Question Machine Translation Tips and Software? (Mega-thread)

So i have been reading a lot of threads of people using machine translations, to read novels further ahead. Well I have tried to use mtl, mainly google, bing, and systranet. And they were absolutely horrible, I don't even know how someone understands a single sentence, using a machine translator. Much less finish an entire novel, so how do you guys do it?

Mod edit (remy):
I've turned this into a mega-thread for exchanging tips or recommendations on programs or methods to use when machine translating. This thread is not necessarily tied to any language, so sure you specify the language the tip, recommendation, or question is referring to. Do not make "unhelpful" posts here.

 

I Also use Baidu. If it's Japanese Excite is usually fairly good too.

 

Like I've stated in another thread, I barely got by with my little bit of Chinese I was learning when I tried it.. Q_Q but It was horrible and I would never do it again. It's less painful learning a language then to try and understand the garbage a MTL puts out

 

I tried using MTL and I can't finish a single sentence without rephrasing it word by word

 

There's a few different things you can use to make it easier.

1) get something like Translation Aggregator running, lets you get different translations from different sites
2) Copy and paste the chapters into one large text, save in the correct format so it doesn't become gibberish, then use Find & Replace to correct all names and place names. For example Luo Feng in Swallowed Star would have his name translated at least 3 different ways (mountain, hill, etc) depending on the surrounding text.
3) Learn some basic grammar of the language, if you piece in small sections then it will make more sense. That's more accurate but much longer. For example a Japanese sentence has markers for particles, verb action, etc.

 

Lachiel is probably right though. Rather then spend the effort to muddle through the mess once your time would be better invested in learning the language.

 

As I am a person who MTL now, I can tell you its a program called TA = Translation Aggregator. It Includes multiple source translations, including those mentioned above, plus a few more. JParser, Atlas v14, etc. Then add using other translation sources not included in the program on the internet such as more translations services, dictionaries, etc. Can up to a point, and some times pretty good accuracy translate the novels. Course there comes a point when all the sources are a jumbled mess, and from all of them, interpret what is being written. And of course having other translators be they MTL or TL that actually know the language, to ask for help on some of the more difficult words and meanings.

 

I should also mention that if you are trying to understand every sentence with MTL you are in for a world of pain. I've MTL around 1500 chapters total of various things and while some things were simple to understand sometimes you just need to go ahead to the next chapter. Think of it the same way you skim chapters for an English book assignment, most of the time you are just curious if so and so likes so and so, or character A hit character B. If you absolutely need to know the weird technique name the protagonist is shouting (for some reason they need to??) then wait for a translator to do it.

 

Hahaha, MTL its like wrecking your head through an exam that you only sure about 40%... I can understand the storyline, but when they start mentioning every western countries and every forest, i stop! So, so far i only MTL through if its cliffy and i am dying to know what's next and that will be ISSTH... And the rest, i just wait for the next update for full understanding
Ah, wait. I use Go Translate & Google Translate app on my phone..

 

It depends, my japanese vocab is almost nonexistent because I'm too lazy to learn vocab properly, but I've read through a few different grammar books, so with jparser I can usually pick up what a sentence is trying to say. Wouldn't ever share that tl with others though.

 

It's all about your level of perseverance.

 

How to MTL:

1. Put text into translator
2. Pick out key words that look like they may be important
3. Arrange those keywords around until they make something that looks like a sentence

It's the equivalent of looking at a manga, and guessing what the dialogue boxes say based on what everyone is doing.
In the end, you end up taking out all semblance of nuance and whatever joke there might have been is now gone.

 

Understanding MTL Chinese is a lot easier than understanding Korean or Japanese. The key to surviving is not reading it too thoroughly. That way you can get the gist of things without wanting to kill yourself. Of course, I say this as a reader and not a translator.

 

As a dirty mtler, I shall share my secrets.

Copy and paste index site to Bing.
Open new tab of the chapter you want to read while using the site through bing.
Then read.

For example: I go here and then there and then read.

But yea, don't read it word for word. Read it as a sentence/paragraph to understand what is going on. "Nie Li, mark the transfer to manipulate two killed. "Ye Xiu Nie Li said with a wry smile, after all, Ye Zong is the mansion's owner.

"Nie Li, transfer the controls to manipulate the [Two Killed whatever that didn't make it through the MTL]," Ye Xiu said to Nie Li with a wry smile. After all, Ye Zong is the Mansion's owner.


Yea, it's a work in progress.

 

As the (M)translator of Bu ni Mi, I'll have to tell you; multiple sources are always good.
For example, the second line of Chapter 5 was "空もまだ暗く、日が昇りきらぬ前に私はゆっくりと瞳を開いた。"
It went through GT and I got: "Sky still deeply, before the day is unexpected fit rises I opened slowly and a pupil."
It went through Trans. Aggre. and I got: "The sky was still dark, too, and I opened the eyes slowly before a day did not finish rising."
It went through Bing and I got: "Before the rise had even died down, the sky still dark, I slowly opened the eyes."

Then I put my interpretation: "While the sky was still dark, I cracked open an eyelid slowly."

And bam. There's that one line. Just repeat that step like 100 more times and you get a chapter.

 

If its japanese. I used Atlas,mecab and Jparser. I have a meager knowledge about japanese language so i can somehow understand it.

 

From my experience working as a translator on korean projects, korean mtl is just plain torture. Mtl is pretty accurate for chinese and japanese but for some reason theres a disconnect for korean. So for those who want to translate korean. Use mtl to get a grasp of the grammar of the sentence and then use a dictionary to look up all the words individually. Since korean uses a lot of particles and other things that confuses machine translations into giving wrong definitions.

 

As far as I know... the only one who used the MTL to it's fullest is rainbow turtle-san who translates ARK and the recently picked up LMS

 

I need advice on MTL'ing.

how should i go about MTL'ing to produce the most readable and understandable text without knowing anything about the source raw language?

what programs (preferably free) or methods should i use?

 

translation aggregator. it uses what is on your clipboard or what you copy or cut and gives a translation from multiple machines. If you use all of the little features like substitutions, updating the atlas dictionary, and using jparser or mecab, as you do more translations it will become more accurate. it is as accurate as you are as the database grows. mecab/jparser is best since you can then read aloud the sounds and look at the dictionary of words for each japanese word. it isn't complete, but it is still good