# The future of machine translation



## matt-browne-sfw (Mar 2, 2008)

Star Trek envisions the universal translator. Current computer programs can neither pass the Turing Test nor are they able to automatically translate text from one language (e.g. English) into an other. Why is machine translation (MT) so extremely difficult? Will it always remain science fiction? Like a Kardashev Type III civilization?

At its basic level, MT performs simple substitution of words in one natural language for words in another. Using corpus techniques, more complex translations may be attempted, allowing for better handling of differences in linguistic typology, phrase recognition, and translation of idioms, as well as the isolation of anomalies. Current machine translation software often allows for customisation by domain or profession.

Any thoughts?


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## Steve Jordan (Mar 2, 2008)

I think effective MT will require two things to really succeed:  One, a pretty obvious one, is better computational skills, which are required to process the incredible amount of information that can be held by speech.  Today's systems are barely capable of identifying individual words, which makes direct translation difficult.  I believe we are just around the corner from this level of technology, so I don't worry too much about us getting there.

The other, much more complex need, is a better holistic understanding of language, something that present systems do not have at all.  It really is more than just a word-by-word translation that is required for translation, not just of words, but of actual meaning.  This will require some very creative programming on a human's part (actually, a lot of humans, I'd bet), to create a matrix of information that would allow a computer to hear the words, examine them in proper context, really understand what was being said, and finally reproduce the words _and proper meaning_ in another language.

Although the technology may arrive soon, the work required to create a holistic language interpretation and translation program may be decades off... even if we devote considerable resources to it (as in an entire, dedicated organization with a sizeable budget), it's just that tough a nut to crack.


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## iansales (Mar 2, 2008)

Machine translation is actually quite effective, and in certain cases can be as accurate as a human. I work fro a company that sells several machine-translation products, and they are used throughout the world by an enormous number of clients.


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## Montero (Mar 6, 2008)

Ian - is this text to text translation or speech recognition to text/speech translation?
Also - is this between known languages - as in the machine has say French and German so can translate a passage from French to German and vice versa?

Unless my memory is failing, the Star Trek translator was something that could take an unknown language, analyse it for repeat patterns and turn it into English. 

I think "depending on the standard required" is going to be a caveat for a while to come, also on the languages in question.  When I was a student, there were quite a number of students coming over from China.  Before they left home their English proficiency was tested and as I recall they had to demonstrate a vocabulary of about 3,000 words.  In every day use in Chinese that was all they needed.  I remember one student holding forth about English, and how with 3,000 words in China you could read a newspaper, get by perfectly well, but in English she couldn't instantly read a newspaper because of the massive vocabulary needed.  The newspaper that often appeared in the common room was either the Sun or the Mail (now "nookie" probably _isn't_ taught in language class ) but it isn't as though she was trying to read The Independent or The Times.


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## mosaix (Mar 9, 2008)

Here's a good sentence to throw at any translator software:

"Time flies like an arrow but fruit flies like a banana."


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## steve12553 (Mar 9, 2008)

mosaix said:


> Here's a good sentence to throw at any translator software:
> 
> "Time flies like an arrow but fruit flies like a banana."


Ain't English wonderful?


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## iansales (Mar 9, 2008)

Montero - machine translation as it now exists matches words and phrases from one language to words and phrases in another language. Given a database of these, machine translation is reasonably accurate at taking a document in one language and rendering in another.


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## matt-browne-sfw (Mar 9, 2008)

mosaix said:


> Here's a good sentence to throw at any translator software:
> 
> "Time flies like an arrow but fruit flies like a banana."



I tried AltaVista - Babel Fish Translation

It's interesting to translate back the translation and see what happens. I tried this:

English -> German - > English

Die Zeit vergeht wie im Flug aber Fruchtfliegen wie eine Banane.

The time passes as in the flight however fruit flies like a banana.

English -> French - > English

Le temps file comme une flèche mais des mouches à fruit comme une banane.

Time slips by like an arrow but of the flies to fruit like a banana.

The program seems to struggle a little more with French. So it's a bit like for the English tourists traveling both countries... 

Cheers,
Matt


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## rol7805 (Mar 18, 2008)

I'm always surprised we don't harness the power of the internet and use user-submitted translations for words and phrases. The system could constantly query bilingual speakers and ask them what the proper translation is for anything from a word, to a phrase, to a sentence or paragraph (along with suggestions of other proposed translations). Popular (accurate) translations would raise in rank. Offering translations or voting on them would give you points. Maybe you'd have to pass some basic test to prove you can read or write a given language. Obviously in this type of system there's the potential for abuse but the idea is most people using it want it to succeed so their influence wins out over pranksters. Sometimes this technique is referred to as "mobsourcing" or even "web 3.0" though I think the latter goes a bit too far in hype terms. Google has a program that helps them tag images by having you compete with another random user to see who can tag an image faster.


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## Steve Jordan (Mar 18, 2008)

This, in itself, is not a bad idea... it's a good example of the creative employment/support methods we'll probably have to adopt as our populations continue to grow, not to mention a way for people to do what computers as yet cannot do as well.  The logistics of such a project are daunting, but worth attempting, I think.


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## DarkWanderer (Mar 25, 2008)

matt-browne-sfw said:


> I tried LINK
> 
> It's interesting to translate back the translation and see what happens. I tried this:
> 
> ...



Babelfish is ok...Google or Intertran are much better.  Intertran appears  to be the best at translating colloquialisms and slang in to something readable;  it also effectively translates uncommon languages that Bable  and Google don't.

 I imagine that in my lifetime, and more probably as my son reaches  adulthood, there will be an real time translator service/sofware/smartphone  plugin.


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