A generic framework for Arabic to English machine ... - Acsu Buffalo

4.2. COMPUTATIONAL TECHNIQUES IN MT
and the data used for doing the actual translation can be developed separately. In reality
this is a little simplistic, but there are certain examples of MT systems that operate in a
similar manner for different sets of data like dictionaries and grammar rules (Hutchins
and Somers 1992).
4.2.1 System design
As in standard software engineering, recent trends are towards modular and incremental
system design. Whereas previously, systems would be built in a monolithic structure,
with some debugging access into the system, now we build systems up in stages, com-
pletely defining and testing each stage, before incorporating it into the overall system.
This method has revolutionarised software engineering and enabled much more effective
collaborative design, as well as the integration of other people’s work in any design.
4.2.2 Interactive systems
Interactivity is a key aspect of computer systems. MT systems can take advantage of
interactivity to achieve higher quality results. It is possible for an MT system to ask the
user to select from a set of possible solutions. It is also possible to extend the lexicon
through user input at the time of translation. The system might flag unfamiliar words,
which the user can then categorise for inclusion in the lexicon. However, intereactivity
and relying on user input can have disadvantages. For example, should the user be relied
upon to be correct in his input? Is he fully aware of the linguistic properties of the words?
Furthermore, as more user input is required, the benefits of MT over human translation
become less significant.
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