Multilingual translation memory, translation method, and translation program

A computer-readable translation memory adapted to sentence-based translation, comprising a retrieval dictionary having a first dictionary TRIE structure of a first language, a second dictionary TRIE structure of a second language, a first index TRIE structure of the first language, and a second index TRIE structure of the second language,

• the first and second dictionary TRIE structures storing sub character strings on respective paths from a root to multiple nodes thereof,
• the first and second index TRIE structures storing index information to specify the sub character strings in a respective one of the first and second languages,
• wherein the index information stored in the first index TRIE structure includes identification information that identifies the index information in the second index TRIE structure to specify the sub character strings in the second dictionary TRIE structure that are translations of sub character strings in the first dictionary TRIE structure, and
• wherein the identification information is a pointer to a memory location of index information in the second index TRIE structure that specifies the sub character string the second dictionary TRIE structure that is the translation of the sub character string in the first dictionary TRIE structure.

A machine translation system comprising:

• a translation memory for facilitating sentence-based translation;
• a translation engine receiving a sentence that has not been translated using the translation memory, and translating the sentence;
• and
• an output portion that separately outputs the sentence translated by the translation memory and a sentence translated with the translation engine,
• the translation memory including:
• a first retrieval dictionary of a first language having a first dictionary TRIE structure and a first index TRIE structure;
• and
• a second retrieval dictionary of a second language having a second dictionary TRIE structure and a second index TRIE structure,
• the first and second dictionary TRIE structures respectively storing sub character strings on respective paths from roots to multiple nodes thereof,
• the first and second index TRIE structure respectively storing index information to specify the sub character strings stored in the first and second dictionary TRIE structures,
• wherein the index information stored in the first index TRIE structure of the first retrieval dictionary includes identification information that identifies the index information in the second index TRIE structure to specify the sub character strings in the second retrieval dictionary that are translations of sub character strings in the first retrieval dictionary, and
• wherein the identification information is a pointer to a memory location of index information in the second index TRIE structure that specifies the sub character string in the second retrieval dictionary that is the translation of the sub character string in the first retrieval dictionary.

A method for performing sentence-based translation, the method comprising:

• storing sub character strings of first and second languages on respective paths from roots to multiple terminal nodes in first and second dictionary TRIE structures, respectively;
• establishing first and second index TRIE structures for the first and second retrieval dictionaries, respectively, to include index information that specifies the sub character strings respectively stored in the first and second dictionary TRIE structures,
• wherein a first retrieval dictionary includes the first dictionary TRIE structure and the first index TRIE structure, and wherein a second retrieval dictionary includes the second dictionary TRIE structure and the second index TRIE structure,
• wherein the index information stored in the first index TRIE structure includes identification information that identifies the index information in the second index TRIE structure to specify the sub character strings in the second dictionary TRIE structure that are translations of sub character strings in the first dictionary TRIE structure, and
• wherein the identification information is a pointer to a memory location of index information in the second index TRIE structure that specifies the sub character string the second dictionary TRIE structure that is the translation of the sub character string in the first dictionary TRIE structure;
• receiving a sentence in the first language;
• dividing the sentence into the sub character strings;
• checking the sub character strings with the first dictionary TRIE structure and searching for the index information of the sub character strings checked;
• designating a corresponding index information in the second index TRIE structure on the basis of the index information searched;
• specifying the sub character strings in the second dictionary TRIE structure on the basis of the index information designated,
• extracting the sentence in the second language;
• and
• outputting the sentence extracted.

A storage medium readable by a computer having stored thereon a translation program code that when executed by the computer performs operations comprising:

• storing sub character strings of first and second languages on respective paths from roots to multiple terminal nodes in first and second dictionary TRIE structures, respectively;
• and
• establishing first and second index TRIE structures for the first and second dictionary TRIE structures, respectively, to include index information that specifies the sub character strings respectively stored in the first and second dictionary TRIE structures,
• wherein a first retrieval dictionary includes the first dictionary TRIE structure and the first index TRIE structure, and wherein a second retrieval dictionary includes the second dictionary TRIE structure and the second index TRIE structure,
• wherein the index information stored in the first index TRIE structure includes identification information that identifies the index information in the second index TRIE structure to specify the sub character strings in the second dictionary TRIE structure that are translations of sub character strings in the First dictionary TRIE structure, and
• wherein the identification information is a pointer to a memory location of index information in the second index TRIE structure that specifies the sub character string the second dictionary TRIE structure that is the translation of the sub character string in the first dictionary TRIE structure.