JP2635551B2 - Machine translation system - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Purpose of the Invention] (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a machine translation system.

(Prior Art) In recent years, a system for automatically translating an input original sentence using a computer has attracted attention. This machine translation system basically divides an input original text into predetermined processing units such as words (phrases) by performing morphological analysis and syntax analysis, and searches a translation dictionary for each processing unit to find a corresponding translated word. (Translated phrase) and the like, and combining them according to a predetermined translation rule, etc., to obtain the translated text.

However, it is extremely difficult to obtain an appropriate translated sentence because of the lack of sufficient semantic interpretation technology for natural languages. For this reason, conventionally, a plurality of translation candidates obtained as a result of translation are presented to the user, and the translation candidate selected and designated by the user as the most appropriate is output, but the user (operator) still has There is still a need to re-edit to a suitable translation.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) In the above machine translation system, when a word in the original language is to be interpreted with a different meaning from the translated word, the word in the original language to be interpreted separately is specified via the input unit, By instructing to display the contents of the dictionary of the word, the contents of the dictionary are displayed on the display unit, and by referring to this dictionary and specifying a desired translated word through the input unit, the translated sentence is corrected based thereon.

In these operations, it is necessary to input numbers, characters, and the like in order to specify a word to be interpreted or a desired translation, which puts a heavy burden on the user.

The present invention has a simple configuration, and when a word to be interpreted separately is specified by a pointing device such as a cursor key, a mouse, and a light pen, the translation of the word is converted into a translation different from the translation already interpreted. It is another object of the present invention to provide a machine translation system that can significantly simplify a user's editing operation by performing re-translation, and can easily obtain an appropriate translation result.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above object, in the present invention, an input unit, an original sentence storage unit, a translation dictionary unit, a translation unit, and a translated sentence storage of a conventional machine translation system are provided. In a machine translation system comprising a unit, a display unit, and an edit control unit that controls these, the edit control unit specifies, via the input unit, words that can be interpreted separately in the original sentence displayed on the display unit. By doing so, a search unit that searches for translation information of each word stored in the translation unit, and a translation that is different from the translation when the translation of the specified word searched by the search unit has already been translated There is provided a machine translation system comprising: a separate interpreter for converting, activating the translator, and retranslating; and a redisplay for displaying the translation result on the display.

(Operation) In the above configuration, when a word that can be interpreted in the original sentence displayed on the display unit is specified through the input unit, the search unit operates the search unit stored in the translation unit. Search for word translation information. Then, when the specified word is searched, the different interpretation unit converts the translation of the word into a translation different from the translation at the time of translation, and activates the translation unit. The translator performs retranslation according to the translated word information. The redisplay unit causes the display unit to display the translation result.

In this way, the user only needs to specify the word to be interpreted differently, and the editing process for the different interpretation can be easily performed.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an overall block diagram of an English-Japanese machine translation system as an embodiment of the present invention. This system controls an input unit 1 composed of a keyboard, an original sentence storage unit 2 for storing an English sentence keyed as an original sentence, a translated sentence storage unit 3 for storing a Japanese sentence corresponding to an input English sentence as a translated sentence, and controls the entire system. An editing control unit 4, a translation unit 5 for executing a translation process, a translation dictionary unit 6 containing knowledge information used for the translation process, a display control unit 7 for controlling display of an original plate or a translated sentence, a display unit 8, and an original sentence or a translated sentence And a printing unit 9 for outputting a hard copy of the data.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the key arrangement of the input unit 1. The input unit 1 has the following various keys in addition to character keys for inputting English sentences.

Translation instruction key: 100 Editing key: 101-106 Function key: 110-118 Cursor key: 130-133 Other keys FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the layout of the screen of the display unit 8. The input text is displayed in the text display area on the left side of the screen. The translated sentence obtained as a result of the translation process is displayed at a position corresponding to the original sentence in the translated sentence display area on the right side of the screen. The edit area at the top of the screen can be used to display information necessary for various edits.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the dialog translation process by the edit control unit 4. In the interactive translation processing, the operator can appropriately control the editing of the translated sentence corresponding to the input of the original sentence. In steps S1 to S5, the editing control unit 4 monitors whether there is any key input from the input unit 1 or receives a translation completion signal from the translating unit 5. Perform the corresponding processing.

When the operator operates any of the function keys, this is detected in step S5, and processing corresponding to the edit key is performed in step S11.

When the operator operates the cursor key 130 or other control keys, the steps through steps S1 to S5 are performed.
In step S13, a process for moving the cursor corresponding to the key operation and other processes are performed.

When the operator operates the character keys and enters the original text,
After each character key is detected in step S3, the corresponding character code is sequentially set in an input buffer (not shown) in the edit control unit 4 (step S8). This input original text is displayed in the original text display area of the display unit 8 via the display control unit 7 (step S9). When the operator finishes inputting a sentence at an arbitrary point in time, for example, presses the translation instruction key 100, the key is detected in step S2, and the editing control section 4 supplies the translation section 5 with the original text in the input buffer. Then, an instruction to start the translation process is issued (step S10). If input editing such as correction / insertion / deletion is required during the original text input, use the cursor keys to move the cursor to the desired edit location, and then use the edit keys such as insert key 101 and delete key 102. You can do this.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of the translation process in the translation unit 5.

In the morphological analysis unit (S51), the rules
Using the irregular change dictionary 6a, a word having a change in the ending or the like is converted into its original form (basic form).

The dictionary search unit (S52) searches the word / idiom dictionary 6b for each word constituting the input original sentence, and obtains information such as part of speech and translation.

The analysis control unit (S53) performs a process of sending a candidate for a translated sentence to the syntax analysis unit.

The syntax analyzer (S54) analyzes the syntax of the translation candidate using the analysis grammar 6c, and generates an English sentence structure. If the analysis fails, the process returns to the analysis control unit.

The structure conversion unit (S55) converts the English structure into the Japanese structure using the conversion grammar 6d. If rejected, return to the parser.

The syntax generation unit (S56) determines the word order of the Japanese from the Japanese structure according to the generated grammar 6e and converts it into a word string.

The morpheme generation unit (S57) changes the ending of a word or the like by the morpheme generation grammar 6f to complete the translated sentence.

Each of the above processing units outputs a signal to the editing control unit 4 at the time of starting the processing.

Referring back to FIG. 4, the editing control unit 4 returns to step S1.
When the above translation completion signal is detected, the process proceeds to step S7,
The translation candidate and the auxiliary information obtained from the translation unit 5 are sent to the display control unit 7 to display the translation (step S7). The display control unit 7 displays the translation candidate at a position corresponding to the input original (left side of the screen) in the translation display area, and, if there is auxiliary information, displays the translated word with high brightness or reverse display so that the operator can display the translated word. It can be identified to that effect.

In this state, if there is a tap on the edit key, the edit control unit 4 detects this in step S4, and performs an edit process corresponding to each key on the word or phrase indicated by the cursor at this time ( Step S11).

For example, by operating the insertion key 101, a character is inserted before the cursor position. By operating the delete key 102, the character string in the range indicated by the cursor is deleted. Move key
By the operation of 103, the range indicated by the cursor is moved. By operating the cancel key 104, the keys 101, 102, 1
Disable the effect of 03. By operating the separate interpretation key 105,
Change the translation of the phrase indicated by the cursor and re-translate,
Display the translation. By operating the automatic interpretation key 106, one word that can be interpreted differently is automatically selected, the translation of the word is changed, re-translated, and the translation is displayed.

The following functions can be realized by the function keys. By operating the translated word display key 110, the translated word can be displayed for the word in the translated sentence. By operating the dictionary display key 111, a dictionary can be displayed for words in the original sentence. By operating the dictionary registration key 112, new words and idioms can be registered. Dictionary delete key
By the operation of 113, words and idioms registered by dictionary registration can be deleted. By operating the partial translation key 114, when the translation fails, the partial translation is displayed.

Further, as cursor keys, a cursor movement key 130 for moving the cursor in each direction, a unit switching key 131 for switching a unit for moving the cursor, an inter-area movement key 13 for moving the cursor between the display areas.
2. Includes an enlargement / reduction key for reducing the size of the cursor in units of characters or in units of words.

Therefore, the operator can interactively obtain a translated sentence while appropriately inputting the original sentence and editing the translated sentence.

In the system configured as described above, the operation when the editing control unit 4 receives an instruction for another interpretation will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. First, when the user specifies a word to be interpreted differently, a word to be interpreted differently is designated using the cursor key in S71. When the alternative interpretation key 105 is pressed, the edit control unit 4 searches the translation information of each word stored in the translation unit 5 and determines whether another interpretation of the specified word is possible. If there is, go to S72. In S72, the translation unit 5 selects a translation that is different from the translation at the time of translation from among some translations. In S73, the translation unit 5 re-translates with the new translation. The editing control unit 4 displays the translation result on the display unit 8, and the process of the separate interpretation ends.

Next, a case where the user does not specify a word to be interpreted separately will be described. When the automatic interpretation key 106 is pressed, S74
Then, the editing control unit 4 searches the translated word information of each word stored in the translation unit 5 and determines whether the word can be interpreted differently. If there is at least one other interpretable word, the process proceeds to S75. S75
Then, the translator 5 selects one of the words that can be interpreted differently, and proceeds to S72.

Hereinafter, the operation of the user will be described with reference to the figure of the display screen in the alternative interpretation change processing shown in FIG. First, the user looks at the display of the original sentence and the translated sentence, moves the cursor to the word "found" to be interpreted differently, and presses a different interpretation change key (701). As a result, the translation of “found”
Is found ("702").

As described above, in the present embodiment, when a certain word is to be interpreted differently, if the word is specified by operating the cursor, the system automatically changes the translation and re-translates, so that the user's operation is reduced. It's easy.

[Effect of the Invention] According to the present invention, when a word to be interpreted separately is designated by a pointing device such as a cursor key, a mouse, and a light pen at the time of another interpretation, the translated word of the word has already been translated. By converting the translation into a different language and re-translating, the editing operation of the user is significantly simplified,
An appropriate translation result can be easily obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall block diagram of one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a key arrangement of an input unit used in one embodiment of the present invention,
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a layout of a screen of a display unit used in one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing flow of an editing control unit used in one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow of a translation process used in one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation flow of another interpretation process used in an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. It is a figure showing an example of a display screen in another interpretation processing used in one embodiment of the present invention. 1: Input section, 2: Original sentence storage section 3: Translation storage section, 4: Editing control section 5: Translation section, 6: Translation dictionary section 8: Display section, 9: Printing section

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Hiroyasu Nogami 1 Shiba-cho, Komukai Toshiba-cho, Saiwai-ku, Kawasaki City Inside Toshiba Research Institute, Ltd. No. 1 Inside Toshiba Research Institute, Inc. (56) References JP-A-61-74068 (JP, A)

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. An input section, an original sentence storage section for storing an original sentence to be translated input from the input section, a translation dictionary section containing knowledge information used for translation processing, and contents of the translation dictionary section A translation unit that executes a translation process of the input original sentence using a translation sentence storage unit that stores a translation obtained as a result of translation, a display unit that displays the original sentence and the translation, and controls these. A machine translation system comprising: an editing control unit that performs an editing process on an original sentence or a translated sentence displayed on the display unit; wherein the editing control unit can perform another interpretation in the original sentence displayed on the display unit by the input unit. When a specific word is specified, a search unit that searches for translation information of each word stored in the translation unit, and a translation that has been translated by the search unit and that has already translated the translation of the specified word are as follows: different And a re-interpretation unit for re-translating the words into words, re-activating the translation unit, and re-translating based on the changed translated words, and a re-display unit for displaying the translation result on the display unit. Translation system.