Prompting ChatGPT for Translation: A Comparative Analysis of Translation Brief and Persona Prompts

Prompt engineering in LLMs has shown potential for improving translation quality. However, the potential of incorporating translation concepts in prompt design remains largely underexplored. Against this backdrop, this paper discusses the effectiveness of incorporating the conceptual tool of translation brief and the personas of translator and author into prompt design for translation tasks in ChatGPT. Findings suggest that, although certain elements are constructive in facilitating human to human communication for translation tasks, their effectiveness is limited for improving translation quality in ChatGPT. This accentuates the need for more explorative research on how translation theorists and practitioners can develop the current set of conceptual tools rooted in the human to human communication paradigm for translation purposes in this emerging workflow involving human machine interaction.