Translating English and Mandarin Verbs with Argument Structure
(Mis)matches Using LCS Representation
Translating English and Mandarin Verbs with Argument Structure
(Mis)matches Using LCS Representation
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Date
1998-10-15
Authors
Olsen, Mari Broman
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Abstract
This paper applies and evaluates a semi-automatically acquired
Mandarin Chinese lexicon (Olsen, Dorr, and Thomas 1998) with respect
to translation of English and Chinese verbs in a UNESCO text (Otero
1997). I demonstrate how Lexical Conceptual Structure templates allow
the same semantic structure to apply both to verbs with thematic roles
incorporated in the verb itself, and those requiring external thematic
complements. Using as examples the English verb _provide_, the
Chinese counterpart ti2 gong2 (STC 2251 0180) and its English
counterparts in the text, I show how potential translations are
included or eliminated automatically based on their thematic role
structure. The example illustrates (i) how an interlingual thematic
representation based in large part on English argument structure may
be adapted felicitously to a historically unrelated language, and (ii)
how an interlingual (IL) resource developed for analysis may also be
used in generation.
(Also cross-refernced as UMIACS-TR-98-51)
(Also cross-referenced as LAMP-TR-023)