A Comparative Evaluation of Human and Matecat Translations Across the Third and Fourth Waves of Globalization

This study examines translation quality across two globalization waves by comparing human translations from the Third Wave (۱۹۹۰–۲۰۱۹) with Matecat-generated translations from the Fourth Wave (۲۰۱۹–present). Using Reiss’s (۲۰۰۰) linguistic-functional model, the research evaluates semantic accuracy, lexical appropriateness, and grammatical correctness across four STEM disciplines: Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Industrial Engineering, and Physics. Five MA students in Translation Studies assessed ۱۶ English–Persian translations through a structured questionnaire and a ۵-point Likert scale. Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICCs) confirmed strong inter-rater reliability. Paired-samples t-test results indicated a significant difference between translation types, with Matecat achieving higher mean scores (M = ۳.۹۴) than human translations (M = ۳.۳۱), t(۷) = -۳.۲۸۳, p =.۰۱۳, d = ۱.۱۶. Qualitative findings revealed Matecat’s consistency in terminology and style, while human translations showed variability and semantic simplification. The study highlights Matecat’s potential to enhance translation quality in STEM contexts and recommends hybrid workflows integrating human oversight.

کلیدواژه ها:

Globalization ، Matecat ، Reiss’s Model ، STEM Translation ، Translation Quality Assessment (TQA)