译者和“商业”译者是很重要的。“尽管三分之一的译者在英国作家协会调查中表示，他们认为自己因为AI而丢了工作，但文学翻译仍然掌握在人类手中，”他说。“那些交给AI的翻译工作，多是一些不需要太多细致处理的简单任务，比如使用手册。”

distinction /dɪˈstɪŋk.ʃən/ 1）表示“区别，差别，不同”，英文解释为“a difference between two similar things”举个🌰：There's a clear distinction between the dialects spoken in the two regions. 这两个地区的方言有着明显的不同。

2）表示“（学生作业的）优，优等”，英文解释为“a mark given to students who produce work of an excellent standard”

3）表示“优秀，卓越”，英文解释为“the quality of being excellent”如：a writer/scientist/wine of distinction 一流的作家/科学家/葡萄酒。

4）表示“特质，特性”，英文解释为“the quality of being special or different”举个🌰：She has the distinction of being one of the few people to have an honorary degree conferred on her by the university this year. 今年只有几个人被授予了大学荣誉学位，她有幸成为其中之一。

literary /ˈlɪt.ər.ər.i/ 表示“文学的，与文学相关的”，英文解释为“connected with literature”如：a literary critic 文学评论家。

presumably /prɪˈzuː.mə.bli/ 表示“据推测，大概，可能”，英文解释为“used to say what you think is the likely situation”举个🌰：They can presumably afford to buy a bigger apartment. 他们大概买得起一套大一点的公寓。

uncomplicated /ˌʌnˈkɒm.plɪ.keɪ.tɪd/ 1）表示“不复杂的，简单的”，英文解释为“simple, and not difficult to understand or deal with; not complicated”举个🌰：I have an uncomplicated approach to website design. 我的网站设计理念很简单。

2）表示“（疾病）无并发的”，英文解释为“not having any complications (= extra medical problems that make it more difficult to treat an existing illness or condition)”

bread and butter /ˌbred ən ˈbʌt.ər/ 表示“实用的；生计的；（想法或问题）基本的，日常的，关乎大多数人的”，英文解释为“basic and relating directly to most people's needs and interests”举个🌰：Most people are focused on ordinary, bread-and-butter concerns. 大多数人都专注于普通的、最基本的问题。

one's bread and butter 表示“谋生的职业；谋生之道”，英文解释为“a job or activity that provides you with the money you need to live”举个🌰：Gardening is my bread and butter right now. 眼下园艺工作是我的谋生之道。

nuance /njuːˈɑːns/ 表示“（声音、感觉、外貌或意义等方面的）细微差别”，英文解释为“A nuance is a small difference in sound, feeling, appearance, or meaning.”

“Idiomatic, knotty and complex writing,” is likely to remain with human translators, agrees Nichola Smalley, whose translations from Swedish and Norwegian include A System So Magnificent It Is Blinding by Amanda Svensson. “But perhaps the people translating crime and romance novels who are currently getting less work due to AI will all start getting into the complex stuff and we'll all be fighting for space in that niche. I hope not!”

尼古拉·斯莫利（Nichola Smalley）也认为，“惯用语、复杂和难解的表达”可能依然需要人类译者处理。她翻译过瑞典语和挪威语作品，其中包括阿曼达·斯文森（Amanda Svensson）的《一家三口》（A System So Magnificent It Is Blinding）。“但或许那些目前因为AI导致翻译工作较少的犯罪小说和爱情小说译者，会转向更复杂的作品领域，我们都将在这个细分市场中争夺一席之地。但愿不会如此！”

idiomatic /ˌɪd.i.əˈmæt.ɪk/ 表示“习语的；成语的；合乎语言习惯的”，英文解释为“containing or consisting of an idiom”

knotty /ˈnɒt.i/ 表示“错综复杂的；难于解决的，棘手的”，英文解释为“(of a problem or difficulty) complicated and difficult to solve”举个🌰：It was a very knotty problem. 那实在是一个棘手的问题。

niche /niːʃ/ 1）表示“（尤指本人合意的）适合的工作（或职位）;称心的工作”，英文解释为“a job or position that is very suitable for someone, especially one that they like”举个🌰：He has carved/made a niche for himself as a financial advisor. 他成为了财务顾问，为自己找到了合适的发展方向。

2）表示“合宜的小环境”，英文解释为“an area or position that is exactly suitable for a small group of the same type”如：an ecological niche. 生态龛。

Ian Giles, the co-chair of the Translators Association whose translations from Scandinavian languages into English include the forthcoming The Cuckoo by Camilla Läckberg, said that his income from commercial translation work has fallen significantly since the beginning of 2023. The loss of non-literary streams of income for literary translators will mean the “raising of the bar to entry into the industry, with only those with wealth able to translate literature for publication”. He also said that cost-cutting is not confined to non-literary translation – a publisher specialising in ebooks and audiobooks for which he previously translated has switched to a process known as post-editing, when an AI translator has a first go at translating a text before a human editor checks it and makes tweaks.

翻译协会联合主席伊恩·贾尔斯（Ian Giles）主要翻译斯堪的纳维亚语作品，包括即将出版的卡米拉·莱克伯格（Camilla Läckberg）的《布谷鸟》（The Cuckoo）。他表示，自2023年初以来，他的商业翻译收入显著下降。文学译者失去非文学收入来源，将意味着“行业准入门槛提高，只有那些有钱人才能翻译出版文学作品。他还提到，削减成本并不局限于非文学翻译——一家专门从事电子书和有声读物的出版商（他曾为该出版商从事翻译工作）已经转而采用一种被称为“译后编辑”的过程，即AI首先对文本进行翻译，然后由人工编辑进行检查和调整。

bar /bɑːr/ 作名词，1）表示“条状物”，英文解释为“a substance that has been made into a solid rectangular shape”如：a bar of soap 一块肥皂，a chocolate bar 一条巧克力棒。

2）表示“障碍；羁绊”，英文解释为“a thing that stops sb from doing sth”举个🌰：At that time being a woman was a bar to promotion in most professions.那时在大多数职业中，身为女性就是晋升的障碍。

作动词，表示“禁止，阻止”，英文解释为“If someone is barred from a place or from doing something, they are officially forbidden to go there or to do it.”举个🌰：The players are barred from drinking alcohol the night before a match. 运动员在参赛前夜不得喝酒。

🎬电影《逆转王牌》（Runner Runner）中的台词提到：He said I'd be barred from re-entering the country.他说我下次回国时会被禁止入境。

📍set the bar high/low = put the bar high/low 表示设定高/低标准、高/低要求（to set a high/low standard for something）

confine /kənˈfaɪn/ 表示“把…局限在，限制”，英文解释为“to limit an activity, person, or problem in some way”举个🌰：Let's confine our discussion to the matter in question, please! 请把讨论集中在正题上！

tweak /twiːk/ 可以作名词，也可以作动词，表示“稍稍调整（机器、系统等）；稍稍改进”，英文解释为“to make slight changes to a machine, system, etc. to improve it”举个🌰：I think you'll have to tweak these figures a little before you show them to the boss. 我想你得略微改动一下这些数字再让老板过目。

📍此前在浴霸能不能？欲罢不能！一文中讲述苹果发布的新版Apple Watch Series 5仅仅相对上一个版本没有太大更新时就提到：The Apple Watch Series 5 features a slightly tweaked design. Apple Watch Series 5的设计略有调整。

Nuanxed, a company which facilitates translation via post-editing, said that while translators are “essential in maintaining high quality literature in translation”, their “methodologies will need to evolve alongside technological advancements”. CEO Robert Casten Carlberg said that “integrating AI into the translators' toolbox” will enhance productivity “without sacrificing creativity or quality”.

Nuanxed是一家译后编辑公司，该公司表示，虽然译者“在实现高质量文学翻译方面不可或缺”，但他们的“方法需要随着技术进步而发展”。该公司首席执行官罗伯特·卡斯滕·卡尔伯格（Robert Casten Carlberg）指出，“将AI整合到译员工具箱”将提高生产力，“而不会牺牲创造力或质量”。

facilitate /fəˈsɪl.ɪ.teɪt/ 表示“促进；促使；使便利”，英文解释为“to make something possible or easier”举个🌰：The new ramp will facilitate the entry of wheelchairs. 新坡道将方便轮椅进入。

📍《经济学人》（The Economist）一篇讲述国内电动车行业的文章中提到：The state also facilitates the roll-out of advanced technical features for the benefit of the public at large. 政府也在提供便利来促进企业推出能造福普罗大众的先进技术功能。

methodology /ˌmeθ.əˈdɒl.ə.dʒi/ 表示“一套方法；方法论；教学法”，英文解释为“a system of ways of doing, teaching, or studying something”举个🌰：The methodology and findings of the research team have been criticized. 这个研究小组的研究方法和研究结果受到了批评。

evolve /ɪˈvɒlv/ 表示“（使）逐渐形成，逐步发展，逐渐演变，进化”，英文解释为“to develop gradually, especially from a simple to a more complicated form; to develop sth in this way”举个🌰：The company has evolved into a major chemical manufacturer. 这家公司已逐步发展成一个主要的化工厂。

integrate /ˈɪn.tɪ.ɡreɪt/ 1）表示“使合并，使成为一体”，英文解释为“to combine two or more things in order to become more effective”举个🌰：You need to integrate exercise into your normal life. 你必须让锻炼成为你日常生活的一部分。

2）表示“（使）融入（某社会或群体）；（使）成为一体”，英文解释为“to mix with and join society or a group of people, often changing to suit their way of life, habits, and customs”举个🌰：He seems to find it difficult to integrate socially. 他似乎觉得很难与别人打成一片。

However, Smalley said there are concerns that post-editing can create “a lot more work” for translators, who have to carefully compare texts to catch misreadings and “poor or unidiomatic” style. “Colleagues who have done this kind of post-editing work say that it requires a far higher degree of attention, because the AI generated text often reads so plausibly,” she said.

不过，斯莫利表示，有人担心译后编辑会给译者增加“更多的工作量”，译者必须仔细比较文本，以发现错译和“糟糕或不地道”的表达。“译后编辑同事说，这需要更高的专注度，因为AI生成的文本往往读起来似是而非，”她说。

misreading /ˌmɪsˈriː.dɪŋ/ 表示“读错;看错;误读”，英文解释为“the act of making a mistake in the way that you read something, or an example of this”举个🌰：Faulty wiring can cause electrical problems and computer misreadings. 线路故障会导致电气故障和计算机的误读。

plausibly /ˈplɔː.zə.bli/ 副词，plausible形容词，表示“有道理的；可信的；貌似真实的，貌似有理的”，英文解释为“in a way that is likely to be true, or is possible to believe”举个🌰：Her story sounded perfectly plausible. 她的说辞听起来言之有理。

Bunstead added that “translators, like all freelancers, can go through lean periods. They won't always know for certain the reasons why, but AI is currently the obvious explanation. A few years ago Brexit insularity was the root of all our money worries.”

邦斯特德补充说：“译者和所有自由职业者一样，也会经历低迷期。他们并不总能确定其中的原因，但AI的发展是目前显而易见的解释。而几年前，英国脱欧孤立是我们所有资金担忧的根源。”

freelancer /ˈfriː.lɑːn.sər/ 表示“自由职业者”，英文解释为“someone who is not employed by any one organization but does particular pieces of work for different organizations”

Brexit /ˈbrek.sɪt/ 表示“（英国脱离欧盟）脱欧”，英文解释为“an exit (= act of leaving) by the United Kingdom from the European Union (short for "British exit")”举个🌰：There have been various attempts to calculate how much Brexit will cost. 已经有各种各样的尝试来计算英国脱欧所付出的代价。

insularity /ˌɪn.sjəˈlær.ə.ti/ 表示“（思想、观点等）偏狭，性僵化；岛国性质（或状态）；岛屿生活状况，与外界隔绝的生活状况”英文解释为“the quality of only being interested in your own country or group and not being willing to accept different or foreign ideas”举个🌰：Their actions have led to accusations of insularity or arrogance. 他们的行为导致了对他们僵化或傲慢的指责。

Of the 787 SoA members who responded – including writers of fiction and nonfiction, scriptwriters, poets and journalists, as well as illustrators and translators – 94% reported wanting credit or compensation when their work is used to develop generative AI tools. In light of the survey, the SoA said that there is an “urgent need” for government regulation of AI tools to ensure they are developed and used “ethically and lawfully”.

该调查的受访者为787名英国作家协会成员（包括小说和非小说作家、编剧、诗人和记者，以及插画师和译者）。其中，94%的人表示，当他们的作品被用于开发生成式人工智能工具时，希望得到署名或报酬。英国作家协会表示，鉴于这项调查，政府“迫切需要”对人工智能工具进行监管，以确保其开发和使用“合乎道德和法律”。

credit /ˈkred.ɪt/ 作名词，1）表示“赞扬；赞许；荣誉”，英文解释为“praise, approval, or honour”举个🌰：She got no credit for solving the problem. 她没有因为解决了这一问题而得到任何赞许。

2）可数名词，表示“学分”，英文解释为“a unit that represents a successfully finished part of an educational course”举个🌰：Each of these classes is worth three credits. 这些课程每门3个学分。

3）表示“赊购，赊账，信用贷款”，英文解释为“a method of paying for goods or services at a later time, usually paying interest as well as the original money”举个🌰：They decided to buy the car on credit. 他们决定用赊购的方法买那辆汽车。

4）credits可以表示某人在电影、电视或其他媒体作品中的参与或贡献，通常指的是某人的角色或工作。当提到一个演员的credits时，它通常指的是该演员参与过的电影或电视作品。

作动词，credit A with B 或者 credit B to A，表示“认为是…的功劳；把…归于”，英文解释为“to believe or say that sb is responsible for doing sth, especially sth good”举个🌰：The company is credited with inventing the industrial robot. 发明工业机器人是那家公司的功劳。

compensation /ˌkɒmpɛnˈseɪʃən/ 1）表示“补偿（或赔偿）物；（尤指）赔偿金，补偿金；赔偿”，英文解释为“If something is some compensation for something bad that has happened, it makes you feel better.”举个🌰：He gained some compensation for her earlier defeat by winning the final open class. 他通过赢得公开赛的决赛获得了对先前失利的一些补偿。

2）表示“报酬（雇员获得的金钱和其他福利的总和）”，英文解释为“the combination of money and other benefits (= rewards) that an employee receives for doing their job”举个🌰：Annual compensation for our executives includes salary and bonus under our incentive plan. 我们的高级管理人员获得的年度报酬包括工资以及按奖励计划发放的奖金。

“I'm certain that the act of creative and literary translation will live on in one shape or another,” said Giles. “For many there is a deep-seated desire to translate and I also believe there is an audience that desires human-translated content.”

“我确信，创译和文学翻译将以某种形式继续存在，”贾尔斯说。“许多人内心深处对翻译有着强烈的热情，我也相信读者渴望欣赏由人类翻译的内容。”

deep-seated /ˌdiːpˈsiː.tɪd/ 表示“根深蒂固的；笃信的”，英文解释为“strongly felt or believed and very difficult to change or get rid of”如：a deep-rooted desire 强烈的愿望。

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