translation software? (Cyrillic 1251)

[Alexander Ushakov]

Being a professional translator myself I would not recommend to anybody using any translation software for whatever purpose, especially for such delicate thing as personal relations - the result could be catastrophe...

Some time ago just for fun I translated a short fragment of my resume from English into Russian and back.

Please see for yourself:

Original:

XXXX – present: Free-lance translator (full-time since XXXX). Working through translation agencies. Large volume translations for US Department …, Hughes Electronics, ..., etc. Interpreting for INS and PA Department of Health. Carlisle, PA
XXXX – XXXX  Kiev Aircraft Production Association, R&D Bureau. In-house translator in the Department of Information and Patents. Kiev, Ukraine

Translation (machine) into Russian using L-Master (English-Russian-Ukrainian, Trident Software, Ltd., Kiev, 1998), just downloaded a shareware version, fully functional, expire on July 31:

XXXX – настоящее время: Транслятор Непартийного политика (вполне-удачно выбирающий время после XXXX). Работа через агентства перевода.  
Большие переводы объема для Министерства US …, Электроника Hughes,  ..., т.д. Интерпретирование для ВХОДОВ и Министерства ПАПЫ Здравоохранения. Carlisle, ПАПА
XXXX – XXXX  Ассоциация Производства Летательного аппарата Киева,  Бюро R&D.  Собственный транслятор в Отделе Информации и Патентов. Киев, Украина

Back translation (made by the same program):

XXXX – present tense: Translator of Non-party politician (fully-successfully choosing time after XXXX). Work over translation agencies. Big volume remittances for Ministry US of …, Electronics Hughes,  ..., etc. Interpreting for ENTRANCES and Health protection DADDY Ministry. Carlisle, DADDY
XXXX – XXXX  Production Association of aircraft Kiev,  Bureau R&D.  Own translator in Information Department and Patents. Kiev, Ukraine

_______________
As you can see the output is absolutely distorted, and to edit takes more time than just translate. The software reminds me of a translator-amateur who being unable to understand what it is all about in the original, 'assumes' an interpretation with his/her own words. Although, it's smart enough for a program. 

I must admit it's the best machine translation software I've encountered so far (doesn't mean it's good). 

Alex Ushakov, technical translator
Russian, Ukrainian, Polish


----- Original Message ----- 
From: Judith Kalb <KalbJ at garnet.cla.sc.edu>
To: <SEELANGS at CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
Sent: Wednesday, October 06, 1999 11:27 AM
Subject: translation software?


> Dear Colleagues,
> I just got a question from someone interested in finding an English-Russian
> translation software program so that he can correspond with a Russian
> acquaintance.  He does not know Russian and she does not know English, so
> he'd like to write and have a program that can then translate his letter
> into Russian.  I encouraged him to take Russian instead, but in the
> meantime, if you know of any such programs, it would be fabulous if you
> could let me know!
> Thanks much,
> Judith Kalb
> 
> 
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> PLEASE NOTE MY NEW EMAIL ADDRESS: jkalb at sc.edu
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> Dr. Judith E. Kalb
> Assistant Professor of Russian
> Director of the Russian Program
> Department of Germanic, Slavic, and East Asian
>   Languages and Literatures
> University of South Carolina
> Columbia, SC 29208
> Phone (803) 777-9615
> Fax (803) 777-0132
> jkalb at sc.edu
>