MACHINE TRANSLATION: A BRIEF HISTORY

2016

Kyiv national university of technologies and design, Kyiv Translation has undergone several stages in its development, but currently, the preference is given to informative translation in which the features of individual author's style are not so important. The development of information technology has resulted in computer programs to facilitate translation; we should know the advantages and disadvantages of this type of translation. Translation is a complex multifaceted phenomenon, some aspects of which may be the subject of study of different sciences. In the framework of translation studies one examines psychological, literary, ethnographic and other spheres of translation practice, as well as history of translation practice in a particular country or countries. But the main topic of my paper will be computer-assisted translation or computer-aided translation. And now it is important to make a distinction between machine translation (MT) and computer-assisted translation (CAT). On a schematic level, machine translation involves the calculation speed of a computer in order to analyse the structure of each term or phrase within the text to be translated (source text). It then breaks this structure down into elements that can be easily translated, and recomposes a term of the same structure in the target language. In doing so, the method calls upon the use of highly voluminous, multilingual dictionaries plus sections of text that have already been translated [2]. Using a computer-assisted translation tool is a process which includes the use of software to aid individuals in translating. In case of time constraints, a computer-assisted translation tool can effectively reduce the translation time, enabling the translator to translate content in a timely manner [5]. The major distinction between MT and CAT lies with who is a primarily responsible for the actual task of translation. In MT, the computer translates the text, though the machine outputs may later be edited by a human translator. In CAT, translators are responsible for doing the translation, but they may make use of a variety of computerized tools to help complete this task and increase their productivity. Therefore, whereas MT systems try to replace translators, CAT tools support translators by helping them to work more efficiently [1, p. 4]. Humans and computers each have their strengths and weaknesses. The idea of CAT software is to make the most of the strengths of people and computers. Translation performed solely by computers has very poor quality. Meanwhile, no human can translate as fast as computer can. If we accept that translation demands total sensitivity to the cognitive aspects of a source text, it follows that a computer would need to understand language and assimilate facts in the way that humans do it in order to resolve textual ambiguity and create a version that paid due regard to semantic content and register. For example, an awareness of context is essential for the correct interpretation of a sentence such as visiting European dignitaries can be a nuisance. In translating this sentence, a human translator would take into account the sentences which preceded and followed, as well as the general context, the overall theme of the text and any relevant social, economic or cultural factors. However, a computers inability to acquire, comprehend and rationally apply real-world knowledge in this way does not render MT useless as a production tool. Raw MT output does not need to be perfect in order to be useful. Direct comparisons between a system's raw output and human translation are pointless; as MT is a production tool, its capacity to increase or speed up production, within acceptable cost parameters, is the only valid measure of its effectiveness. If its use can be shown to increase productivity and reduce costs, it is clearly advantageous; if it fails to de either, it is a white elephant [3, pp. 3-4]. By using a CAT tool, however, you can gain some of the speed, consistency and memory

Terminology, 2004

1985

Communication & Language at Work, 2012

In this article three of the more common types of translation tools are presented, discussed and critically evaluated. The types of translation tools dealt with in this article are: Fully Automated Machine Translation (or FAMT), Human Aided Machine Translation (or HAMT) and Machine Aided Human Translation (or MAHT). The strengths and weaknesses of the different types of tools are discussed and evaluated by means of a number of examples. The article aims at two things: at presenting a sort of state of the art of what is commonly referred to as "machine translation" as well as at providing the reader with a sound basis for considering what translation tool (if any) is the most appropriate in order to meet his or her specific translation needs.

Journal of Documentation, 1978

Machine Translation, 1998

TTR : traduction, terminologie, rédaction, 2003

Trends in Development of Innovative Scientific Research in the Context of Global Changes, 2021

Machine translation is an action performed on a computer that converts text from one natural language into equivalent text in another language. Among the principles of classification of machine translation we distinguish translation with the participation of a computer in the translation process, the number of languages that the system «understands», the type of documents during the translation the system is focused on, and purely linguistic principle. 1) Translation with the participation of a computer in the translation process. The systems of machine translation are divided into automated and automatic. The automated systems of machine translation mean that the translation is performed by a machine and the term «machine-aided translation» is used for this type of translation.

In: Neustein, Amy & Markowitz, Judith A. (eds.) Where Humans Meet Machines: Innovative Solutions to Knotty Natural Language Problems. Heidelberg; New York: Springer Verlag. 299-314., 2013

"Starting from an overview of multilingual systems, I point out the usefulness of machine translation in some translation contexts, especially in dynamic environments. Then I describe how electronic tools can be useful for the human translator and how machine translation can be integrated into translation memory systems in the translation workflow. After this general panorama, I enumerate a series of studies in the field of translation studies that deal with translation process research and investigate the interaction between human translators and those technologies. I note that the main aspects being investigated are productivity, quality and effort. I also mention how the new technologies might affect the translation market and the activity of translation professionals. I conclude by indicating some areas for future research, including tool usability and job satisfaction."