I need your help to find statistical measures of the efficiency and thoroughness of translation, whether by human or by machine. There is an excellent study of interpretation by Danica Seleskovitch, showing the percentage of sememes (bits of meaning) that were found in the target language, but I haven't seen anything similar for translation. It would be most useful to have a standard set of measures, or at least a well-prepared method of measurement. Such a tool could help in training translators and in rating or assessing those already "in the business".
By the way, Seleskovitch found 90%+ efficiency among skilled simultaneous interpreters. One would have to assume that translators, armed with dictionaries, glossaries and machines, and with time to do it right, could and should approach 100% effeiciency (in transfer of meaning) every time.
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