“TRANSLATION is very much like copying paintings.” These are the words of Boris Pasternak (1890-1960), a Russian Poet, Novelist and Translator. The key to translation is not only understanding and being fluent in more than one language and having an understanding of language and culture, but also being able to convey the meaning of the text in one language into the other. However, just the knowledge of different languages is not enough to succeed in the competing world scene of translation. Through the immense development of the Internet, information technology, and ongoing globalization, “translation complexity takes a quantum leap” and forces today’s translators to use computer technology, advanced software applications, and computer-aided translation tools to meet enhanced translation requirements in a timely manner. In order to be successful translator in today’s fast turn around times, the knowledge of and skills in different translation facilitating programs are essential. Translation is a difficult process, which requires computer and software skills in addition to proficiency. The translation business is quickly becoming one of the fastest growing markets in the world, and as a result, translators must develop efficiencies in their processes to meet the increasing demand and to be able to offer competitively priced services.
The purpose of this thesis is to analyze the major translation tools available in the marketplace and to illustrate how they benefit the translator in multiple ways. This thesis will combine the essential knowledge of these different software tools and provide the important criteria required to choose the appropriate foreign language translation software.
Table of Contents
1 Purpose and Course of Action
2 Analysis of the Translation Market
2.1 Impact of the Internet
2.2 Increase in Demand for Translations
2.3 Translation Market
2.3.1 Definition of Language Translation
2.3.2 Development of the Translation Market
2.3.2.1 The Market of Machine Translation
2.3.2.2 Human Translation
3 Translation and Translation Management Tools
3.1 Machine Translation
3.1.1 Brief History of the Machine Translation
3.1.2 Basic Features and Terminology
3.1.2.1 Direct Translation Systems
3.1.2.2 Rule-based Translation
3.1.2.2.1 Interlingual Systems
3.1.2.2.2 Transfer Systems
3.1.2.3 Corpus-based Methods
3.1.2.3.1 Statistical Machine Translation
3.1.2.3.2 Example-based Machine Translation
3.1.2.4 Hybrid Approaches
3.1.2.5 Controlled Language, Domain-specific and User-specific Systems
3.1.3 Evaluation of Machine Translation
3.1.3.1 IR-style Techniques
3.1.3.1.1 BLEU
3.1.3.1.2 NIST
3.1.3.1.3 F-measure
3.1.3.1.4 METEOR
3.1.3.2 String Matching Techniques
3.1.4 Reasons to use Machine Translation
3.1.4.1 Open Source and Commercial Software
3.1.5 Return on Investment
3.1.6 Summary
3.2 Translation Memory
3.2.1 The Concept of Translation Memory
3.2.2 Translation Process, and Effects of TM on Translation Process
3.2.2.1 Internal Attributes
3.2.2.2 Terminology Databases
3.2.2.3 Analysis
3.2.3 Common Standards and Products
3.2.4 Adequate Texts for TM Usage
3.2.4.1 Consideration of the documents
3.2.4.1.1 Updates
3.2.4.1.2 Revisions
3.2.5 Advantages and Drawbacks of TM
3.2.6 Overview of currently available TM Products
3.2.6.1 Classical TM Tools
3.2.6.2 TM/MT Hybrids
3.2.6.3 Localization Software with TM
3.2.7 Cost-effectiveness of TM
3.2.8 Summary
3.3 Globalization and Localization Software
3.3.1 Introduction to Globalization and Localization
3.3.2 Differentiation of Terminology
3.3.3 Organizations for the Globalization, Internationalization, and Localization
3.3.3.1 LISA
3.3.3.2 W3C
3.3.3.3 ISO
3.3.4 Benefits of Internationalized Software Application
3.3.5 Conclusion
4 Proposal for XY Company for Use of Translation Memory Tool
4.1 Company Profile
4.2 Operating Manuals (OPM)
4.3 Current Translation Process of Operating Manuals
4.3.1 Disadvantages of a Conventional Translation Process
4.4 How Translation Memory Tool Can Benefit the Company
4.4.1 How Documentation from the Company is Suitable for TM
4.4.2 Benefits from TM
4.5 Proposal to Purchase Transit TM from STAR AG
4.5.1 STAR AG Brief Company Description
4.5.2 STAR AG Transit® Translation Memory
4.5.3 Key Benefits for XY of Transit TM
4.5.4 System Requirements
4.5.5 Installation or Transit TM
4.5.6 Additional Software Required to Work with Transit TM
4.5.7 Cost Transit TM
4.6 Conclusion
Research Objectives and Key Topics
The primary objective of this thesis is to provide a comprehensive analysis of translation technologies, specifically focusing on machine translation and translation memory systems, and to demonstrate how these tools can significantly improve the efficiency, consistency, and cost-effectiveness of technical documentation processes within an international company setting.
- Analysis of the current translation market influenced by the Internet and globalization.
- Evaluation of various machine translation approaches and their practical limitations.
- Examination of translation memory technology, its underlying concepts, and operational benefits.
- Exploration of globalization and localization software requirements for international markets.
- Practical proposal for implementing a specific translation memory tool for a case study organization (XY Company).
Excerpt from the Book
3.1.2.1 Direct Translation Systems
The historically oldest type of system design for MT is the “direct translation.” This MT system is designed for one particular pair of languages, for example German as the language of the original text (source language) and English as the language of the translated text (target language). Direct translation is based on large dictionaries and word-by-word translation with some simple grammatical adjustments. These systems consisted primarily of large bilingual dictionaries where entries for words of the source language gave one or more equivalents in the target language and some rules for producing the correct word order in the output.
All of the first working MT systems were based on direct translation approach. The operation of the first generation MT systems was very primitive, and therefore the quality of their output was quite poor. The reasons for this are obvious. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the second generation of computers was utilized. There were no high-level programming languages, and most programming was done in assembly code.
Summary of Chapters
1 Purpose and Course of Action: This chapter outlines the thesis objectives, emphasizing the need for advanced translation tools in a fast-paced global economy, and provides an overview of the document structure.
2 Analysis of the Translation Market: This chapter examines the growing demand for translation services driven by the Internet and explains the shift from a monolingual to a globalized, multilingual business environment.
3 Translation and Translation Management Tools: This chapter provides a detailed technical overview of machine translation, translation memory systems, and globalization/localization tools, including their functionality, evaluation metrics, and ROI considerations.
4 Proposal for XY Company for Use of Translation Memory Tool: This chapter presents a business case for a specific company, analyzing its current translation bottlenecks and proposing the implementation of Transit TM from STAR AG to improve workflow efficiency and documentation quality.
Keywords
Translation, Machine Translation, Translation Memory, Localization, Globalization, CAT Tools, Technical Documentation, Terminology Management, Efficiency, Cost-effectiveness, Transit, STAR AG, Software Translation, Multilingual, Information Technology
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this thesis?
The thesis focuses on analyzing translation facilitating tools, specifically machine translation and translation memory, to help companies streamline their documentation translation processes and lower production costs.
What are the primary themes discussed in the work?
The primary themes include the impact of the Internet on the translation market, the evaluation of MT approaches, the operational advantages of translation memory, and the necessity of localization for global business expansion.
What is the ultimate objective or research question?
The objective is to identify and illustrate how modern translation software can benefit companies by increasing translation speed, improving terminology consistency, and reducing overall project costs compared to conventional, manual translation methods.
Which scientific or technical methods are utilized?
The work utilizes market analysis, evaluation of software performance metrics (such as BLEU, NIST, and F-measure), and a comparative study of various CAT tool vendors and their technical specifications.
What topics are covered in the main body?
The main body covers a historical overview and technical breakdown of MT, the conceptual and technical workflow of translation memory, standards for localization, and a concrete case study for implementing Transit TM software.
Which keywords best characterize this research?
Key terms include Machine Translation, Translation Memory, Localization, CAT tools, Technical Documentation, and ROI in translation projects.
What specific challenges do translation memories help solve for companies like the one in the case study?
They solve issues related to inconsistent terminology across different documents, excessive time spent on manual research, and the high cost of translating repetitive text segments in technical manuals.
Why is the choice of the specific software (Transit TM) highlighted?
It is highlighted as the most suitable solution for the case study organization due to its support for necessary file formats like FrameMaker, its fully integrated terminology management, and its ability to streamline the specific translation workflow described.
- Quote paper
- Marina Carrillo (Author), 2007, Overview of Translation Tools - Benefits of Translation Memory Management Software for an International Company, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/77208
