Machine Translation Concepts and Challenges

The video discusses the evolution and current state of machine translation, highlighting its technological advancements over the past 50 years. It explains how machines simulate human speech and the role of human translators in enhancing machine translation. The video emphasizes the distinction between science and engineering in translation, comparing it to the difference between bird and airplane flight. It concludes by discussing the future impact of machine translation on global communication and the continued necessity of human translators.

What is the approximate duration of the history of machine translation?

• 200 years

• 100 years

• 50 years

• 20 years

What is a key feature of machines that simulate speech translation?

• Image to speech conversion

• Direct speech to speech conversion

• Text to image conversion

• Speech to text conversion

How do machines typically translate speech?

• By mimicking human translators

• By converting speech to text and then translating

• By directly translating spoken words

• By using sign language

What is the main difference between machine translation and human translation?

• Machines translate faster than humans

• Machines can translate more languages than humans

• Machines use a different method than humans

• Machines are more accurate than humans

Why do machines require human translations?

• To compute probable matches from existing translations

• To learn new languages

• To reduce errors

• To improve their speed

What is the role of human translators in the context of machine translation?

• To correct machine translations

• To provide initial translations for machines to learn from

• To replace machines in translation tasks

• To translate only rare languages

What is the expected impact of machine translation on the translation profession?

• It will reduce the quality of translations

• It will make translation obsolete

• It will support and expand the translation profession

• It will eliminate the need for human translators

What is the main challenge in improving machine translation quality?

• Limited language support

• High cost

• Lack of data

• Technical limitations

How does machine translation affect global communication?

• It only benefits English speakers

• It limits communication to certain languages

• It expands the expectation of communication across languages

• It makes communication more difficult

What is the relationship between machine translation and human behavior?

• Machines replace human behavior

• Machines ignore human behavior

• Machines simulate but do not replicate human behavior

• Machines perfectly mimic human behavior