Automatic Detection of Translation Errors: The TransCheck System

Among the applications of language technology to human translation, little attention has been paid to error detection. This article discusses the issue from three perspectives. In general terms, it considers the nature of translation errors and what might be involved in detecting them. On a more specific level, it identifies a number of error types which meet the twin criteria of feasibility (errors that can be detected with sufficient reliability using practical means) and utility (errors that are sufficiently troublesome to be worth addressing). Concretely, the paper presents TransCheck, a prototype system for translation error detection, describing its structure and function, and discussing its application in the translation process.