From the Source roundup – August 2026
Welcome to this month’s “From the Source” roundup
From the Source is a regular feature on the podcast I make called Source 2 Target. Each week, I summarise the key points from a peer-reviewed article in the world of translation research on the podcast’s LinkedIn. But as not everyone is on the platform or following the show, I share an even shorter version of last month’s articles here. You can also read the full versions on the LinkedIn feed or Instagram.
So here goes!
Does machine translation help or hinder minoritized languages?
Aranberri. N. & Iñurrieta, U. (2024), When minoritized languages encounter MT: perceptions and expectations of the Basque community, The Journal of Specialised Translation, 41
This article examines whether machine translation (MT) helps minoritised languages thrive or risks weakening them. MT systems rely heavily on the quantity and quality of training data. Offering an engine for a minoritised language can widen access and encourage use, but scarce data may reduce accuracy and produce wider linguistic effects.
The researchers investigated these issues by surveying of language professionals and members of the public about their use of MT for Basque, then conducting a focus group with the professionals. They found that MT use is increasing, despite concerns about translation quality and the impact on Basque’s distinctive style resulting from the fact that MT translations into Basque often reproduce source language linguistic patterns. Because relatively little material is written originally in Basque, increasing volumes of machine-translated text could gradually reshape its discourse conventions. MT is therefore a double-edged sword: it improves accessibility and practical use, yet careless adoption may erode linguistic distinctiveness.
The findings suggest that MT should support rather than replace skilled translators.. Used carefully, MT can strengthen minoritised languages; used without safeguards, it may reinforce dominant-language structures and undermine the diversity it aims to protect. Its value consequently depends on responsible development, high-quality language resources, and informed human intervention at every stage of translation.
Do translators need to be funny?
Bartłomiejczyk, M. (2024), Can you amuse the audience through an interpreter? Parliamentary interpreting and humour, Target, 31 (1)
This article examines how interpreters manage humour while translating fast-moving speech. To investigate, it analysed speeches by one Polish speaker in the European Parliament. Researchers identified every instance of humour, classified each example, and compared how it was handled in English interpretation and in the reverse direction.
Four humour types were identified: irony, ridicule, absurdity and register humour. Interpreters’ responses were also placed into four categories: transfer, deletion, zero rendition and derailment.
The results show that some forms of humour are easier to interpret spontaneously than others. Register humour was transferred only 30.4% of the time, probably partly because English does not mark register through inflection in the same way as Polish. Absurdity was also especially difficult, causing interpreters to become “derailed” in 44% of cases. Irony, however, proved much easier to reproduce immediately, with a transfer rate of 77.3%.
Although the research is descriptive rather than prescriptive, it demonstrates that humour does not cross linguistic and cultural boundaries evenly. Above all, the findings highlight the remarkable judgement, linguistic skill and mental agility interpreters use when responding to jokes in real time.
Does MTPE training make translators more creative?
Guerberof-Arenas, A., Valdez, S. & Dorst, A. (2024), Does training in post-editing affect creativity?, The Journal of Specialised Translation, 41
This article examined whether training students in machine translation post-editing (MTPE) makes their translations more creative. Creativity was defined as a combination of novelty and appropriateness: a translation needed to be unexpected while remaining correct.
The researchers asked students to complete conventional human translation and MTPE tasks before and after receiving MTPE training. They then compared the outputs for novelty and accuracy to determine whether training produced more creative solutions.
The results were mixed. There was a small increase in creative solutions after training, but the difference was not statistically significant. Human translation tasks also contained more creative solutions than post-edited machine translations at both stages. The authors therefore concluded that the mode of translation (MTPE or 100% human) had a greater influence on creativity than post-editing training itself.
Training nevertheless affected students’ confidence and reflective awareness. Afterward, they reported a clearer understanding of the tasks and greater confidence in revising machine-generated output rather than accepting it uncritically. These metacognitive changes are difficult to quantify, but they may still be important for translator education. Overall, MTPE training did not demonstrably increase creativity, although it appeared to strengthen students’ judgement, awareness, and willingness to intervene in machine translation.
How do translators deal with non-binary gender identities in heavily gendered languages?
Lardelli, M., Primorac Aberer, Z. & Hiebl, B. (2025), Gender-Fair Audiovisual Translation: First Considerations on How to Address Non-Binary Genders, The Journal of Specialised Translation, 44
How do translators represent non-binary identities in languages whose grammar is strongly based on binary gender? In short, badly.
The article examines how subtitles and dubbing handled non-binary characters in German, Italian, and Croatian. The researchers found mixed results: some translations respected non-binary identities, many could have been improved, and some misgendered the characters entirely.
Part of the challenge comes from heavily gendered grammatical systems and the absence of widely accepted gender-inclusive conventions in some languages. Audiovisual translation also faces practical constraints such as subtitle length and lip synchronisation. However, the authors argue that the main problem is a lack of institutional support, professional training, and clear guidelines for translating non-binary language.
To address this, they call for better access to source materials and contextual notes, as well as glossaries and style guides developed with the involvement of non-binary people. They also recommend stronger attention to gender-fair language in translator training and greater accountability from media platforms that publish subtitles and dubbed content.
The article concludes that as non-binary representation grows in global media, translation must evolve to affirm these identities rather than erase them, making translation a matter of both language and social justice