Machine Translation of Independent Nominal Phrases in Technical Texts

Simon Zupan; Zmago Pavličič; Melanija Larisa Fabčič

doi:10.4312/elope.22.1.171-184

Authors

Simon Zupan University of Maribor
Zmago Pavličič University of Maribor
Melanija Larisa Fabčič University of Maribor

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4312/elope.22.1.171-184

Keywords:

technical texts, machine translation, nominal phrases, translation shifts, technical translation

Abstract

This paper deals with machine translations of independent noun phrases in technical texts, which are not part of any sentence structure but function on their own, typically in tables and illustrations. Such nominal structures are common in technical texts because they allow technical writers to increase lexical density and precision in expression. On the other hand, these phrases pose a challenge for machine translation engines, as their meaning depends on the context. Independent noun phrases from a service manual, which were translated from English into Slovene by two different machine translators (DeepL and Google Translate), are considered in this paper. Their comparison with the original showed some limitations of machine translation engines in translating noun phrases, since approximately half of them showed a noticeable change in meaning.

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