Báo cáo khoa học: THE CONFERENCE ON MECHANICAL TRANSLATION

The following report was prepared immediately after the writers return from the conference. It was written from the viewpoint of an engineer listening to experts in a field far separated from his own. Such judgments as may be found interspersed amongst the reports of individual papers are of an engineering nature, and are not to be construed, as being based upon other than an amateur’s knowledge of linguistic theory.
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Báo cáo khoa học: "THE CONFERENCE ON MECHANICAL TRANSLATION" [ Mechanical Translation, vol.1, no.3, December 1954; pp. 47-55] THE CONFERENCE ON MECHANICAL TRANSLATION* Held at M.I.T., June 17-20, 1952 A. C. Reynolds, Jr. International Business Machines Corporation, Endicott, N. Y. The following report was prepared immediately after the writers return from the conference. It was written from the viewpoint of an engineer listening to experts in a field far separated from his own. Such judgments as may be found interspersed amongst the reports of individual papers are of an engineering nature, and are not to be construed, as being based upon other than an amateur’s knowledge of linguistic theory. Further, they represent only the reporter’s evaluation, not necessarily that of his company as a whole. It is of interest, however, that the writer’s company, The International Business Machines Corporation, has jointly sponsored with Georgetown University a successful demonstration of syntactically correct mechanical translation from Russian into English. The computer employed was the IBM 701, and the programming techniques used were first discussed at the 1952 conference.The concept of mechanical translation origi- ducting his research at M.I.T., acted as thenated in two areas, the first being cryptogra- coordinator of the groups actively interested inphic work conducted by various governments mechanical translations. As part of his work, Dr.during the late war, and the second being the Bar-Hillel prepared a summary entitled “Presentsuccessful inauguration and employment of the Interest in Mechanical Translation,” listing thesimultaneous translation schemes presently individuals actively working on the application ofemployed by the UN and other internation con- computers and computer techni-ques toferences. Broken down into basic essentials, mechanical translation. In 1952 he or-ganized atranslation consists of memory scanning for Conference on Mechanical Translation at M.I.T.identification of meaning in two different sym- This report is concerned with providing abolic systems, called languages, and simultane- precis of the papers and discussions at the Con-ous editing by the translator to convert the syn- ference.tactical relationships of the language beingtranslated to those of the translated language. Session I - June 17, 1952Of these, the memory scanning is definitely Public Sessionparalleled in computer techniques. If one toone correlations in meaning existed between The Public Session of the Conference on Me-words of different languages, programming on chanical Translation was announced by invita-existing computers would be completely suc- tions extended by Dr. Yehoshua Bar-Hillel tocessful. Syntactical relationships and shading persons who might be interested in the pro-of meaning by the context of the words makes blems of mechanical translation and, in parti-the problem of mechanization exceedingly diffi- cular to members of the Conference on Speechcult in the absence of a mechanical means of Communication which immediately precededconverting from one syntax to another. the Conference on Mechanical Translation. At Much work was stimulated by a memorandum, the public session papers were not presented,Translation, written by Dr. Warren Weaver of the but short talks were given by each of the fiveRockefeller Foundation.which was distri-buted to participants outlining their work in the field anda selected group of linguists, psycholo-gists, their tentative proposals for future work.computer engineers, and philosophers. Dr. Bar-Hillel discussed the need and possi-Dr. Yehoshua Bar-Hillel, acting under a grant bilities for mechanical translation, the needfrom the Rockefeller Foundation and then con- primarily arising in the fields of science and of diplomacy, for analysis of popular periodi- cals of various countries. Although a person* For a linguist’s view of the same Conference, may be versed in the cultural or popular langu-see MT, Vol. I, No. 2, “Report on the First Con- age of sever ...