Computers in Translation: A Practical Appraisal / Edition 1

by John Newton

Overview

Researchers have been attempting to develop systems that would emulate the human translation process for some forty years. What is it about human language that makes this such a daunting challenge? While other software packages have achieved rapid and lasting success, machine translation has failed to penetrate the worldwide market to any appreciable extent. Does this merely reflect a reluctance to adopt it, or does it signal a more fundamental and intractable problem? Computers in Translation is a comprehensive guide to the practical issues surrounding machine translation and computer-based translation tools. Translators, system designers, system operators and researchers present the facts about machine translation: its history, its successes, its limitations and its potential. Three chapters deal with actual machine translation applications, discussing installations including the METEO system, used in Canada to translate weather forecasts and weather reports,and the system used in the Foreign Technology Division of the US Air Force.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780415054324
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	08/27/1992
Pages:	260
Product dimensions:	5.44(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)
Lexile:	1460L (what's this?)
Age Range:	18 Years

Table of Contents

Preface 1. Introduction and Overview John Newton 2. The Story So Far: An Evaluation of Machine Translation in the World Today Jeanette Pugh 3. Made to Measure Solutions Annette Grimaila and John Chandioux 4. The Perkins Experience John Newton 5. Machine Translation in a High-Volume Translation Environment Muriel Vasconcellos and Dale A. Bostad 6. Esperanto as an Intermediate Language Klaus Schubert 7. Limitations of Computers as Translation Tools Alex Gross 8. Computerised Term Banks and Translation Patricia Thomas 9. The Translator Workstation Alan Melby 10. Systran: It Obviously Works, But How Can it be Improved? Yorick Wilks 11. Current Research in Machine Translation Harold L. Somers Bibliography Glossary of Terms Index

Editorial Reviews

‘For those with a passing knowledge of MT and who would like an overview of what is happening in the field this book is useful both as a reminder of the problems still unsolved and as an indicator of current research directions.' - Computers Educ. Vol 20 No 3

‘The difficulty with publishing an introductory work is divining the level of knowledge of the suject being addressed that the potential reader is likely to have...I believe John Newton has got it just right. His Introduction and Overview, the first chapter of the book, would serve as a valuable reference in its own right... His list of contributors reads like a Who's Who....This book would be an excellent reference for anyone wishing to keep abreast of a subject that dates very rapidly.' - Bob Clark, Language International

‘The book gives us some real achievements and much hard thinking, rather than a bunch of empty promises....This book gives many examples of the best current thinking and the main lines of research: all credit to the editor and contributors.' - Times Higher

"...essential ‘state-of-the-art' reading for anyone interested in translation." - The Linguist

‘... a mine of information for anyone new to the field.' - Doug Thompson, ReCall

‘a very readable introduction to the latest developments in the application of computers to translation work' - Doug Thompson, ReCall

From the Publisher