“It is normally taxing to employ human translators over a long duration of time. The use of CAT equipped with translation memory (TM) is extremely cost effective”
Where does Translation Memory ((TM)) fall under?
There has been widespread adoption of computer-aided translation (CAT) services in the recent years thanks to advancement in technology. CAT services entail using computer software tools to ease the work of a human translator. There are a plethora of computer-aided translation tools that are used to facilitate the translation process. One such tool is the translation memory ((TM)).
About Translation Memory ((TM))
The CAT works by breaking text from the source documents into separate segments. Each text is placed in its own unique box. These unique boxes have corresponding translation boxes which contain the translated text. The source text and translation text are together referred to as the translation unit. This translation unit is automatically stored in the translation memory (TM). The information in the translation memory (TM) can easily be retrieved for future reference.
Translation Memory (TM) and manual databases
Most professional translation service providers have a huge database of source text with the corresponding translated text in manual databases. This does not necessarily mean that they are locked away from reaping the many benefits of translation memory (TM). They are in a position to fully utilize the translation memory (TM) thanks to a tool known as alignment tool or bitext tool. This tool aligns the translation unit sentence by sentence. The term bitext was coined to refer to this feature. Therefore, the professional translation service providers do not have to completely do away with the work they had done without incorporating CAT with its translation memory (TM) tool.
Main Advantages of Translation Memory (TM)
There are various advantages from the use of CAT with translation memory (TM) capability. It is very time saving. The translation exercise is pretty straightforward when one employs CAT with translation memory (TM) capability. One simply has to input the source text in its specific box. The computer software will produce the corresponding translated text using the translation memory (TM) as a reference point.
Other Benefits of Translation Memory (TM)
The translation exercise also reduces the risk of human error due to the efficiency of computers. Provided the translation memory (TM) was built competently by translators who use the software, chances of distortion of meaning through translation are very slim. Translation memory (TM) and bitext databases are sometimes incorporated to generate a reliable reference point for search tools in the CAT. Therefore, one can easily search for text while using CAT.
Translation Memory (TM) and Terminology Databases
Translation memory (TM) facilitates the development of terminology databases. As the name suggests, they are a collection of terminologies that occur frequently during translation. These databases thanks to translation memory (TM) ensure that the translation exercise remains consistent as certain terms are used over others to express a certain message.
Greatest beneficiaries of Translation Memory (TM)
Saving on time often results in saving on costs. This is particularly true for people with long term translation projects. It is normally taxing to employ human translators over a long duration of time. The use of CAT equipped with translation memory (TM) is extremely cost effective. The same applies to people seeking to translate redundant documents such as training manuals or product guidelines.
