Exploring the Feasibility of Post-Editing AI English Translations of Cantonese Opera Scripts

Authors

  • Kelly Kar Yue Chan

    School of Arts and Social Sciences, Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i11.11544
Received: 8 August 2025 | Revised: 1 September 2025 | Accepted: 9 September 2025 | Published Online: 27 October 2025

Abstract

With the recent emergence of Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen-AI) tools in the translation field, the longstanding notion that machines are limited to translating generic content has been overturned. There is considerable potential to explore the use of Gen-AI tools to translate literary and poetic texts, such as Cantonese opera libretti, which exhibit nuanced expression, rich poetic resonance, and cultural references rooted in traditional Chinese history and folk traditions, into English, with particular attention to satisfactorily translate linguistic intricacies and cultural depth. The successful translation of such texts typically demands bilingual fluency, bicultural awareness, and a high degree of sensitivity to cultural subtleties. The key task in this context is to investigate how human translators could be trained to navigate and post-edit AI-translated texts. It is recommended that translators learn to harness AI’s capabilities while maintaining a critical distance to ensure that the translated output is not overly dominated by certain stylistic tendencies. A partnership between AI and professional human translators could help preserve artistic integrity, deepen cultural insights, and enhance professional accuracy in the translation process. Such a partnership would not only yield more refined and cohesive translations but also increase the engagement of target audiences with the cultural allusions and subtexts embedded in the original scripts.

Keywords:

Generative-AI Tools; Cantonese Opera; Literary Translation; Post-Editing

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How to Cite

Chan, K. K. Y. (2025). Exploring the Feasibility of Post-Editing AI English Translations of Cantonese Opera Scripts. Forum for Linguistic Studies, 7(11), 1374–1385. https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i11.11544

Issue

Vol. 7 , Iss. 11 (November 2025)

Article Type

Article

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Copyright © 2025 Kelly Kar Yue Chan

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This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.