Overview
CAT tools are translation support software designed to assist human translators in improving efficiency and ensure consistency in quality. They reuse past translation assets through translation memory and glossary functions.
Terminology
CAT Tools (Computer-Assisted Translation Tools) software helps translators work efficiently and accurately by providing Translation Memory (TM), Term Base (TB), and quality check functions.
It ensures consistency and speed by using past data and basing work on manual translations.
Unlike machine translation (MT), which is performed by AI, CAT tools assist human translators.
Typical examples: SDL Trados Studio, memoQ, Phrase (formerly Memsource), Wordfast
Use Cases
- For translating documents that contain repeated expressions, such as manuals and user guides
- For unifying terminology between multiple translators in a large-scale project
- For continuing to use the translated data as an asset
Benefits of Implementation
- Increased translation speed and reduced costs
- Ensures consistency in terminology and style
- Enhances efficiency by reusing past translation data
Precautions / Challenges
- Requires initial adoption costs and translator training
- Risks repeating incorrect translations due to inadequate translation memory management
- Requires management and updates of translation memories
- Costs for initial learning and tool adoption
- Requires translator judgment rather than full automation
