Machine translation is somewhat like the child who, when good, was very nice to have around but who, when bad, was just awful. For some guidance in deciding whether machine translation is likely to succeed in your particular environment, please read on.

Contents

• What is machine translation?
• How is machine translation typically used?
• The Translation Tripod – Figure 1
  • Source Text
  • Specifications
  • Terminology
• Quality
• The Black Box Myth
• Terminology Management
• Another Major Factor
• Making the Decision
• What about the future?
• Ambiguity

• The Meaning of “Cut”- Figure 2
• Cut Off a Piece – Figure 3
• The Meaning of “Bank”
  – Figure 4
• Which pen goes in the box? – Figure 5
• Which pen? – Figure 6
• Attacks on Ambiguity
  • Consider the Word “Bus” – Figure 7
• Objectivism
  • Different Cuts of Meet – Figure 8
  • Light Shining In – Figure 9
• Summary
• For the Unconvinced or the Curious