A Typology of Translation Problems for Eurotra Translation Machines

This paper presents a detailed study of Eurotra Machine Translation engines, namely the mainstream Eurotra software known as the E-Framework, and two “unofficial” spin-offs – the 〈C,A〉,T and Relaxed Compositionality translator notations – with regard to how these systems handle “hard” cases, and in particular their ability to handle combinations of such problems. In the 〈C,A〉,T translator notation, some cases of complex transfer are “wild”, meaning roughly that they interact badly when presented with other complex cases in the same sentence. The effect of this is that each combination of a wild case and another complex case needs ad hoc treatment. The E-Framework is the same as the 〈C,A〉,T notation in this respect. In general, the E-Framework is equivalent to the 〈C,A〉,T notation for the task of transfer. The Relaxed Compositionality translator notation is able to handle each wild case (bar one exception) with a single rule even where it appears in the same sentence as other complex cases.

[1]  Annelise Bech,et al.  The E-framework: a formalism for natural language processing , 1988, COLING.

[2]  Steven Krauwer,et al.  Transfer in a multilingual MT system , 1984 .

[3]  Louisa Sadler,et al.  The theoretical basis of MiMo , 1990, Machine Translation.

[4]  Gertjan van Noord,et al.  A Semantic-Head-Driven Generation Algorithm for Unification-Based Formalisms , 1989, ACL.

[5]  Paul Bennett,et al.  Linguistics for Machine Translation: The Eurotra Linguistic Specifications , 1991 .

[6]  CurteanuNeculai.  Review of "Lecture on contemporary syntactic theories , 1987 .

[7]  Jonathan Slocum,et al.  A Survey of Machine Translation: Its History, Current Status and Future Prospects , 1985, CL.

[8]  Jun'ichi Tsujii,et al.  The Transfer Phase of the Mu Machine Translation System , 1986, COLING.

[9]  Marc Dymetman,et al.  Extended Dependency Structures and their Formal Interpretation , 1996, COLING.

[10]  John L. Beaven.  ABSTRACT: Shake-and-Bake Machine Translation , 1992, COLING.

[11]  Mike Rosner,et al.  The , T Framework in Eurotra: A Theoretically Committed Notation for MT , 1986, COLING.

[12]  Bonnie J. Dorr,et al.  Machine Translation: A View from the Lexicon , 1994, CL.

[13]  Gertjan van Noord,et al.  Semantic-Head-Driven Generation , 1990, Comput. Linguistics.

[14]  Pete Whitelock,et al.  Shake-and-Bake Translation , 1992, COLING.

[15]  Andy Way,et al.  LFG and Translation , 1990 .

[16]  Randall Sharp,et al.  CAT2: An experimental eurotra alternative , 1991, Machine Translation.

[17]  Randall Sharp.  CAT2 – implementing a formalism for multi-lingual MT , 1988, TMI.

[18]  Ronald M. Kaplan,et al.  Restriction and Correspondence-based Translation , 1993, EACL.

[19]  Rémi Zajac.  A relational approach to translation , 1990 .

[20]  Frank Van Eynde.  Machine translation and linguistic motivation , 1993 .

[21]  Rudi Gebruers.  From syntax to semantics: Insights from machine translation , 2004, Machine Translation.

[22]  Stuart M. Shieber,et al.  Synchronous Tree-Adjoining Grammars , 1990, COLING.

[23]  Gertjan van Noord,et al.  An overview of MiMo2 , 1991, Machine Translation.

[24]  Hiyan Alshawi,et al.  Head Automata and Bilingual Tiling: Translation with Minimal Representations , 1996, ACL.

[25]  Harold L. Somers,et al.  Linguistic Theory and Computer Applications , 1987 .

[26]  Stuart M. Shieber,et al.  An Introduction to Unification-Based Approaches to Grammar , 1986, CSLI Lecture Notes.

[27]  André Schenk,et al.  Idioms in the Rosetta Machine Translation System , 1986, COLING.

[28]  Klaus Schubert.  Metataxis: Contrastive Dependency Syntax for Machine Translation , 1987 .

[29]  Hirosato Nomura,et al.  Lexical-Functional Transfer: A Transfer Framework in a Machine Translation System Based on LFG , 1986, COLING.

[30]  Christian Boitet,et al.  Automated Translation at Grenoble University , 1985, Comput. Linguistics.

[31]  M. A. Martí,et al.  Translation equivalence and lexicalization in the ACQUILEX LKB , 1992, TMI.

[32]  Margaret King,et al.  Machine translation today , 1987 .

[33]  Marc Dymetman,et al.  CRITTER: a translation system for agricultural market reports , 1988, COLING.

[34]  Klaus Netter,et al.  Translation by Structural Correspondences , 1989, EACL.

[35]  Aravind K. Joshi,et al.  Using Lexicalized Tags for Machine Translation , 1990, COLING.

[36]  R. Leermakers,et al.  The translation method of Rosetta , 1986, Computers and translation.

[37]  Lisette Appelo,et al.  Subgrammars, Rule Classes and Control in the Rosetta Translation System , 1987, EACL.

[38]  Ronald M. Kaplan,et al.  Lexical Functional Grammar A Formal System for Grammatical Representation , 2004 .

[39]  W. J. Hutchins.  Machine Translation: Past, Present, Future , 1986 .

[40]  Jan Odijk.  The Organization Of The Rosetta Grammars , 1989, EACL.