Translation support tools

Essential tools of up-to-date translation technology are translation support tools or computer aided translation tools (CAT-tools).

However, it must be clearly stated that these modern software programmes cannot finalise translation on their own.

These software programmes are not like the automatic, manual translator or free online translator programmes like Google Translator. Certainly everyone who has tried translation with the Google Translator programme will know that the results provided by this software are very often far from perfect...

These software programmes cannot prepare translating on their own. They apply a translation memory that stores the translated version of a given sentence, phrase or expression, so when it turns up again, the memory offers the existing translation for the translator.

Our company currently uses one of the most up-to-date computer aided translation tools on the market, namely the SDL Trados Studio 2011 software to prepare translation tasks. This provides numerous advantages for our clients: due to this tool, the client does not need to pay for repetitions appearing in the text. This software is able to analyse a given text, so it can be clearly defined whether the text contains any repetitions, and in case there are repetitions, their actual number can also be determined.

Another advantage of software programmes are the localizability and translatability of different file formats. Now Trados and other CAT tools are able to process various file formats, that make it possible for the translator to handle the translated text in the original file format after completing the translation. Previously, this was completely hopeless in some cases. Consider file formats like HTML, or the file formats of graphical text editor programmes used for printing services such as InDesign, FrameMaker, Pagemaker, QuarkXpress, etc. Trados and similar CAT tools make possible the translation of texts in the given file format to be translated easily into any language, e.g. English, German, French, Italian, Russian, etc. At the end of the translation the file can be saved in the original file format on the TARGET LANGUAGE with only one click.  

Why is this advantageous for you? You will receive the translated file in the original file format. Let us assume you would like to have your web site translated into different languages. You do not need to copy the necessary texts from the web site. Simply send us the HTML files, and you will also receive files in HTML format. In other words, the use of CAT tools are highly advantageous for you:

• Price discount (for repetitions)
• Processability of different file formats
• Each software programme provides consistency, which that means all expressions will be translated similarly throughout the whole text.

Translation support tools used by us:

• SDL Trados 2017
• MemoQ
• Across
• Passolo
• Memsource