python--计算两个中文字符串的编辑距离

#计算两个中文字符串的编辑距离
def levenshtein(string1,string2):

    if len(string1) > len(string2):
        string1,string2 = string2,string1
    if len(string1) == 0:
        return len(string2)
    if len(string2) == 0:
        return len(string1)
    str1_length = len(string1) + 1
    str2_length = len(string2) + 1
    distance_matrix = [range(str2_length) for x in range(str1_length)]
    #print distance_matrix
    for i in range(1,str1_length):
        for j in range(1,str2_length):
            deletion = distance_matrix[i-1][j] + 1
            insertion = distance_matrix[i][j-1] + 1
            substitution = distance_matrix[i-1][j-1]
            if string1[i-1] != string2[j-1]:
                substitution += 1
            distance_matrix[i][j] = min(insertion,deletion,substitution)
    #print distance_matrix
    return distance_matrix[str1_length-1][str2_length-1]