Translation memory

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Translation memory
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What is TM?

• Technology which permits the storage and re-use
  of matched pairs of source and target elements
• The main idea is that something that has already
  been translated should not have to be translated
  again from scratch
• The same sentence never needs to be translated
  twice
• Also called sentence memory

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Translation memories by segments

• A translation memory by segments is a database
  which stores all your translations, together with
  their equivalents in the source language, while
  you are translating. As you are working, the
  memory creates a series of structures with the
  linguistic information, which will allow the
  electronic medium to retrieve similar segments
  later and suggest them as a model for a new
  translation.

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What type of MT is TM?
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What does TM?

• Stores/references segments with their translation
  (translation units)
• Looks up each new segment to find a matching
  segment
• Offers translations made for the same or similar
  segments
• Connects to a terminology database for automatic
  term look-up
• Creates statistics (like word count)

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What TM does not do?

• TM does not replace the translator
• TM systems do not parse the text linguistically
  like machine translation (MT) systems
• TM is initially empty, the translators fill it
  themselves
• TM systems are not limited to a specific language
  pair like MT systems, a translation memory can be
  added for any pair of languages

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Translation Memory Tools

• Are designed mainly for professional translators
• Help the translator to build up a store of
  translations that can be referenced
• Ensure consistency gt high-quality translations
• Save time gt high-speed translations
• Save money
• On average, productivity levels can be improved
  by approximately 30, or even 50. Total
  translation costs can be reduced by 15 to 30.

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Disadvantages

• Learning time
• Database creation time
• Alignment difficulties
• Cost
• Require a different way of thinking (segment by
  segment)

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When to use TM?

• Translation of repetitive texts
• Translation of updated (revised) documents
• Translation of voluminous texts ? most suitable
  for technical manuals
• Translation on a large project done
  simultaneously by several translators (to achieve
  terminology consistency)

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Available TM tools

• Language Partners International Déja Vu
• IBM TranslationManager
• SDL International SDLX
• Star Transit
• TRADOS Translators Workbench
• WordFast
• MultiTrans