Next generation translation and localization: Users are taking charge

Nonprofit translation activity driven by users and volunteer translators now represent a market force that easily rivals the mainstream translation and localization industries. While they still try to understand the drivers behind this nonprofit movement and occasionally attempt to tap in to these newly discovered “resources”, nonprofit translation efforts for good causes are growing at a phenomenal rate. This paper examines the case of The Rosetta Foundation as an example of a not-for-profit volunteer translation facilitator. The paper focuses on the motivating factors for volunteer translators. A survey was distributed to the several hundred volunteers who signed up as translators in the first few months of The Rosetta Foundation’s launch. The paper provides some background on what might well become the next generation of translation and localization and present the results of the survey. Finally, we will explore how The Rosetta Foundation, and other not-for-profit translation organisations might better motivate volunteers to contribute their skills and expertise

Towards an Open Source Localisation Orchestration Framework

This paper describes the design and implementation of a novel environment for the inter-connectivity of distributed localisation components - both open source and proprietary - in response to the scarcity of relevant research in this area, as we view interoperability as being the key to the seamless integration of different entities. The proposed solution promotes interoperability through the adoption of a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) framework based on established localisation standards. We describe a generic use scenario and the architecture of the environment that allows us to study interoperability issues in localisation processes. This environment was successfully demonstrated at the CNGL Public Showcase in Microsoft, Ireland, November 2010.Aquest article descriu el disseny i la implementació d'un nou entorn per a la interconnectivitat de components de localització distribuïts, tant de codi obert com a propietari, donant així resposta a l'escassetat d'estudis d'investigació rellevants en aquesta àrea, ja que considerem que la interoperabilitat és clau per aconseguir la integració completa de diferents entitats. La solució que proposem permet la interoperabilitat mitjançant un esquema d'arquitectura orientada a serveis (SOA) que es basa en els estàndards de localització habituals. Descriurem un escenari d'ús genèric i l'arquitectura de l'entorn que ens permetrà estudiar qüestions d'interoperabilitat en els processos de localització. Aquest entorn va ser presentat amb èxit en el CNGL Public Showcase que es va celebrar a la seu de Microsoft, Irlanda, el novembre de 2010.Este artículo describe el diseño y la implementación de un nuevo entorno para la interconectividad de componentes de localización distribuidos, tanto de código abierto como propietario, con el propósito de paliar la escasez de estudios de investigación relevantes en esta área. A nuestro entender, la interoperabilidad es clave para conseguir la integración completa de diferentes entidades. La solución que proponemos permite la interoperabilidad mediante un esquema de arquitectura orientada a servicios (SOA) que se basa en los estándares de localización habituales. Describiremos un escenario de uso genérico y la arquitectura del entorno que nos permitirá estudiar cuestiones de interoperabilidad en los procesos de localización. Este entorno fue presentado con éxito en el CNGL Public Showcase que se celebró en la sede de Microsoft en Irlanda en noviembre de 2010

Toward a hybrid integrated translation environment

In this paper we present a model for the future use of Machine Translation (MT) and Computer Assisted Translation. In order to accommodate the future needs in middle value translations, we discuss a number of MT techniques and architectures. We anticipate a hybrid environment that integrates data- and rule-driven approaches where translations will be routed through the available translation options and consumers will receive accurate information on the quality, pricing and time implications of their translation choice

Hacia una plataforma de orquestación de procesos para la localización de código abierto.

Aquest article descriu el disseny i la implementació d'un nou entorn per a la interconnectivitat de components de localització distribuïts, tant de codi obert com a propietari, donant així resposta a l'escassetat d'estudis d'investigació rellevants en aquesta àrea, ja que considerem que la interoperabilitat és clau per aconseguir la integració completa de diferents entitats. La solució que proposem permet la interoperabilitat mitjançant un esquema d'arquitectura orientada a serveis (SOA) que es basa en els estàndards de localització habituals. Descriurem un escenari d'ús genèric i l'arquitectura de l'entorn que ens permetrà estudiar qüestions d'interoperabilitat en els processos de localització. Aquest entorn va ser presentat amb èxit en el CNGL Public Showcase que es va celebrar a la seu de Microsoft, Irlanda, el novembre de 2010.This paper describes the design and implementation of a novel environment for the inter-connectivity of distributed localisation components - both open source and proprietary - in response to the scarcity of relevant research in this area, as we view interoperability as being the key to the seamless integration of different entities. The proposed solution promotes interoperability through the adoption of a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) framework based on established localisation standards. We describe a generic use scenario and the architecture of the environment that allows us to study interoperability issues in localisation processes. This environment was successfully demonstrated at the CNGL Public Showcase in Microsoft, Ireland, November 2010.Este artículo describe el diseño y la implementación de un nuevo entorno para la interconectividad de componentes de localización distribuidos, tanto de código abierto como propietario, con el propósito de paliar la escasez de estudios de investigación relevantes en esta área. A nuestro entender, la interoperabilidad es clave para conseguir la integración completa de diferentes entidades. La solución que proponemos permite la interoperabilidad mediante un esquema de arquitectura orientada a servicios (SOA) que se basa en los estándares de localización habituales. Describiremos un escenario de uso genérico y la arquitectura del entorno que nos permitirá estudiar cuestiones de interoperabilidad en los procesos de localización. Este entorno fue presentado con éxito en el CNGL Public Showcase que se celebró en la sede de Microsoft en Irlanda en noviembre de 2010

Domain adaptation for social localisation-based SMT: a Case study using the Trommons platform

Social localisation is a kind of community action, which matches communities and the content they need, and supports their localisation efforts. The goal of social localisation-based statistical machine translation (SL-SMT) is to support and bridge global communities exchanging any type of digital content across different languages and cultures. Trommons is an open platform maintained by The Rosetta Foundation to connect non-profit translation projects and organisations with the skills and interests of volunteer translators, where they can translate, post-edit or proofread different types of documents. Using Trommons as the experimental platform, this paper focuses on domain adaptation techniques to augment SL-SMT to facilitate translators/post-editors. Specifically, the Cross Entropy Difference algorithm is used to adapt Europarl data to the social localisation data. Experimental results on English–Spanish show that the domain adaptation techniques can significantly improve translation performance by 6.82 absolute BLEU points and 5.99 absolute TER points compared to the baseline

Access to public information through localisation

The paper analyses language policy in Ireland and the extent to which multilingual information is provided on public service websites

Beyond Translation Memories

One key to the success of EBMT is the removal of the boundaries limiting the potential of translation memories. To bring EBMT to fruition, researchers and developers have to go beyond the self-imposed limitations of what is now traditional, in computing terms almost old fashioned, TM technology. Experiments have shown that the probability of finding exact matches at phrase level is higher than the probability of finding exact matches at the current TM segment level. We outline our implementation of a linguistically enhanced translation memory system (or Phrasal Lexicon) implementing phrasal matching. This system takes advantage of the huge and underused resources available in existing translation memories and develops a traditional TM into a sophisticated example-based machine translation engine which when integrated into a hybrid MT solution can yield significant improvements in translation quality

Localisation, Internationalisation and Globalisation

This paper deals with Globalisation, Internationalisation, and Localisation; these terms are  often used interchangeably, which is incorrect. Internationalisation is the step before localisation, while globalisation covers both internationalisation and localisation and is generally considered more as a strategy than a task. In this paper we will focus on one particular aspect of localisation, i.e. the effect of mainstream localisation efforts on people whose languages are not covered because they do not represent a market and are thus deprived of access to vital information. Very often important information to secure the health, freedom, education, and financial well-being of people does not reach many parts of the world and is only available in English. This paper raises awareness of inequality with reference to the digital dived, and describes the humanitarian goal of localisation. We introduce some not-for-profit organisations and describe the Rosetta Foundation as one example of how to address the digital divide and the problem of information poverty ignored by current mainstream administration efforts