Language translator which automatically recognizes, analyzes, translates and reinserts comments in a sentence

A machine translation system for translating sentences with inserted comments of a first language into a second language, which comprises:

• (a) input means having function keys, edit keys, and cursor keys for entry of the sentences of the first language and for performing various operations for translation thereon;
• (b) a first memory for storing sentences written in the first language so as to accommodate analysis of the sentences;
• (c) a second memory for storing translated sentences in the second language as a translation corresponding to the input sentences in the first language;
• (d) edit control means for controlling an editing operation of the system;
• (e) dictionary means having a first dictionary in accordance with which the inserted comments are extracted and analyzed and a second dictionary in accordance with which a remaining portion of the sentences other than the inserted comments is analyzed, the first dictionary including an inserted comment extracting rule in accordance with which the inserted comments are extracted, and an inserted comment analysis grammar in accordance with which the inserted comments being extracted are analyzed;
• (f) translation means coupled to said edit control means for executing translation processing in accordance with control signals from said edit control means such that the inserted comments are extracted in accordance with the inserted comment extracting rule, the inserted comments, which are extracted, are analyzed in accordance with the inserted comment analysis grammar, the remaining portion is analyzed in accordance with the second dictionary, and an analysis of the inserted comment and an analysis of the remaining portion are combined to obtain an analysis of the sentences as a whole;
• and
• (g) display means having display control means for producing translated sentences in the second language in accordance with the analysis of the sentences obtained by said translation means so as to display the inserted comments translated to the second language in a distinguishable manner.

A machine translation method of translating sentences with inserted comments of a first language into a second language, which comprises the steps of:

• (a) inputting the sentences in the first language into the system;
• (b) extracting the inserted comments in accordance with an inserted comment extracting rule;
• (c) analyzing the inserted comments, which are extracted, in accordance with the inserted comment analysis grammar;
• (d) analyzing the other portion in the sentences than the inserted comment;
• (e) combining an analysis of the inserted comment and an analysis of the other portion to obtain an analysis of the sentences as a whole;
• (f) producing the translated sentences in the second language in accordance with the analysis of the sentences which is combined;
• (g) adding a symbol for showing the inserted comment to each of the translated inserted comment;
• and
• (h) displaying the translated sentences including the inserted comment with the symbol.

A language translator system comprising:

• an input means for inputting a sentence to be translated;
• an extracting means for analyzing contents of said sentence and extracting a candidate for an inserted comment by comparing said contents of said sentence with definitions of candidates which have been prepared particularly for said system;
• a first translation means for carrying out a translation of a remaining portion of said sentence other than the extracted candidate;
• a second translation means adapted to translate the inserted comment in accordance with said definitions;
• and
• a recombination means for inserting the translation of the inserted comment in the translation of the remaining portion of said sentence at a location corresponding to an extracted location of the inserted comment in the sentence to be translated.

A language translator system comprising:

• an input means through which sentences of a first language are introduced to said system;
• a translation means for translating said sentences from said first language into a second language;
• and
• an output means for outputting translations of said sentences,
• wherein said translation means consists of a first translator adapted to analyze inserted comments which are extracted from the inputted first language sentence in accordance with definitions of comments particularly provided for said translated means, and a second translator adapted to analyze remaining portions of the inputted sentences from which said inserted comments are extracted.

A method for translation between source and target natural languages using a programmable computer system, comprising the steps of:

• storing in a memory of the computer system a source text to be translated;
• comparing the source text with rules which have been predetermined in the computer system to indicate that the text includes a potential inserted comment;
• extracting the potential inserted comment from the text if said comparing step indicates the text may conform to one of the rules;
• attempting translation of the potential inserted comment;
• and
• translating the text including the potential inserted comment, when the translation of the potential inserted comment fails, or translating, when the translation of the potential inserted comment succeeds, a remainder of the text excluding the potential inserted comment and inserting the translation of the potential inserted comment into the translation of the remainder of the text.