Many times we need to go to far away places and unfortunately, neither do they understand our language nor do we understand theirs. This demands an interpreter between us and the person we are talking to. We may also like to learn multiple languages so as to be able to thrive in a world connected by the superbly fast internet. Also we have air transport making transportation faster than ever before. In such a world where we can reach any place anytime, doesn't it need us to know multiple languages?
But our memory can't hold so many forms of speech which range about 5000 to 7000. So what we require is an interpreter, who may or may not be available. Now the only option left with us is the use of universal translators.
Translation machines have already entered our world and help us in fields such as military and business. But these use written works which were painfully translated by humans for over thousands of years. Some services such as translation apps give the translation service through the smartphones too.
A universal translator can be defined as a device whose purpose is to offer instant translation of languages. A universal translator may be called as an improbable technology that is an accepted convention in science fiction stories as a useful plot device. Even technology companies strive to develop a practical "universal" translator for the common use.
Although a universal translator may seem unlikely, due to apparent need for telepathy, scientists continue with their work towards the creation of similar real-world technologies involving small numbers of known languages.
Daniel Marcu, chief technology officer of SDL's language technology division says, "All the modern machine translation systems are built starting from the available data." He adds, "They collect vast amounts of data how to translate new sentences, and then learn from that data how to translate new sentences."
Concept of universal translation:
The data would come from digital versions of a written work which has been translated from one language to another. But relying upon such data may create huge stumbling block to achieving a universal translator because no direct translation does really exist between most of the world's languages.
According to David Bellos, "Universal translation is a bizarre dream that simply doesn't correspond to what has been or what could happen."
There had been no much translation between languages for most of human history until the printing press was invented in 1400s. Even then, people living far had to engage in direct translations between their languages until modern global travel and communication system came into being.
With around 5000 to 7000 forms of speech being identified as languages in the world, if humans ever try to do direct bilateral translations among 5000 languages, they would have to face the challenge about 25 million language interactions.
As a result, new translation gadgets must do what humans have done for millenium; i.e., cheat with a third language.
The cheat will use a so-called pivot language, also called vehicular language, which should act as a common second language spoken by two people.
Today world has around 80 languages which are used as pivot languages while English stands out among many machine translation services. However, even if the concept of a universal translator may be a bizarre dream, it can help bridge the minor gap between two language communities and help much to researchers and businessman .
[via: innovationnewsdaily]
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