Machine translation and global news

Machine translation technology has finally become useful and accessible for everyone to use. The technology is based on statistical matching of phrases has increased the quality and the spectrum of supported languages. There is an active community of researchers working at the intersection of Bayesian statistics and language, e.g., BayesNLP.

Good examples of translation tools are SYSTRAN (also at Babel) and Google Translate (also available on the Google Toolbar, making it very handy). Both have good support for most European languages, Arabic and Chinese.

Sometimes, there are interesting differences between the English news sources in a region (such as Asia Times, English Al-Jazeera) and those written in local languages (Alexa’s Top 500 list is a good starting point for identifying popular web sites around the world). The local languages would have been off-limits to most foreigners, but with machine translation technology this is no longer the case. Seeing the impact of the internet in just 10 years, I am optimistic about the potential of machine translation in helping the world communicate better.

I will apply machine translation to to the Arabic version of Al-Jazeera news. It seems that the Arabic version of the news is shorter and agency-like, whereas the English version is longer and follows the English/American style of reporting. I will also examine the quality of two different machine translation utilities: it seems that Google Translate is doing a better job than SYSTRAN. While the translation is imperfect, practically all the material can definitely be understood even if one has no knowledge of the other language.

English version
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Scores killed in Aghan air raid

Monday 22 May 2006, 16:43 Makka Time, 13:43 GMT

More than 50 Taliban rebels and at least 16 civilians were killed during an overnight coalition bombing raid on a village in southern Afghanistan.

The US-led coalition said it had attacked insurgents in the air raid in Kandahar province, and a provincial governor said some of the militants had hidden in residents’ houses. Major Scott Lundy, a coalition spokesman told AFP: “I can confirm there was a coalition air strike against a known Taliban stronghold near the village of Azizi in the Panjwayi district, and we believe more than 50 Taliban have been killed in the operation.” “These individuals were active members of the Taliban network and have conducted attacks against coalition and Afghan forces as well as civilians,” a coalition statement said. The coalition was looking into reports of civilian casualties, Lundy added. The air strike came amid some of the worst violence since the 2001 fall of the Taliban in Afghanistan. About 300 people have been killed in the past week, more than twice the number reported killed in Iraq.

Taliban denial

A spokesman for the Taliban, who are fighting to expel foreign troops and topple the elected government, said none of their fighters had been killed on Monday. All of the casualties were civilians, he said. The governor of Kandahar, Asadullah Khalid, said that up to 60 Taliban and 16 civilians had been killed. “More than 60 Taliban have been killed and many wounded. Sixteen civilians have also died and 15 are hurt,” the governor told reporters at the main hospital in Kandahar city, 35km east of the bombed area. “There were reports that the Taliban were in this village, but when the US planes started bombardment, the Taliban used the people’s houses as a front – that’s why there were civilian casualties,” Khalid said.

Ambulances barred

A young man sitting next to his wounded brother said: “Sixteen people were either killed or wounded only in my family.” Severely wounded people were brought to the city’s main hospital in cars, taxis and minibuses. They said more were on their way and others were still in the village, along with many dead. An elderly man, Attah Mohammed, said 24 members of his family, including children, were killed in the bombing and scores more people were wounded. “They started to bomb our village at midnight and continued up to this morning,” he said, speaking at the hospital. The area was sealed off by foreign and Afghan troops, said Mohammed, who had brought some of his wounded relatives including women and children to the hospital. A doctor said security forces had not allowed ambulances into the area to fetch the wounded. There have been several major battles with insurgents during the past week, including a clash in Panjwayi on Wednesday and Thursday that Khalid said left 100 Taliban dead. Insurgents also carried out three suicide bombings. Separately, Afghan and coalition forces said on Monday that they had arrested a mid-level Taliban leader, who was a rebel commander for Helmand province, during an operation on Friday in neighbouring Uruzgan province. Mulla Mohibullah was responsible for a Taliban ambush on Friday that killed one US soldier and wounded several others, it said. About 250 Taliban fighters have been killed since Wednesday, according to Afghan authorities and the coalition. Nearly 50 other Afghans have been killed, most of them police and soldiers, as well as four foreign soldiers.
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Google Translate for the Arabic Al-Jazeera (also here and here)
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Dozens of dead American raid on the village of southern Afghanistan

Taliban have intensified their attacks in recent times (French) Around 50 people were killed in a raid by US aircraft at dawn today on a village in southern Afghanistan. A spokesman for the coalition forces in Afghanistan, which US-led forces that the raid targeted a village in southern Kandahar mandate experiencing heavy fighting between these forces and fighters of the Taliban, He pointed out that the dead all of the supporters of the Taliban and elements loyal to them. According Jazeera correspondent in Afghanistan that the attack targeted the village Tlukam Bnjoai mandate Kandahar, The eyewitnesses spoke of the killing of 100 people, and has reached tens of wounded Chinese Kandahar hospital. The raid came one day after the killing of 16 Afghan soldiers and another French international forces in Afghanistan, and dozens injured, and in clashes with Taliban fighters southern Afghanistan. A spokesman for the Afghan Defense Ministry Zahir Azimi that 13 Afghans were killed and 15 others were injured. During the clashes lasted for about eight hours with gunmen in Helmand mandate south of the country. Coalition forces also announced earlier in the four soldiers killed one of them and wounding 26 others in clashes with fighters mandate Kandahar. Suicide Attack In the capital city of Kabul, at least two persons were killed and six injured in the explosion of a booby-trapped car. The official said Afghan police that the incident occurred on the main road east of the city where there are rules of foreign troops have been attacked more than once previously, He pointed out that he did not know the identity of the dead have not yet been disclosed the identity of the target of force. The police at the scene believed that the suicide bombings carried out. It was reported that black smoke rising from a taxi destroyed during the explosion, which caused damage to several buildings. The American forces surrounded the place.

Taliban confirmed the deaths of scores of civilians by shelling the American Qandahar

Villagers have become a target of American raids (French-archive) Transfer-Jazeera correspondent in Islamabad on the spokesman of the Taliban Afghan Mohammad Hanif that the American bombardment targeted Bnjoai area in the mandate of Kandahar did not cause the killing of one of the movement’s fighters and that all the dead were Afghan civilians. This statement denies the benefit American spokesman Scott Landy that 50 Taliban fighters were killed in the bombing carried out by the international coalition forces in southern Afghanistan Dear village. The inhabitants of the region that some 35 civilians were killed in the attack on Bnjoai broke out last week in heavy fighting between Taliban fighters and government forces in the Afghan and foreign, on the other hand. Eyewitnesses said that the raid destroyed dozens of houses and the transfer after dozens wounded civilians, including women and children to Kandahar hospital. The tempo has increased violence in Afghanistan since last Wednesday, the bulk of them concentrated in the south and east. The operations resulted in the deaths of some 150 people, including four foreign soldiers (two Frenchmen, an American and a Canadian).

Civilians dead and disagreement on the number of dead American Taliban raid

Wounded civilians were receiving treatment after being infected raids coalition forces (Reuters-archive) The Governor of Kandahar Asad Allah Khalid, 16 Afghan civilians were killed and at least 15 others were injured in the bombing carried out by the forces of the international coalition against the village Bnjoai southern Afghanistan. According to Khalid, 60, one of the Taliban were also killed in the raid. He added : “There were indications of the presence of Taliban elements in the village, But when the American planes began bombing the Taliban has resorted to the houses, and many have fallen victims. ” For his part, the American army said that the allied forces used air strikes to destroy a large cache of “weapons of the enemy” and the number of complexes Taliban, without specifying the number of troops involved in the attack or aircraft used. The spokeswoman for the American army to open an investigation to determine the causes of civilian casualties. The contrast with the information confirmed by the spokesman for the Taliban Mohammed Hanif island correspondent in Islamabad who denied the existence of any of the components of the Movement among the victims of the attack. Eyewitnesses said that the raid destroyed dozens of houses and the transfer after dozens wounded civilians, including women and children to Kandahar hospital. The attack surface air after a few days have seen a number of violent attacks since the overthrow of the Taliban movement from power 2001. It resulted in the deaths of 150 people, at a time when the North Atlantic Treaty to bring thousands of additional troops country. It is noteworthy that the United States had hoped to reduce its forces to 16500 troops, is still unable to realize these hopes, still have 23 thousand soldiers in the country.
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SYSTRAN
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The ten casualties in raid American on village southern Afghanistan

Students condensed from her attacks in the last times (French) The American flight found about 50 person their her death in raid of waging dawn today on one of the hospitality happening southern Afghanistan. Spokesman of forces of the alliance in Afghanistan said which leads her the American forces indeed the raid targeted village in state southern Kandahar which intense battles between this forces witness and fighters movement of students, indicative of that the casualties all them from advocates movement of students and the supporting elements have fun. Correspondent of Al-Jazeera in Afghanistan reported that the attack targeted village [tlwkaam] in area [bnjwaay] in state of Kandahar, and clear that eyewitness spoke about death 100 person, and connection of the ten victims for the Chinese hospital in Kandahar leads. The raid after day from death 16 came Afghan soldiers and French other from the international forces in Afghanistan and wounding the ten, in clashes with fighters southern movement students of Afghanistan. The spokesman of ministry of the Afghan defense Zahir said great indeed 13 Afghan killed and hit 15 last, during facings manner of eight hours continued for with armed in state [hlmnd] the southern countries. Just as forces of the alliance at the time previous announced that four soldiers killed their one following have fun and wounding of 26 last, in facings with fighters in state of Kandahar. Suicidal attack The capital as camels fulfilled killing of persons at least and six other in wounds in explosion of car bomb hit. Official in the police said Afghan indeed the incident dropping on the road main easts of the city where bases for the forces create foreign attacks be exposed to more than once previously, indicative of that he acquaintance identity of the far casualties and the expressing about identity do not be complete the aiming strength. The police in place clarified the incident that she believes that suicidal implementation of the explosion. Al-Anba reported that the black smoke escalation from car rental destroyed during the explosion who harms in several buildings fall. American stature the forces in encirclement of the place.

Students death of the ten civilians in the American bombing for Kandahar make sure

Inhabitants of the hospitality became goal for the raids American (French – archive)

Official correspondent of Al-Jazeera in Islamabad about the spokesman smiling moved movement of students Afghan Mohammed is orthodox that the American bombing who area of [bnjwaay’y] in state of Kandahar targeted killing of sharp do not cause in than the fighting movement and to all their casualties from the civil Afghans. This statement denies what reported him the American spokesman Scott to dampens from that about 50 from fighting students killed in the bombing who rose in him international forces of the alliance for village dear in south Afghanistan. Inhabitants of the area confirmed that about 35 civilian the attack killed in on [bnjwaay’y] where the last week broke out intense battle between fighters of students as to and the governmental strength Afghan and foreign on the other side. Eyewitness said indeed the raid destroyed the ten houses and transfer after her the ten victims civil in yen their children and women to hospital of Kandahar. Manner of acts of violence in Afghanistan since Wednesday rose last and big concentrating the side from her in the south and the east. Their the operations resulted about death about 150 person in yen four soldiers foreign (French and Canadian and American).

Civil casualties and opposite around number of casualties American students in raid

Civil victims receives their the cure after injury in raids forces of the alliance (Reuters – archive) Ruler state of Kandahar said lion of Allah immortal indeed 16 civilians Afghan at least killed and 15 other in the bombing hit who rose in him international forces of the alliance against village in area [bnjwaay’y] south of Afghanistan. Immortal according to so indeed about 60 element from students killed also in this raid, and added “was there information indicates to presence of elements students in the village, to is when the American airplanes started breakage elements of students to the houses resorted, and for that rubbish many from the victims”. For his part the American army said indeed the confederate forces resorted for the air raids for destruction of hiding place big “for weapons of the enemy” and number of accumulated students, without to number of the forces clarifies which the attack participated in or the airplanes which used. American the spokesperson of the army indicated until investigation of opening for knowledge of reasons fall of losses between the civilians. This information contradicts with what confirmed him the spokesman is official smiling movement students of Mohammed orthodox for correspondent Al-Jazeera in Islamabad, who presence denied either elements of the movement between victims of the attack. Eyewitness said indeed the raid destroyed the ten houses and transfer after her the ten victims civil in yen their children and women to hospital of Kandahar. The land attack came the atmospheres after a few days number witnessed of intense general attacks of students since the toppling in the movement from the authority 2001, and death resulted in 150 person, the faithful time who prepares in him NATO to additional bringing the thousand forces for the countries. Mentions that the United States which contemplation in lowering was her forces to 16500 soldier, what ended incapable investigation this hopes, where what de ended for their 23 thousand soldier in the countries.
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