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Subject:RE: Computer Assisted Translation: Don't do it From:"Simon North" <Simon -dot- North -at- quintiq -dot- com> To:<techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Tue, 23 Jan 2007 15:46:39 +0100
Simon North, Technical Writer.
Quintiq Application Software BV
's Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands
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"To be stupid, selfish, and have good health are three requirements for
happiness, though if stupidity is lacking, all is lost."
--Gustave Flaubert
>>> "Dan Goldstein" <DGoldstein -at- riverainmedical -dot- com> 23/01/2007 15:28
pm >>>
Actually, many professional translators use computer translation
programs as a first step in their work. This is not the same as
"relying
on" the programs, any more than you "rely on" a hammer to drive in a
nail without any effort on your part. But the good ones are serious
tools used by serious professionals.
I can confirm that.
It depends on how technical the content is, of course, and the
language. I've been
freelance translating since 1976; French, German and Dutch to English.
I use Systran and Prompt to pre-scan/pre-translate texts. The output is
sometimes
very good, often useable, and sometimes such a mess it's quicker to
throw it away
and revert to the tried and trusted old methods than try and clean it
up. One of the
benefits of this CAT stage for me is that I can more quickly identify
terms and terminology
that I need to research (I often do very technical electrical,
electronics, engineering
and chemical materials).
Even with careful cleaning, I would never, ever, not even in my worst
nightmare, even think of
passing the CAT output to a customer.
What I do is put the CAT output and the original through an 'alignment'
process that
matches their content. I then convert the alignment output into a
translation
memory and THEN I start translating for real (for which I generally use
Trados). This allows
me to draw on the guaranteed translations (the trivial stuff that even
a CAT tool cannot
get wrong), but still to check it carefully before I use it, and to
capitalize on the repetitions
in the TM.
No two translations are the same, but in good conditions I can maintain
a steady 1000
words an hour, while in perfect conditions I can reach 15 to 18,000
words per day in short
sprints.
Your mileage may vary ....
Simon.
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