Báo cáo khoa học: Is the Generally Accepted Strategy of Machine-Translation Research Optimal?

This paper first presents a theoretical interpretation of the translation process. It then analyzes existing machine-translation research strategies and points out that some of the generally accepted principles of these strategies are not optimal. Finally, an alternative strategy is proposed, based on the authors theoretical position and research results.
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Báo cáo khoa học: "Is the Generally Accepted Strategy of Machine-Translation Research Optimal?" [Mechanical Translation and Computational Linguistics, vol.11, nos.1 and 2, March and June 1968] Is the Generally Accepted Strategy of Machine-Translation Research Optimal?* by A. Ljudskanov, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia This paper first presents a theoretical interpretation of the translation process. It then analyzes existing machine-translation research strategies and points out that some of the generally accepted principles of these strategies are not optimal. Finally, an alternative strategy is proposed, based on the authors theoretical position and research results. achieved in the creation of translators in algorithmicThe possibility of achieving independent high-quality languages.machine translation (be it only the translation of scien- Why is there so far no widely applicable algorithmtific and technical literature, to say nothing of fiction and for MT?poetry) has always been the object of animated discus- This problem has interested specialists in this field notsions. Even today, after fifteen years of hard work in only immediately after the frustration of the illusoryboth the Old and New World, this possibility is called in hopes which rose after the initial successes, but today asquestion by some authors who feel it impossible to real- well. The essence of Bar-Hillel’s opinion [6, 7] is thatize this goal either in general or at least in the foresee- high-quality independent MT is impossible because, asable future. a result of the specific characteristics of natural lan- These authors, in upholding the impossibility of guages, a number of cases of polysemy and homonymyachieving high-quality MT, have used different argu- cannot be solved in the long run without taking theirments: the limited possibilities of the electronic com- semantic value into consideration and without taking theputer; the impossibility of formalizing this type of men- real world into account. (In this connection, see the in-tal activity of man [1]; the general idea of untranslat- teresting and justified criticism of Bar-Hillel’s view byability; the impossibility of describing precisely and Rosenzweig and Revzin [8].therefore of algorithmizing the language processes, After enumerating the difficulties which researcherswhich, in their opinion, are purely human processes re- in this field had to face up to 1963, and after stating thatflecting the subtleties of the human mind [2]. Other rea- we want to algorithmize a process which we do notsons given are economic impracticability and, finally, a know, Ceccato comes to the conclusion that before algo-number of emotional arguments in favor of the greatness rithmizing the process of translation we have to studyand primacy of man [3] and the like. The development and describe in operational terms the process of humanof contemporary scientific thought, as well as the con- thinking (the studies of the Milan operational school areclusions which follow from the theoretical studies in MT developing in this direction [9]).and from the analysis of experimental algorithms, show It is one of the basic conclusions of the well-known(setting aside the economic problems) that most of these ALPAC report [10] that independent high-quality MTarguments, usually products of preconceived ideas or in- will not be possible until we have acquired a thoroughadequate information [4], are not convincing and do not and formalized knowledge of human languages. Thedeserve further treatment. possibility for MT was discussed from this standpoint in One indisputable fact remains, however: apart from ...