ArticleTranslation Theories and Skills http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/tfll.2025.11.012
Machine Translation Error Analysis and Strategy Optimization for Chinese-English / English-Chinese Numeral-(Classifier)-Noun Constructions
Jianjun Qi
College of Foreign Languages, Hunan Institute of Engineering, Xiangtan 411104, Hunan, China.
*Corresponding author: Jianjun Qi
This research is supported by the Hunan Philosophy and Social Sciences Foundation, and is one of the outcomes of the 2022 General Project “A Study on the Ontological Reference of Numerals Based on Endangered Languages in Hunan” funded by the Foundation. Project No.: 22YBA198.
Published: November 30, 2025
Abstract
This paper systematically analyzes the error types and their causes in machine translation (MT) of English-Chinese numeral-classifier-noun constructions, proposing multi- dimensional optimization strategies. The Chinese classifier system exhibits typological features such as obligatoriness, categorizing function, and cultural load, which significantly differ from the simplicity of English quantificational structures. This leads to systematic errors in MT regarding classifier selection, structural conversion, numeral processing, and cultural transference. Primary error types include classifier misuse and the overgeneralization of “ge” (个), classifier omission and redundant insertion, numeral conversion errors, structur-al/word order confusion, and distortion of culturally-loaded classifiers. This paper delves into the root causes from three dimensions: linguistic structural differences, limitations of algorithmic modeling, and insufficient corpus resources. A comprehensive solution integrating linguistic rules, algorithm optimization, corpus enhancement, and culturally adaptive conversion is proposed. This holds theoretical significance and application value for improving the accuracy and naturalness of MT in handling numeral-classifier-noun constructions.
Keyword
Chinese-English Machine Translation; Numeral-Classifier-Noun Construction; Error Analysis; Optimization Strategy
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Copyright
© 2025 by the author(s).
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How to cite this paper
Machine Translation Error Analysis and Strategy Optimization for Chinese-English / English-Chinese Numeral-(Classifier)-Noun Constructions
How to cite this paper: Jianjun Qi. (2025). Machine Translation Error Analysis and Strategy Optimization for Chinese-English / English-Chinese Numeral-(Classifier)-Noun Constructions. Translation and Foreign Language Learning, 1(4), 664-670.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/tfll.2025.11.012