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Translation Spaces: Online-First Articles

Do machines and humans translate in the same sense?

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Human and machine translation share several features, one of which is actions that are not motivated by meaning. In addition, the human process often consists initially in the semi-conscious production of literal translations that are only weakly motivated by meaning. A definition of the translation process is proposed, based on these features. Since key words in the definition are ‘matter’ and ‘meaning’, I suggest a speculative view of how matter and meaning are connected in the mind. I tentatively conclude that the answer to the title question is yes. The argument is bolstered by textual examples of both human and machine translation.

Keywords: translation concept, human translation, machine translation, matter, meaning
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Four features common to human and machine translation
  • 3.Human translators’ actions unmotivated by meaning
  • 4.Weak motivation by meaning
  • 5.The proposed concept
  • 6.Matter
  • 7.How matter relates to meaning (and Why this Matters)
  • 8.So is machine translation translation?
  • Notes
  • References
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