3.1 Translation memory suites

TL;DR

Translation Memories (TMs) and Machine Translation (MT) are technologies that are often integrated together in CAT tools, or translation environments, to assist translators in their work.

Transcript

Just a revision. MT is machine translation, TM, translation memories. Translation memories are these things that record your bi-texts, your ST-TT pairs that you produce. And it's your memory in theory. We've seen that machine translation platforms integrate translation memories. So we have been looking at machine translation with translation memor... Read More

Key Insights

• 🎅 Translation memories and machine translation are often used together, with TMs recording past translations and MT providing automatic translations.
• 💦 CAT tools, or translation environments, integrate TMs and MT to assist translators in their work.
• 😫 Trados is a popular CAT tool that started as a set of macros attached to Microsoft Word.
• ✋ TMs are not high-tech and have been around since the 1980s, becoming increasingly popular in the 1990s.
• ❓ Translation memories are particularly useful for technical texts and content that requires frequent updates.
• 🥺 The integration of TMs and MT has led to the development of complex translation tools, including terminology management, quality control, and project management features.
• 🎅 Fuzzy matches in TMs and the improvement of machine translation have reduced the reliance on exact matches from TMs.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is the difference between translation memories (TMs) and machine translation (MT)?

Translation memories are records of your previous translations, while machine translation involves the use of computer algorithms to generate translations automatically.

Q: Why are CAT tools considered to be a more specific term than computer aided translation?

CAT tools specifically refer to translation memories integrated with machine translation, distinguishing them from other computer aided language tools like spellcheckers or search engines.

Q: How does the integration of TMs and MT benefit translators?

The integration allows translators to leverage their previous translations while also being able to access machine-generated translations, improving their efficiency and productivity.

Q: How have TMs and machine translation technologies evolved over time?

TMs were initially developed in the 1980s, with Trados being the dominant tool in the market. However, other alternatives have emerged that are more affordable and just as effective.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• TMs and MT are frequently used together in translation platforms, with TMs recording ST-TT pairs and MT providing machine-generated translations.

• CAT tools, or computer aided translating tools, is another common name for translation memories integrated with machine translation.

• Trados, a widely-used CAT tool, started as a set of macros attached to Microsoft Word and has become the market leader.