What is computer-assisted translation?

These days, most translators work with special computer programmes that help them to work more accurately and efficiently. I am not talking about machine translation, which still has a long way to go before it can rival human work, rather software that breaks the text down into sections, allowing the translator to focus on one sentence at a time.

As you type and confirm each sentence, your work is stored in a kind of database called a translation memory, which you can use as a reference when you do similar work in the future. This means that when you have looked up or researched a term or concept once, you will never have to do it again because it is stored in your translation memory.

Another advantage is that the translator does not have to type in repeated sentences, which pop up automatically for you to accept or amend. When texts contain a lot of repetition and the translator works with these tools, you may be able to get a discount on the translation price because the work will be less time-consuming.

Computer-assisted translation software makes it easier to provide better quality, more consistent work because it is easy to keep track of terminology as you translate. You can also create an automatic termbase, so that the programme can suggest translations for specific words as you go along.

If you will be translating materials over a long period of time, you should insist that your translators use these tools, to ensure quality coherence among your documents, and to reduce your translation costs. 

Ask us about the translation tools we use to provide our clients with premium services.