Unit Seven Machine Translation

1. Unit Seven Machine Translation • Text A Tongues of The Web

2. Ⅰ. Objectives: Students will be able to: 1.grasp the main idea and structure of the text; 2.have a general idea of the latest development of MT; 3.appreciate the writing skills employed in the text; 4. conduct a series of activities: skills focused: reading and writing skills integrated: speaking and listening

3. II Time Allotment

4. III. Pre-reading tasks

5. 1.Ask students to answer some questions as warm-up exercises: • a. Do you often surf on Internet? • b.What do you usually do when you go on Internet?

6. 2. Discuss in class: what are the positive aspects and negative aspects of surfing on Internet?

7. 3. Divide the whole class into two sides (positive side and negative side) and hold a debate: • Positive Side: People should be encouraged to go on Internet. • Negative Side: Some restrictions should be made to prevent people, especially university students, from surfing on Internet. (Some words for reference: latest information, exchange, different cultures, relaxation, erotic content, virus, … )

8. IV. While-reading tasks • 1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of MT? • 2. What does the title of the text mean? Ask several Ss to paraphrase it. • 3. T tells Ss some related background information. • 4. T helps Ss analyze the organization of the text. • 5. T explains some of the language points and has Ss to prepare for the others. • 6. T asks Ss to paraphrase some difficult language points.

9. Cultural Notes

10. 1). Rockefeller Foundation • An Introduction of Rockefeller Foundation • The year was 1913. The United States, as a nation, was 137 years old. Woodrow Wilson was inaugurated as the 28th president. The 16th amendment was passed, creating the federal income tax. Richard Nixon was born. Willa Cather published O Pioneers! and John Singer Sargent painted Portrait of Henry James. Vitamin A was first isolated and Niels Bohr formulated his theory of atomic structure. J. Pierpont Morgan died, Grand Central Station opened, the Philadelphia Athletics beat the New York

11. Giants in the World Series, and World War I was imminent. And in 1913 the work of the Rockefeller Foundation began. During the emerging years, scientists and scholars worked to solve many of the worlds and the countrys ills. Plagues such as hookworm and malaria have been brought under control; food production for the hungry in many parts of the world has been increased; and the mind, heart, and spirit have been lifted by the work of Foundation-assisted artists, writers, dancers, and composers. But other plagues continue: World hunger persists, particularly in Africa, as the imbalance among food, health, and growing populations threatens many countries, and in America the problems of cities

12. and schools demand attention. The tasks of today are as vital and daunting as they were when John Davison Rockefellers foundation formally came into being. His bent for philanthropy began early in life. In his teens, from sums earned in his first job, he allotted money for his Sunday school and other activities of his Baptist church. By 1860 Rockefellers philanthropy included regular contributions to churches, Sunday schools, and an orphanage.

13. As his personal wealth grew, Rockefellers interest in philanthropy increased. He was impressed in 1889 by an essay written by Andrew Carnegie and titled The Gospel of Wealth. The day is not far distant, Carnegie said, when the man who dies leaving behind him millions of available wealth, which was free for him to administer during life, will pass away unwept, unhonored, and unsung. Rockefeller wrote a letter to Carnegie: I would that more men of wealth were doing as you are doing with your money but, be assured, your example will bear fruits, and the time will come when men of wealth will more generally be willing to use it for the good of others. In the same year 1889 Rockefeller began his philanthropic work in

14. earnest, making the first of what would become $35 million in gifts, over a period of two decades, to found the University of Chicago. In 1901 he established the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research, now Rockefeller University. In 1903 he created the General Education Board at an ultimate cost of $129 million to promote education in the United States without distinction of sex, race, or creed.

15. In 1909 he established the Rockefeller Sanitary Commission for Eradication of Hookworm Disease to cure and prevent the disease, particularly in the southern United States. Rockefeller was prepared to begin the Rockefeller Foundation in 1909, even signing a deed of trust to turn over 72,569 shares of Standard Oil of New Jersey stock worth $50 million. But delays and difficulties in seeking a federal charter for the Foundation, desired by Rockefeller though never obtained, resulted in a lapse until 1913, when the Foundation was officially incorporated in the state of New York. Since its inception the Rockefeller Foundation has given more than $2 billion to thousands of grantees worldwide and has assisted directly in the training of nearly 13,000 Rockefeller Foundation Fellows. In the chronology that follows, we highlight the work of these men and women who have brought the work of the Rockefeller Foundation to life.

16. 2). IBM & IDC The character of a company -- the stamp it puts on its products, services and the marketplace -- is shaped and defined over time. It evolves. It deepens. It is expressed in an ever-changing corporate culture, in transformational strategies, and in new and compelling offerings for customers. IBM's character has been formed over nearly 100 years of doing business in the field of information-handling. Nearly all of the company's products were designed and developed to record, process, communicate, store and retrieve information -- from its first scales,

17. tabulators and clocks to today's powerful computers and vast global networks. IBM helped pioneer information technology over the years, and it stands today at the forefront of a worldwide industry that is revolutionizing the way in which enterprises, organizations and people operate and thrive. The pace of change in that industry, of course, is accelerating, and its scope and impact are widening. In these pages, you can trace that change from the earliest antecedents of IBM, to the most recent developments. You can scan the entire IBM continuum

18. from the 19th century to the 21st or pinpoint -- year-by year or decade-by-decade -- the key events that have led to the IBM of today. We hope that you enjoy this unique look back at the highly textured history of the International Business Machines Corporation.

19. This IDC study presents a competitive market map for the business analytics (BA) software market based on the end-of-year 2002 results. The market map and its methodology are introduced as a tool for evaluating the competitive positioning of software vendors in an increasingly complex market. Although we used end-of-year 2002 data (the most recent available full-year data), this study will be updated by the end of May 2004 with full-year 2003 vendor performance results. Therefore, the primary purpose of this study is to introduce the tool and methodology in advance of the 2003 full-year results. "The business analytics software market continues to mature

20. and has attracted vendors from different segments of the overall software market. To evaluate the market landscape, IDC introduces the competitive market map as a quantitative tool based on the following four variables: size, scope, momentum, and dependence of business analytics software." — Dan Vesset, research manager, Analytics and Data Warehousing

21. Babel • AltaVista - Babel Fish Translation

22. 2.The structure of the text • Part One: Paras1-3 • Main idea: An brief introduction to MT. • PartTwo: Paras4-8 • Main idea:The chronological development of MT • Part Three: Paras9-12 • Main idea: The need for MT and its current state 

23. 3. Have Ss paraphrase some difficult sentences: • 1) Since its …has suffered from exaggerated claims and impossible expectations.(Para1) • 2) It does so because both the difficulty of getting computers to understand human languages, and the high expectations that must be met if MT is to be taken seriously.(Para2)

24. 4. T explains some key and active language points:

25. 1). a short in the arm: sth. that boosts one’s spirits or encourages, esp. in a difficult situation • Example: • The new measure taken by the government was a real short in the arm for the local economy.

26. 2). transmit: pass along(news or information); send an electronic signal, radio, television broadcast, or disease etc. • Examples: • Water transmits sound better than air. • Insects can transmit disease. • trans- : This prefix means changing or moving.

27. transform ---- to change in form • transplant ---- to move (a plant) from one place and plant it in another • transport---- to carry (goods or people etc.)from one place to another • transact---- to carry (a piece of business, etc.) through to an agreement • transition---- to change or pass from one state, subject or place to another

28. 3). lay out: plan in detail, provide (a detailed plan or design); spread out or arrange • Examples: • The architect laid out the interior of the building. • His dinner jacket was already laid out on the bed. • Some phases with “lay”: • lay down: to put down (tools, arms etc.); begin to build or state firmly • lay off: to stop employing

29. lay over: to make a short stay (usu. at an airport) before continuing a journey • lay up: (usu. Pass. ) to cause to be kept indoors or in bed with an illness

30. 4). be (well) along toward: go in the direction of, come near • Example: The talk is well along toward reaching an agreement on the border dispute between the two countries.

31. 5). dry up: disappear as if by draining or cutting off a source of a supply • Examples: • The streams dry up in the summer. • The separation of many years has dried up their intimacy.

32. 6). revival: the coming again into activity and prominence (followed by of ) • Example: • There has been a revival of interest in the fashions of the 1930’s. • v. revive

33. 7). spur: urge or incite to act (used in the patterns: spur sth.; spur (on) sb. to do sth.; spur sb. into sth./doing sth. • Example: • He spurred on his team to try harder.

34. 8). analysis: (pl. analyses) work done to find facts and solutions to problems • Example: • The analysis of the samples on the murder spot showed some valuable clues to the police. • v. analyze

35. 9). databases: a large collection of information that is stored in a computer system in such a way that it can easily be found by a computer user • Examples: • We are linked to the online database at our head office.

36. 10). output: information or data produced by a computer; an amount produced or manufactured • Examples: • The output of the factory this year is four times that in 2000. • An assessment of the Welfare System would involve careful study of its inputs and outputs.

37. 11). elaborate: carefully worked out and rich in detail; very detailed and complicated • Examples: • They are making the most elaborate preparations for the wedding. • He came out with such an elaborate excuse that I didn't quite believe him. • cf : collaborate

38. 12). highlight: v. emphasize, make important • Examples: • The report on the accident highlights the need for considerable improvements in safety. • Could you read through this for me and highlight the important points?

39. highlight: n. the best or most exciting, entertaining, orinteresting part • Examples: • The highlight of our trip to New York was going to the top of the Empire State Building. • You’ll be able to see the highlights of the TV series in a one-hour special on Christmas Day.

40. 13). scramble: mix or throw together haphazardly ; move or climb quickly but with difficulty, often using the hands • Examples: • We had scrambled eggs on toast for breakfast. • She scrambled up the steep hillside and over the rocks.

41. 14). whereas: but; compared with the fact that • Example: • He must be about sixty, whereas his wife looks about thirty.

42. 15). partial: not complete or whole • Examples: • He made a partial recovery, but he was never able to walk properly after the accident. • Opp. impartial

43. 5. T asks Ss to prepare the following words and expressions in advance. • 1) anonymous (n. anonymity) • 2) storage • 3) on the face of it • 4) go back to • 5) memorandum (memo) • 6) automatic

44. 7) collaboration • 8) better than none/nothing • 9) multinational • 10) intermediate • 11) symbolic • 12) plug • 13) multiple • 14) particle

45. 6. Practice 1.Cholera is __________ through contaminated water • A. transferred B. transmitted C. transported D. transacted • 2.The company has signed (a) ________ of understanding with a group of investors to sell its steel operations. • A. memoirs B. memento C. memorial D. memorandum • 3.Most of Manhattan is _________ in a grid pattern with avenues of going north-south and streets east-west. • A. laid down B. laid out C. laid off D. laid up • 4.The two playwrights worked in close _________ with each other on the script. • A. operation B. colleague C. collaboration D. connection

46. 5.With cheaper PC software and wider access to the Internet , there has undoubtedly an _______ growth in the use of MT. • A.unprocessed B.unperceived • C.unprecedented D. unperturbed • 6.Recently there has been some __________ of interest in ancient music. • A. revival B. revision C. reversion D. reverse • 7.Many shops cut prices just before Christmas in an attempt to ________ sales. • A. spurn B. spurt C. spur D. sputter • 8.Radio Two plans to double its daily news ____ from next month. A. output B. outrage C.outspread D. outcome • 9.He came out with such (a)n ____ excuse that I didn’t quite believe him. • A. cooperative B. elaborate C. collaborated D. evaporated • 10.It’s about time we ____ the organization of this company.

47. A.demonstrated B.demoralized • C.demotivated D.democratized • 11.What the person does next is the result of the ________ influences to which they have been exposed. • A. multilingual B. multiple C. multilateral D. multinational • 12.The report on the accident ___________ the need for considerable improvements in safety. • A. highballs B. highlights C. hightails D. hijacks • 13.He came to the party dressed in a yellow suit and a pink bow tie, which caused great ________ among the other guests. • A. confusion B. congestion C. hilarity D. enthusiasm • 14.Bad weather _________ the air schedule, and a lot of passengers are allocated to hotels • around waiting for new information. • A. bothered B. scrambled C. interfered D. troubled • 15.He must be about sixty, ________ his wife looks about thirty. A. whereas whereby C. wherein D. whereupon

48. 16.The food decays easily. It is important to store these ________ food in cool places. • A. available B. breakable C. valuable D. perishable • 17.________ news coverage is quite hard to find as quite a few news companies are financed by particular interests. • A. Immoral B. Impartial C. Immortal D. Impassive • 18.There is a wide __________ of opinions on the question of unilateral disarmament. • A. diversity B. involvement C. database D. analysis • 19.I’ve wired up the stereo system, but I haven’t _______ the speaker in yet. • A. placed B. inserted C. plugged D. bolted • 20.A(n) _______ of seven years’ work revealed errors and inconsistencies. • A. output B. analogy C. collaboration D. analysis

49. 21.Very correctly, she was handing out the polite but casual _____ due to a new neighbor who had rendered her small service. • A. hostility B. hospitality C. submission D. indifference • 22.We’re linked to the online ________ at our head office. • A. website B. database C. logo D. datemark • 23.He is ______ one of the world’s finest football players. • A. arguably B. unintentionally C. colloquially D. partially • 24.She wouldn’t give me the slightest ________ of information about what she’d been doing. • A. part B. party C. particle D. partition • 25.I didn’t have much _______ into the project, which resulted in bad consequences. • A. output B. input C. putout D. putdown

50. 26.Environmentalists are doing everything within their power to ______the impact of the oil spill. • A. maximize B. minimize C. lower D. miniaturize • 27.Their team _______ to the top of the League after their three years’ efforts. • A. rocketed B. bolstered C. blustered D. boomed • 28.English, maths and science are compulsory for all students, but art and music are ________. • A. available B. acquirable C. optional B. optical • 29.Dictators like him rarely go ________ without a fight. • A. back on B. for C. off D. down • 30.This fundamental idea immediately found its way into man’s speech, which ____ became filled with words and idioms expressing it. • A. henceforth B. nevertheless C. whatsoever D. whereby • 31.What ________ do you use when judging the quality of a student’s work? • A. standard B. norm C. appraisal D. criterion