Machine translation, sometimes referred to by the abbreviation MT, is a sub-field of computational linguistics. It investigates the use of computer software to translate text or speech from one natural language to another.  At its basic level, MT performs simple substitution of words in one natural language for words in another. Using corpus techniques, more complex translations may be attempted, allowing for better handling of differences in linguistic typology, phrase recognition, and translation of idioms.

Alchemy Machine Translation Connectors

There are several plug-ins available for Alchemy CATALYST and Alchemy PUBLISHER that provide connections to these services. These include:

  1. Google Machine Translation Engine

  2. PROMT Machine Translation Engine

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Some of these Machine Translation plug-ins provide a free MT service, others are available on request and are provided as a fee-paying service. Contact your Alchemy Sales Representative to discuss which MT plug-in is the best solution for your requirements.

Using Machine Translation as You Work

To generate a Machine Translation for the current segment click on mtsymbol.jpg  in the PowerTranslate toolbar.  This will connect to a configured Machine Translation service and display a suggested translation in the Reference pane of the Translator Toolbar.

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Improving the Output from MT Systems

Improved translation output quality can be achieved by human intervention. For example, using a Translation Memory in addition to a Machine Translation system can have a dramatic effect not only on translation quality but on translator productivity as well.