Article,
Interlingual Machine Translation: Prospects and Setbacks
The Translation Journal, (2006)
Abstract
This study, in an attempt to rise above the intricacy of 'being informed on the verge of globalization,' is founded on the premise that Machine Translation (MT) applications searching for an ideal key to find a universal foundation for all natural languages have a restricted say over the translation process at various discourse levels. Our paper favors not judging against the superiority of human translation vs. machine translation or automated translation in non-English speaking settings, but rather referring to the inadequacies and adequacies of MT at certain pragmatic levels, lacking the right sense and dynamic equivalence, but producing syntactically well-formed or meaning-extractable outputs in restricted settings. Reasoning in this way, the present study supports MT before, during, and after translation. It aims at making translators understand that they could cooperate with the software to obtain a synergistic effect. In other words, they could have a say and have an essential part to play in a semi-automated translation process (Rodrigo, 2001). In this respect, semi-automated translation or MT courses should be included in the curricula of translation departments worldwide to keep track of the state of the art as well as make potential translators aware of future trends.
