Computer Aided Translation
~ Introduction ~
There are two main types of CAT (Computer
Aided or Computer Assisted Translation) system: Machine Translation (MT) tools and Translation
Memory (TM) tools.
Machine Translation
Machine translation systems work by
analysing a text according to a programmed set of linguistic rules and
reconstructing it using the corresponding rules and vocabulary of the target
language. There is much debate over these programs. Some people claim that
human translators will soon be a thing of the past, while others say that
MT systems will never be able to replace humans due to their lack of imagination
and intuition. It is very unscientific to rule anything out a priori,
but in my opinion the day machines will pose a serious threat to professional
translators is still a long way off.
If you are interested in this kind of tool, David Mowatt of the UMIST Department
of Language and Linguistics keeps a list of
Machine Translation Companies.
Translation Memory
Translation memory programs are however
a different kettle of fish. A translation memory "remembers" how you previously
translated a sentence (or part thereof) and reminds you of the old translation
when the same (or similar) sentence crops up again. They can save a lot
of typing in the case of highly repetitive texts, such as technical manuals,
but can also ensure greater terminological consistency in less repetitive
but recurrent texts, such as monthly reports.
There are several TM programs
available on the market today, all fairly similar in working principle,
but very different in interface and price. If you are thinking of investing
in a TM tool, I suggest you download the various demo versions available
and choose the one which best suits your taste and pocket.
For a list of Translation Memory Tools
choose "Translation Memory Tools" from the menu
on the left.
Localization
To localize means to give something the characteristics
of a particular place or, in other words, to make a product fit the culture of the target market.
When translators talk about localization tools (or L10N tools), they basically mean
the programs used to translate the human language parts of software.
For a list of Localization Tools
choose "Localization Tools" from the menu
on the left.
Other Tools
There are of course a lot of other software
tools which can make a translator's life a little easier. For a list choose
"Other Tools" from the menu
on the left.
Translation Memory Training Courses
Since 2000 I have held training
courses and seminars in Italy for schools, translation agencies,
professional associations and individual professional translators on
the use of Déjà
Vu, one of the most powerful and most appreciated TM tools in the world. If you would like more information please contact me or refer to the Italian section of this site.
Mailing Lists devoted to CAT
Click here for a list of
Mailing Lists devoted to CAT.
Alternatives to CAT
Translators with Luddite tendencies may like to know that there are still alternatives to Computer Aided Translation :-).
Michael Farrell - Language Consultant
- info@traduzioni-inglese.it