The benefits of translation memory

Technological advances have led to the development of many tools which are indispensable in our daily lives, as well as in various professional fields. These advances have helped people accomplish their tasks more efficiently, while others have completely replaced them. These technological advances have also had a considerable impact on the translation sector, both for agencies and freelancers alike.

Major changes in the translation industry

Translation can be a tedious and time-consuming task. Professional translators need at least two skills in order to deliver accurate translations, the first being a strong command of both the source and the target languages. These linguistic skills must then be combined with specialist knowledge of one or more industries, overcoming common issues and mastering subject-specific terminology.

Translators have always relied on reference works and specialist dictionaries in order to facilitate their work. However, thanks to advances in technology, they now have access to even more of these tools in different formats. This facilitates the research step, speeding up the entire translation process.

How does translation memory work exactly?

In recent years, tools have been developed which are designed to both help translators (computer-assisted translation) and replace them (machine translation). Computer-assisted translation tools, or CAT tools, bring together a set of tools like glossaries and translation memories. By having these resources all together in one place, CAT tools can help speed up the translation process.

A translation memory can be especially useful to the translator. This is a database that stores segments of text which have been previously translated, recording both the original text and its corresponding translation.

When translating new documents, translation software can use this translation memory to analyse the source text and find matches. If it finds any similar or identical text, it will then automatically suggest a translation, which means the text only ever needs translating once.

Translation memory or machine translation?

If both offer automatic translations, then what is the difference between machine translation (MT) and translation memory (TM)? MT is produced by a computer and requires no human intervention during the translation process, providing a translation of the entire text. Meanwhile, TM only translates individual segments, supporting a human translator by providing partial translations.

The advantages of translation memory

This is an incredible time-saving tool for professional translators, and these benefits are particularly noticeable when working on larger projects. By drawing on previous translations, TM not only allows for faster translations, but it also helps maintain consistency.

This makes TM the perfect CAT tool for companies needing an urgent translation of larger projects, without compromising on quality. Plus, companies that have already received translations from agencies using TM can save money on future projects. By analyzing the new texts beforehand for any matches, you can avoid being charged for any sentences that have already been translated.

Our translation agency

At Intertranslations, we create bespoke translation memories for each of our clients. This way, we can ensure you get the best price for your translation while ensuring quick delivery and consistency across all your documents.

Depending on your project, we also offer MT. Inspired by the way the human brain works, we train our advanced neural networks to learn from previous translations. This is particularly effective for larger projects with tight deadlines and can produce impressive results at a low cost.

Whatever your project needs, we have a solution. Our state-of-the-art technology combined with the skills of our language experts means we can offer you fast translations of a high quality. If you want to find out more, feel free to visit our website.