The METAL System. Volume I and Volume II. Appendices.

Abstract : The report documents the results of a 30-month effort directed at the implementation of Phase II of three RD a lexicon, a grammar and a set of computational rules. The latter can be used with the lexicon and grammar of any natural language involved in a machine translation process. Consequently, linquistic updating does not require corresponding changes in the repertory of computational rules. The System represents a third generation approach to machine translation based on lexical, syntatic/semantic and pragmatic knowledge bases traditionally associated with competent human translation. The output of METAL is produced in natural language, rather than in 'machinese'. Section 3 of the report discusses the operation of METAL in terms of its functional characteristics. Sections 4 and 5 provide a detailed description of linguistic component and programming implementation. Section 7 contains the results of testing on live data in a quasi-operational environment. METAL can be run in batch mode on the CDC 6600 (LISP version) and in an interactive mode on the DEC PDP-20 (INTERLISP version). (Author)