Machine translation system

Claim 2

A machine translation system comprising: input means (1) for inputting at least character information and edit information for an edit operation; first text memory means (2) for storing an original text in a first language, which serves as an object to be translated; translation dictionary means (6) for storing infor­mation for a translation, and including word/idiom dic­tionary means (6B), in which words and idioms in the first language are used as entry words, for storing the entry words in correspondence with translated words in a second language; translation processing means (5) for executing, by use of said translation dictionary means, translation processing of the original text in the first language stored in said first text memory means into the second language to obtain a translated text in the second language; second text memory means (3) for storing the translated text as a result of the translation pro­cessing by said translation processing means (5); display means (8) for displaying the original text stored in said first text memory means (2) and the translated text stored in said second text memory means (3); and control edit means (4) for controlling said input means, said first and second text memory means (2, 3), said translation dictionary means (6), said translation processing means (5), and said display means (8), and for performing edit processing of at least the trans­lated text displayed on said display means (8) in accor­dance with the edit information from said input means (1), said control edit means (4) comprising: changing means for changing a translated word in the translated text corresponding to a designated word in the original text to another translated word, and replacing means for, when the translated word in the translated text corresponding to the designated word in the original text is changed to another translated word by said changing means, providing priority to a translated word in which a translated word portion corresponding to the designated word in the original text is replaced with said another translated word as a translated word corresponding to an entry word including the designated word in the original text in said word/idiom dictionary means (6B).

Claim 3

A system according to claim 1, characterized in that said changing means includes translated word selecting means (4) for, when a plurality of translated word candidates are obtained by said translation pro­cessing means (5) in correspondence with the designated word in the original text, selecting one of the plura­lity of translated word candidates.

Claim 4

A system according to claim 1, characterized in that said changing means includes translated word cor­recting means (4) for correcting a translated word in the translated text corresponding to the designated word in the original text to a translated word arbitrarily input by said input means (1).

Claim 5

A system according to claim 1, characterized in that said replacing means includes means (4) for pro­viding priority to a translated word in which the translated word portion corresponding to the designated word in the original text is replaced with said another translated word for all the translated words correspond­ing to the entry words including the designated word in said word/idiom dictionary means (6B).

Claim 6

A system according to claim 1, characterized in that said replacing means includes means (4) for pro­viding priority to a translated word in which the translated word portion corresponding to the designated word in the original text is replaced with said another translated word for translated words corresponding to some of the entry words including the designated word in said word/idiom dictionary means (6B).

Claim 7

A system according to claim 5, characterized in that said replacing means further includes means (4) for designating, through said input means (1), the entry word, which provides priority to the translated word in which the translated word portion corresponding to the designated word in the original text is replaced with said another translated word, of the entry words including the designated word in said word/idiom dictionary means (6B).

Claim 8

A system according to claim 6, characterized in that said replacing means includes means (4) for, when the translated word is corrected by said changing means, causing said display means to display the entry word including the designated word in said word/idiom dic­tionary means (6B) and the corresponding translated word.

Claim 9

A system according to claim 5, characterized in that said replacing means includes means (4) for pro­viding priority to the translated word in which the translated word portion corresponding to the designated word in the original text is replaced with said another translated word for only entry words satisfying a designated condition of the entry words including the designated word in said word/idiom dictionary means (6B).

Claim 10

A system according to claim 8, characterized in that said replacing means further includes means (4) for designating a condition of an entry word, which provides priority to the translated word in which the translated word portion corresponding to the designated word in the original text is replaced with said another translated word, of the entry words including the designated word in said word/idiom dictionary means (6B).

Claim 11

A system according to claim 1, characterized in that said replacing means includes means (4) for, when there is no translated word in which the translated word portion corresponding to the designated word in the original text is replaced with said another translated word in translated words corresponding to the entry words including the designated word in said word/idiom dictionary means (6B), generating a translated word in which the translated word portion corresponding to the designated word in the original text is replaced with said another translated word and registering the generated translated word in said word/idiom dictionary means (6B).

Claim 12

A dictionary maintenance method in a machine translation system comprising: input means (1) for inputting at least character information and edit infor­mation for an edit operation; first text memory means (2) for storing an original text in a first language, which serves as an object to be translated; translation dictionary means (6) for storing information for a translation, and including word/idiom dictionary means (6B), in which words and idioms in the first language are used as entry words, for storing the entry words in correspondence with translated words in a second language; translation processing means (5) for exe­cuting, by use of said translation dictionary means (6), translation processing of the original text in the first language stored in said first text memory means (2) into the second language to obtain a translated text in the second language; second text memory means (3) for storing the translated text as a result of the transla­tion processing by said translation processing means (5); display means (8) for displaying the original text stored in said first text memory means (2) and the translated text stored in said second text memory means (3); and control edit means (4) for controlling said input means (1), said first and second text memory means (2, 3), said translation dictionary means, said translation processing means and said display means, and for performing edit processing of at least the translated text displayed on said display means (8) in accordance with the edit information from said input means (1), said method comprising: the translated word changing step of causing said control edit means to change a translated word in the translated text corresponding to a designated word in the original text to another translated word, and the priority changing step of, when the translated word in the translated text corresponding to the designated word in the original text is changed to another translated word by said changing means, pro­viding priority to a translated word in which a translated word portion corresponding to the designated word in the original text is replaced with said another translated word as a translated word corresponding to an entry word including the designated word in the original text in said word/idiom dictionary means (6B).

Claim 13

A dictionary maintenance method in a machine translation system comprising: input means (1) for inputting at least character information and edit infor­mation for an edit operation; first text memory means (2) for storing an original text in a first language, which serves as an object to be translated; translation dictionary means (6) for storing information for a translation, and including word/idiom dictionary means (6B), in which words and idioms in the first language are used as entry words, for storing the entry words in correspondence with translated words in a second language; translation processing means (5) for exe­cuting, by use of said translation dictionary means (6), translation processing of the original text in the first language stored in said first text memory means (2) into the second language to obtain a translated text in the second language; second text memory means (3) for storing the translated text as a result of the transla­tion processing by said translation processing means (5); display means (8) for displaying the original text stored in said first text memory means (2) and the translated text stored in said second text memory means (3); and control edit means (4) for controlling said input means (1), said first and second text memory means (2, 3), said translation dictionary means, said translation processing means and said display means, and for performing edit processing of at least the translated text displayed on said display means (8) in accordance with the edit information from said input means (1), said method comprising: the translated word changing step of causing said control edit means to change a translated word in the translated text corresponding to a designated word in the original text to another translated word, and the priority changing step of, when the translated word in the translated text corresponding to the designated word in the original text is changed to another translated word by said changing means, pro­viding priority to a translated word in which a translated word portion corresponding to the designated word in the original text is replaced with said another translated word as a translated word corresponding to an entry word including the designated word in the original text in said word/idiom dictionary means (6B).

Claim 14

A method according to claim 11, characterized in that the translated word changing step includes the translated word selecting step of, when a plurality of translated word candidates are obtained by said transla­tion processing means (5) in correspondence with the designated work in the original text, selecting one of the plurality of translated word candidates.

Claim 15

A method according to claim 11, characterized in that the translated word changing step includes the translated word correcting step of correcting a trans­lated word in the translated text corresponding to the designated work in the original text to a translated word arbitrarily input by said input means (1).

Claim 16

A method according to claim 11, characterized in that the priority changing step includes the step of providing priority to a translated word in which the translated word portion corresponding to the designated word in the original text is replaced with said another translated word for all the translated words correspond­ing to the entry words including the designated word in said word/idiom dictionary means (6B).

Claim 17

A method according to claim 11, characterized in that the priority changing step includes the step of providing priority to a translated word in which the translated word portion corresponding to the designated word in the original text is replaced with said another translated word for translated words corresponding to some of the entry words including the designated word in said word/idiom dictionary means (6B).

Claim 18

A method according to claim 15, characterized in that the priority changing step further includes the step of designating, through said input means (1), the entry word, which provides priority to the translated word in which the translated word portion corresponding to the designated word in the original text is replaced with said another translated word, of the entry words including the designated word in said word/idiom dic­tionary means (6B).

Claim 19

A method according to claim 16, characterized in that the priority changing step includes the step of, when the translated word is corrected by the translated word changing step, causing said display means (8) to display the entry word including the designated word in said word/idiom dictionary means (6B) and the corre­sponding translated word.

Claim 20

A method according to claim 15, characterized in that the priority changing step includes the step of providing priority to the translated word in which the translated word portion corresponding to the designated word in the original text is replaced with said another translated word for only entry words satisfying a desig­nated condition of the entry words including the desig­nated word in said word/idiom dictionary means (6B).

Claim 21

A method according to claim 18, characterized in that the priority changing step further includes the step of designating a condition of an entry word, which provides priority to the translated word in which the translated word portion corresponding to the designated word in the original text is replaced with said another translated word, of the entry words including the desig­nated word in said word/idiom dictionary means (6B).

Claim 22

A method according to claim 11, characterized in that the priority changing step includes the step of, when there is no translated word in which the translated word portion corresponding to the designated word in the original text is replaced with said another translated word in translated words corresponding to the entry words including the designated word in said word/idiom dictionary means (6B), generating a translated word in which the translated word portion corresponding to the designated word in the original text is replaced with said another translated word and registering the generated translated word in said word/idiom dictionary means (6B).