CAT Tools in Translation: What Are They and Why Should You Care?

The translation industry has made great technological strides toward using solutions that aid translators in their work and save you money and headaches.

CAT tools in translation – CAT stands for Computer Assisted Translation – basically present a software environment in which a translator works. The translator still does his/her regular job, i.e. creative translation. In the meanwhile, the CAT tool first distinguishes between unique and repetitive phrases and then “remembers” everything that is being translated. As similarities are detected in the text on hand or its future versions, the tool suggests previously translated solutions to the translator. Because translators are human, they may not remember the exact term that was used several pages ago. The CAT tool does. Translation speeds up with the support of the little software helper and you as the customer benefit not only from better quality and faster turnaround but also financial savings. Typically, you do not pay the same price again for repetitive content. To summarize, the immediate benefits are:

1. Consistency of terminology and style
2. Speed
3. Financial savings

A CAT tool is not machine translation and the presence of a human, qualified and experienced translator is a must. A CAT tool is not replacement for experience or qualifications. A CAT tool is not the answer to all translation issues.

Some of the most widely used CAT tools are: SDL Trados, WordFast, MemSource, MemoQ, Across, DejaVu, and others.

When selecting a translation provider, ask if CAT tools will be used for your projects and which one(s). If so, understand how CAT tools will influence your projects in terms of consistency, speed and discounts. Be sure to understand how discounts are calculated for repetitive content. Ask for additional benefits such as setting up project workflows and/or real time collaboration of the translation team in the cloud.

CAT tools are here to stay and because of the value they add to translation, you should make them part of your decision making regarding translation. Call or email with any questions.