[bookport] Re: braille translation mistakes

  • From: Bruce Toews <DogRiver@xxxxxxxx>
  • To: bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Fri, 4 Nov 2005 15:37:07 -0600 (CST)

It's not up to JAWS, it's up to the synthesizer.

Bruce

--
Bruce Toews
E-mail and MSN/Windows Messenger: DogRiver@xxxxxxxx
Web Site (including info on my weekly commentaries): http://www.ogts.net
Info on the Best TV Show of All Time: http://www.cornergas.com

On Fri, 4 Nov 2005, Julia Cosgrove (Mrs.) wrote:

Well, Jaws is supposed to be able to get words right but it does not especially 
with:
lives and lives!

Julia.

I have a sincere question for you. How could one tell a pronunciation 
dictionary how to differentiate between drive and doctor since, the 
abbreviations are the same.
It seems to me  In some of the more advanced synthesizers, there is a thing 
called sentence parsing (and I know I'm not spelling that right) which meant 
that the synthesizer would base certain pronunciation decisions on the parts of 
sentences.
The example used was, "Dr. Jones lives on St. John St.".
If a synthesizer cannot make such complex decisions, a pronunciation dictionary will not 
solve the drive doctor problem.  I'm all in favor of a pronunciation dictionary, I'm only 
pointing out that some things are just about impossible to correct in that way.  Here's 
another one. "In Iowa, we produce lots of produce."
How about read and read?
----- Original Message ----- From: "David Bennett" <david382@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, November 03, 2005 12:16 PM
Subject: [bookport] Re: braille translation mistakes


So true.  As many irregularities as the English language contains, the 
individual user should be free to do the final tweaking.

----- Original Message ----- From: "Bruce Toews" <DogRiver@xxxxxxxx>
To: <bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, November 03, 2005 10:42 AM
Subject: [bookport] Re: braille translation mistakes


My preference would be for synthesizers to get out of the 
abbreviation-expansion business altogether. Some on this list may dispute my 
claim, but I think I'm more able to intelligently interpret these things than a 
computer is.

Bruce

--
Bruce Toews
E-mail and MSN/Windows Messenger: DogRiver@xxxxxxxx
Web Site (including info on my weekly commentaries): http://www.ogts.net
Info on the Best TV Show of All Time: http://www.cornergas.com

On Thu, 3 Nov 2005, Shannon A. Reece wrote:

Absolutely Sarah.  I can understand Crystal's irritation with hearing DR
referred to as drive when it's obvious that DR. in the case of her book was
doctor.  But with any abbreviation there is more than one meaning and even a
sighted person reading DR translates it to the appropriate meaning in her
mind.  Hearing a wrong translation by the tripple talk for abbreviations
doesn't bother me at all because I do what any sighted person would do and
translate them right even if the synthesizer speaks them wrong, but
beside(s), and for the have only one meaning and should be fixed if
possible.
Shannon
From: "Sarah Cranston" <cranston.sarah@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [bookport] Re: braille translation mistakes


The problem with DR is that sometimes it's Doctor, and sometimes it's Drive. That's the main problem with Braille back-translation. That is why beside, besides, and "for the" will be easy to fix, they don't pull double duty.



Yes, and don't forget to add Dr. to the list.  I just finished reading a
book where the main character was a Dr., and, of course, was constantly read
as Drive.
Crystal




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