1.
GV ET: LABORATORY.
0.08

2.
GV INT: COMPUTER ROOM.
0.14

3.
CU TECHNICIANS LOOKING AT COMPUTER.
0.20

4.
CU ASSISTANT AT TYPEWRITER.
0.25

5.
CU TYPE IN ENGLISH.
0.33

6.
SV & CU PUNCH TAPE IS FED INTO COMPUTER. (2 SHOTS)
0.43

7.
GV COMPUTER IN OPERATION.
0.46

8.
SV & CU TECHNICIAN LOOKING AT WIRING AND METERS. (3 SHOTS)
0.59

9.
GV & CU PROFESSOR SAKAI STANDING BY LOUD SPEAKER LISTENING TO REPLAY OF PUNCH TAPE. (SOF IN JAPANESE) (2 SHOTS)
1.12


LABORATORY; COMPUTER ROOM; TECHNICIANS; ENGLISH TYPED; TAPE INTO COMPUTER; COMPUTER IN OPERATION; TECHNICIAN CHECKS; PROFESSOR SAKAI LISTENS TO COMPLETED TRANSLATION. (COMPUTER SOF)




Initials GHB/V/CR/SC



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: AN ELECTRIC COMPUTER, CAPABLE OF TRANSLATING ENGLISH SENTENCES INTO JAPANESE IN BOTH PRINT AND VOICE, HAS BEEN DEVELOPED BY PROFESSOR TOSHIYUKI SAKAI OF KYOTO UNIVERSITY. HE AND HIS COLLEAGUES HAVE BEEN CONDUCTING RESEARCHES INTO THIS TYPE OF COMPUTER FOR SOME FIVE YEARS.

PROFESSOR SAKAI BELIEVES HIS LATEST COMPUTER TO BE THE MOST ADVANCED IN THE WORLD IN THIS FIELD. AMERICA, RUSSIA, BRITAIN AND FRANCE HAVE ALSO BEEN RESEARCHING COMPUTER TRANSLATORS.

THE JAPANESE COMPUTER HAS MEMORISED 8,000 ENGLISH WORDS, 400 IDIOMS AND 1,000 GRAMMATICAL RULES. IT CAN PRODUCE A WRITTEN TRANSLATION 30 SECONDS AFTER THE ENGLISH TYPE IS FED IN, AND AN AUDIBLE JAPANESE TRANSLATION WITHIN A MINUTE. TO GIVE THE MACHINE A "VOICE", PROFESSOR SAKAI AND HIS COLLEAGUES BROKE THE HUMAN VOICE DOWN INTO 550 BASIC "SOUND UNITS".

PROFESSOR SAKAI AND HIS TEAM WILL CONTINUE THEIR RESEARCHERS AND HOPE EVENTUALLY TO PRODUCE A SIMULTANEOUS TRANSLATION MACHINE.