LL-L "Resources" 2003.11.01 (04) [E]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 01.NOV.2003 (04) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
L=Limburgish LS=Lowlands Saxon (Low German) N=Northumbrian
S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic V=(West)Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeêuws)
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From: Kenneth Rohde Christiansen <kenneth at gnu.org>
Subject: LL-L "Resources" 2003.11.01 (02) [E]

Let me answer shortly.

Well, yes and no. First of all theoritically translation is not possible
for various reasons. So what we do when we "translate" is that we
approximate translation ;-) I have been looking a lot into translation
and machine translation as I will be writing machine translation
software the next half year - as a study project.

Machine translation is not really possible, but with the current
technologies you can get an acceptable result - but not a result that
you don't have to correct.

Universal machine translation is not used much. Most projects failed -
If you know about translation you will know that very few if any
universaliers exists. So often you will make specialized translation
software (between related languages for instance).

The translations made my machine translations today are mostly used as
draft translations in administration (thus no literary translations -
way too difficult) for instance in the European Union. It is used to
make the translation process easier and not to replace it.

Some of the translation machines have some kind of artificial
intelligens and can learn from mistakes - but so far I haven't see
anything that could impress me.

I believe the software will improve, but it requires LOTS of lexical,
semantic data etc, and it needs special mappings between different
languages - and it needs to be updated again and again as the languages
change. Thus, the very good translators will only be available for the
major languages and probably be very expensive.

I never see machine translators replace ordinary literature translators,
but it will definately be used more in software and administrative
translation tasks.

Cheers, Kenneth

> Mathieu van Woerkom and Kenneth Rohde Christiansen,
> I have been following your mailings on the open source software and
various
> linguistic projects currently underway.
> I found this interesting link to an article on universal translators. I do
> not know how far away this technology really is but it sure is
interesting.
> http://italian.about.com/library/weekly/aa041200a.htm
> Do you two learned men think this type of thing will happen in the next 10
> years and be made available to the masses? Do you think it will be
relegated
> to the realms of a berlitz type translator and only be limited to the
> "popular" languages eg French, German, English, Spanish, Chinese, leaving
> Low Saxon etc out of the technology and relying on goodwill to get a
> showing.
> Tot Ziens
> Peter Snepvangers
> snepvangers at optushome.com.au

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