CAT tools

CAT (computer-aided translation) tools, also known as assisted translation tools, are now essential to translators’ work, providing precious help in keeping terminology consistent and speeding up work, as well as in creating term databases and translation memories. Whether it’s for a manual, software or a financial statement, texts in the same sector often have similarities in structure and terminology – which is where CAT comes in handy.

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How does a CAT tool work?

First, the text to be translated is imported into a translation editor, a piece of software full of useful tools for the job at hand. As it translates, the programme saves the translated sentences into a translation memory (TM), in the original and translated versions. The sentences saved in the memory can be reused in future translations for the same client or sector. The suggestions offered by the software are useful for finding previously used terms and the context in which they appeared, allowing us to make a comparison between what has already been translated and what is yet to be translated.

These tools are useful in the case of lengthy or particularly technical translations. A tool avoids the need to search for previously translated phrases or terms. A CAT tool also allows individual terms to be extracted from memories for the creation of customised terminology databases.

The client benefits doubly from us using these tools:

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