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Machine translation or

Automatic translationor

Computer-assisted translation

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The translation of a piece of writing from one language

into another language using a computer

and a special software

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PRE-EDITING FOR MACHINE TRANSLATION 

1. Avoid idiomatic expressions. If you are not sure whether a phrase is an idiom, consider the literal meaning of the words. If the literal sense is not clear, try to express the same idea in a different way.

Not Suggested: It happens once in a blue moon.

Suggested: It rarely happens.

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2. Use a pronoun before a verb, even if it can be implied and the sentence is understood without it.

Not Suggested: I studied history, but did not learn much.

Suggested: I studied history, but I did not learn much.

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3. Do not omit the words that, which, who, and whom. Use them liberally. These words are often understood (implied) in English, but they are required in other languages.

Not Suggested: I know she works on Monday.

Suggested: I know that she works on Monday.

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4. Use 's only for possessives, not to contract is or has.

Not Suggested: Mary's singing at the church tonight.

Suggested: Mary is singing at the church tonight.

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5. Keep your sentence structure clear, simple, and direct. Break up longer sentences filled with many ideas into short sentences expressing one idea each.Not Suggested: The local government completed projects such as the construction of a new bridge which allows travel between our city and Springfield and has increased commerce in both communities.Suggested: The local government completed projects such as the construction of a new bridge. The bridge allows travel between our city and Springfield. It has increased commerce in both communities.

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6. Avoid the passive voice. An active sentence uses the form "agent-action-object." A passive sentence reverses the point of view and emphasizes the object as the recipient of the action. Writers often overuse the passive voice.

Not Suggested/Passive: The ball was hit by the boy.

Suggested/Active: The boy hit the ball.

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7. Do not split separable English verbs, such as "pick up" and "look up."

Not Suggested: I have to look the information up in our database.

Suggested: I have to look up the information in our database.

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8. When writing dates, we suggest that you use the format: month day, year or day month, year. Avoid using numbers alone to convey the date.

Not Suggested: 24/10/97 or 10/24/97

Suggested: October 24, 1997 Suggested: 24 October, 1997

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9. Write your documents in standard, formal English. In formal English, grammatical connections are clearly expressed: subjects agree with predicates, modifiers relate to what they modify. Unnecessary words are kept to a minimum. Clear, formal writing which is easiest for your reader to understand will result in the most comprehensible translations possible.

Informal English is marked by loose grammatical style that is typical of a conversation. This may be perfectly appropriate for conversation. It is not beneficial for the translation process.

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10. If your text program includes a spell checker, use it prior to importing the document into the automatic translation program. The program will not recognize words that are spelled incorrectly.

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When a text has been

machine-translated, post-

editing may be needed.

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Pre-editing: preparation of a text for machine translation. Post-editing: revision of the machine- translated text.

A type of software for MT:

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The same software and text edited :

An on-line MT site:

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The same MT site with an edited text :