CAT Tools

What is CAT?

CAT is an abbreviation of English "computer-aided translation" or "computer-assisted translation". This way of translation is not to be mistaken with a machine-translation.

cattools What is a CAT tool?

CAT tools are intelligent database systems, created on the principle of translation memory, which provides opportunity to create and reuse human translation. While translating, this system creates a database of sentences in the source language and their translations. If a sentence which occurs in the text has been already translated, the translation of this sentence will be offered to translators automatically. Translation memory is generally interconnected with a terminology database, which automatically offers translation of single terms to the translators. Software used for this kind of translation is called CAT tool. One of the most widespread CAT tools is commercial SDL Trados, then Transit, Across, Wordfast, SDLX or Déja Vu (DVX).

Translation memory

CAT tools work with a so-called translation memory. While working with CAT tool, text is split into segments (usually sentences), which the translator translates and after that, software stores the segments in source language and its translation in the database. If an identical or similar segment occurs in the text again, the program is able to offer the previous translation to the translator . Translation memory goes well with translation of technical texts, but it is less appropriate for belles-lettres.

Terminology database

The next feature contained in CAT tool, is a terminology database, which is manually filled by the user (translator), so it is not filled automatically on the basis of present translation. The terminology database contains concrete terms in the source language and target language. The terminology database is used in particular for technical texts to translate exact terms, for example chemical terminology, with the translation program automatically replacing terms such as "carbon monoxide" with adequate terms in the target language. However the rest of the segment (sentence) translator has to be manually translated by the translator.

Alignment

If you have a document in Polish and foreign language, we will be happy to help you to create a translation memory. In brief: we will match particular sentences in the source and target language, and from pairs we will create a new translation memory, with the help of which we will translate your next documents.

Mutual compatibility

CAT systems give you the opportunity to exchange translation memories via files TXT or TMX (Translation Memory eXchange) files. If you decide to change translation agency, you are free to do so; you can obtain a translation memory in one file and you may continue to use it with your new language-service provider.

When is it worth using translation software?

Translation of more extensive projects (manuals, instructions etc.), where terms, idioms, phrases, sentences or paragraphs are used repeatedly so that software is able to identify it and offer possibility of translation.
Complicated translations, for example translation of software or web pages, where the software will make it possible to abstract text from translated material, remember its place and, after translating, put it back to its primary position, therefore creating an identical, but translated document.
Projects, for which there have been created or just will be created specified translation dictionary for possible usage for hole range of translations in the same domain.
In case translation of extensive text is needed in a short time, thanks to CAT tools it is possible to hire several translators at the same time and make sure that particular terminology is being used.

Translation tools can be used on the condition that the text is provided in electronic format.
It is impossible to translate printed document with this method, unless it is converted to electronic form.