RE: A question on Japanese patents

=?iso-8859-1?B?jp6OwIFAj9uI6g==?= (tokizane@pc.highway.ne.jp)
Fri, 12 Feb 1999 12:38:24 +0900

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Dear Lee,

I think I can answer your questions from a Japanese point of view.
As far as I know, PAJ abstracts are written by Japanese translaters
rather than a machine translation systems. Unfortunately,
any machine translation systems between Japanese and English
do not work well, or work only to some extent because
language structures of both languages are SOOOO different.
You can still use MT for patent full texts but not for abstracts,
because abstracts are concise and do not have much information
to clarify any ambiguity caused by MT. If you need chemical
information, please use CA abstracts because abstractors
are much tallented that those for PAJ.
For a Japanese-to-English translation system, try
<http://www.jst.go.jp/MTCD/MTCD-e.html>

Soichi

*************************************************
Soichi Tokizane, PhD <tokizane@pc.highway.ne.jp>
Japan Science and Technology Corporation, JST
5-3 Yonban-Cho, Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo 102-0081, Japan
Phone: 81-3-5214-8402 Fax: 81-3-5214-8420
*************************************************
Message-----
=8D=B7=8Fo=90l : Leland Ness <lness@dgsys.com>
=88=B6=90=E6 : piug-l@derwent.tecc.co.uk <piug-l@derwent.tecc.co.uk>
=93=FA=8E=9E : 1999=94N2=8C=8E12=93=FA 11:45
=8C=8F=96=BC : A question on Japanese patents

This is a question for Alan, although I thought the response might be
interesting to all the group, so I am posting it here.

Now that my hopes of being able to machine-translate the Japanese
patents that I need have been dashed, I have begun looking again at PAJ. =
In
many of the abstracts I look at the abstract itself is unintelligible. T=
he
words are English, but the sentences (when such exist) often make no sens=
e
at all. I have spoken to several others who have encountered the same
problem.

What causes this? Is it:

(a) the original (Japanese) abstracts are ambiguous
(b) the MT program the JPO uses is so abysmal
(c) the translation from Japanese to English is so complex that any M=
T
program will yield the same result.
(d) some problem I haven't thought of

Thanks

Lee Ness

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Dear = Lee,
 
I think I can answer = your questions from a=20 Japanese point of view.
As far as I know, PAJ = abstracts are written by=20 Japanese translaters
rather than a machine = translation=20 systems.  Unfortunately,
any machine = translation systems between=20 Japanese and English
do not work well, or = work only to some extent=20 because
language structures = of both languages are=20 SOOOO different.
You can still use MT = for patent full texts but=20 not for abstracts,
because abstracts are = concise and do not have=20 much information
to clarify any = ambiguity caused by MT. =20 If you need chemical
information, please = use CA abstracts because=20 abstractors
are much tallented = that those for=20 PAJ.
For a Japanese-to-English translation system, try
<http://www.jst.go.jp/MTCD/= MTCD-e.html>
 
Soichi
 
*************************************************
Soichi = Tokizane, PhD=20 <tokizane@pc.highway.ne.jp&g= t;
Japan=20 Science and Technology Corporation, JST
5-3 Yonban-Cho, Chiyoda-Ku, = Tokyo=20 102-0081, Japan
Phone: 81-3-5214-8402    Fax:=20 81-3-5214-8420
*************************************************
Message-----
=8D·=8Fo=90l :=20 Leland Ness <lness@dgsys.com>
ˆ¶= ;=90æ=20 : piug-l@derwent.tecc.co.uk=20 <piug-l@derwent.tecc.co.uk&g= t;
“ú=8E=9E=20 : 1999”N2Œ=8E12“ú = 11:45
Œ=8F–¼=20 : A question on Japanese patents

This is a question for Alan, = although I=20 thought the response might be interesting to all the group, so I am = posting=20 it here.
 
Now that my hopes of being able = to=20 machine-translate the Japanese patents that I need have been dashed, = I have=20 begun looking again at PAJ.  In many of the abstracts I look at = the=20 abstract itself is unintelligible.  The words are English, but = the=20 sentences (when such exist) often make no sense at all.  I have = spoken=20 to several others who have encountered the same = problem.
 
What causes this?  Is = it:
 
(a) the original (Japanese) = abstracts are=20 ambiguous
(b) the MT program the JPO uses = is so=20 abysmal
(c) the translation from = Japanese to English=20 is so complex that any MT program will yield the same = result.
(d) some = problem I=20 haven't thought of
 
Thanks
 
Lee Ness
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