Machine Assisted Human Translation (MAHT)

1. Machine Assisted Human Translation (MAHT) (…“Translation Memory” or “CAT tool”) A.Soltani, S.Mirdashti ,E.Godarzi.

2. Definitions: • CAT tool = Computer Aided Translation tool • Translation Unit (TU) = a SL segment and its TL pendant • Translation Memory = a database of Translation Units (and other relevant data)

3. List of CAT TOOLs

4. A translation memory, or TM, is a database that stores "segments", which can be sentences, paragraphs or sentence-like units (headings, titles or elements in a list) that have previously been translated, in order to aid human translators. The translation memory stores the source text and its corresponding translation in language pairs called “translation units”. Individual words are handled by terminology bases and are not within the domain of TM. • Translation memories are typically used in conjunction with a dedicated computer assisted translation (CAT) tool, word processingprogram, terminology management systems, multilingual dictionary, or even raw machine translation output.

5. A CAT tool breaks texts into segments (sentences or sentence fragments) and presents the segments in a convenient way, to make translating easier and faster. In some tools, for example MetaTexis, each segment is presented in a special box, and the translation can be entered in another box right below the source text. • The translation of each segment is saved together with the source text. Source text and translation will always be treated and presented as a translation units (TU). You can return to a segment at any time to check the translation. There are special functions which help to navigate through the text and to find segments which need to be translated or revised (quality control).

7. What does a CAT tool do? • For Agencies: • It manages jobs of all sizes and degrees of complexities • For a freelancer • It makes the translation of electronic files more efficient and consistent

8. CAT tools usually consist of at least four elements: • Translation Memory • A database that stores translation units • Interface (Workbench): • The “translator’s workplace”

9. …and… • Terminology database • it might be both based on the translator’s previous work and/or provided by the commissioner • Alignment tool: • Allows you to create a Translation Memory and Term Database from your previous translations

10. … and various other tools, like: • “Analyse”: • How much of a job has to be translated and how much is already in your TM • Tag Editors • That make it easy to translate the right thing in html or other tagged files (…to mention only the most important ones)

11. The idea is to helpyou to… • analyse source files and quote for a job • manage source files and formats (e.g. PPT presentation, Html, Word doc etc.) • use existing (and provided) terminology databases and/or TMs • communicate with others in large projects (e.g. multiple translators working in different languages, or agencies sending “last changes” to the job)

12. So… a CAT tool is useful when: • You work with electronic source files (particularly fancy file formats) • When the client already has a glossary or term-base • You work in a specialized field (re-use your work)

13. CAT tools operate on two translation levels: On the term level i.e. regarding single words On the segment level …where a whole sentence is concerned

14. On the term-level it will… • Search and recognise “term candidates” in the source text • e.g. “thermal layer” as well as “thermal” and “layer” • Find previous translation of terms in the glossary or terminology base • Allow you to add terms and their translations while you translate…

15. It takes care of terminological consistency and accuracy!!! …thus, on term level…

16. On a segment level CAT tools can… • Index, segment and organise translation projects • Recall, suggest and use already translated TUs • TUs align previous translations and add the TUs to a Translation Memory

17. It speeds up the translation and insures complete translation!!! …thus on a segment level

18. …but there is always a ‘but’…

19. Issues that arise when using a CAT tool are: • What do you charge for what? • Who owns the new TM? • …and how much does a CAT tool cost?

20. But wait, there’s more…

21. CAT tools are problematic because… • …you might need to adjust to working with sentence by sentence translation • …and expect that it takes a while to learn and get used to them.

22. But once you’re up to scratch… • you might have gained a competitive edge • you will translate faster, more accurately and more efficiently (= most likely earn more money)

23. For further investigation: Some of the TM software providers are Atril – Deja Vu SDL Trados Star - Transit Lionbridge Technologies - Foreignword Alair II - TM tool for Macintosh Catalyst - Localization tool Ecco - TM tool MetaTexis - TM tool MultiTrans - TM tool Translator's Intuition - TM tool Trans Suite 2000 - TM tool WordFast - TM tool WordFisher - Translation tools for MS Word Xerox Multilingual Memory Manager - TM tool Synthema Terminology Wizard - Terminology management tool

24. Summary • CAT tools help with translation • They can increase the quality of your translation • The main function of a CAT tool is to save the translation units in a database, called translation memory

25. Refrence • Bowker, L., 2002. “Computer-Aided Translation Technology. A Practical Introduction”. University of Ottawa Press • Garcia, I., 2009. “Beyond translation memory: computers and the professional translator”. The Journal of Specialised Translation 12: 199-214.