Complementarity between Translation Memories and Computer-Aided Translation Tools : Implications for Translator Training (original) (raw)
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The Intricacies of Translation Memory Tools: With Particular Reference to Arabic-English Translation
Translation Memory (TM) technology has been enjoying a good deal of popularity among translation theorists and practitioners since it came onto the market in the 1990s. A theoretical framework for TM vis-à-vis Machine Translation (MT) is first discussed. The paper then examines the applicability of a TM tool, namely Translator’s Workbench (TWB), to Arabic, and the ensuing problems as illustrated by the translation output of ten postgraduate translation students at Al-Quds University for the academic year 2012/2013. The paper reveals that beyond the translation problems with which translation is usually replete, particularly between languages of little cultural and linguistic affinity, e.g., Arabic and English, the students encounter several problems arising from the inherent structure of TWB. The study concludes by assessing some of the pedagogical implications of these difficulties, in a way that will hopefully help Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) trainers deal with the problems in future.
Beyond Translation Memory: Computers and the Professional Translator
Translation has historically been performed by bilinguals equipped with specialised topic knowledge. In the mid 20 th century, textual theory and discourse analysis saw emphasis on a top-down, whole-text approach that paved the way for modern professional translators as linguistic transfer experts. This professionalisation was further driven by the digital revolution in the 90s which caused a huge increase in translation demand, and the creation of purpose-designed translation tools-principally translation memory (TM). However, the same technological processes that briefly empowered the professional translator also signalled a return to a bottom-up approach by concentrating on the segment. Twenty years on, translation tools and workflows continue to narrow this focus, even tending towards simple post-editing of machine translated output. As a result, topic-proficient bilinguals are again entering mainstream translation tasks via simplified translation management processes and crowdsourcing approaches. This article explores these recent trends and predicts that, over the next decade, professional translators will find it increasingly difficult to survive as linguistic transfer experts alone.
The article describes two translation technology modules available to MA students at UCL. These modules emphasise the following: combining theory and practice; preparation for the translation industry; use of the software in all practical translation work; teamwork; learning by doing and by participating in projects. They aim to cover a wide range of translation technology and technology-related topics, including terminology, translation memory, machine translation, term extraction, system evaluation, parallel text acquisition and statistical MT engine training. Overall, their goal is to produce versatile problem-solvers rather than software users dependent on a particular system.
Human-machine Interaction in …, 2011
The use of Translation-Memory (TM) technology and other translation software is bound to influence translators' cognitive processes. Unfortunately we still lack empirically founded knowledge of this. Our paper therefore presents and discusses the theoretical background, setup and preliminary findings of a small-scale pilot study of student-translators' retrospective comments in an online questionnaire survey regarding what they had experienced during an introductory hands-on course in TM-assisted translation. We also discuss some basic concepts and methods within translation process research, and apply a simplified model of the translation process that comprises three main phases taken from a general writing model: planning, drafting and postdrafting. As far as our student-translators are concerned, TM technology seems to affect processes in all of these phases.
Translation-Memory (TM) Research: What Do We Know and How Do We Know It?
HermesJournal of Language and …, 2010
It is no exaggeration to say that the advent of translation-memory (TM) systems in the translation profession has led to drastic changes in translators' processes and workfl ow, and yet, though many professional translators nowadays depend on some form of TM system, this has not been the object of much research. Our paper attempts to fi nd out what we know about the nature, applications and infl uences of TM technology, including translators' interaction with TMs, and also how we know it. An essential part of the analysis is based on a selection of empirical TM studies, which we assume to be representative of the research fi eld as a whole. Our analysis suggests that, while considerable knowledge is available about the technical side of TMs, more research is needed to understand how translators interact with TM technology and how TMs infl uence translators' cognitive translation processes.
The International Journal of Translation and Interpreting Research, 2013
During the last decade, research has shown that translation memory systems (TMs) have indeed changed the way translators work and interact with their texts. However, very few studies on TMs have been conducted in the workplace itself. This article presents an overview of an ethnographic study conducted in three different translation firms and services in Canada. Comprised mostly of interviews with translators and shadowing sessions of translators at work, at their workstations, the study focuses on the perceptions of the translator in an increasingly technologized working environment. The analysis pays particular attention to the advantages and disadvantages of TMs, from a translator's perspective, and to the changes in corporate and administrative practices that have followed TM implantation, with ensuing consequences on the translator's professional satisfaction and status.
Professional Translators and Translation Technology
Journal of Educational and Social Research
Nowadays we are all aware of the role that technology plays in our private and professional lives, as this has been and continues to be the purpose for which it was created and continues to develop. This article begins with a short analysis of the importance of the use of translation technology in various areas of modern life, focusing on the causes that led to its birth and development. It then describes in general terms the tools offered by this technology, from the translation machine to the computer-assisted translation, explaining what is considered to be the core of CAT known as MT – memory translation. In the last part, the article discusses the pros and cons of professional translators regarding the tools offered by this technology, concluding that on the one hand translators should increasingly insist on using these tools, to be competitive in translation’s process, but on the other hand also the companies that produce these technologies should work more towards the quality...
Multilingual Systems, Translation Technology and Their Impact on the Translator’s Profession
In: Neustein, Amy & Markowitz, Judith A. (eds.) Where Humans Meet Machines: Innovative Solutions to Knotty Natural Language Problems. Heidelberg; New York: Springer Verlag. 299-314., 2013
"Starting from an overview of multilingual systems, I point out the usefulness of machine translation in some translation contexts, especially in dynamic environments. Then I describe how electronic tools can be useful for the human translator and how machine translation can be integrated into translation memory systems in the translation workflow. After this general panorama, I enumerate a series of studies in the field of translation studies that deal with translation process research and investigate the interaction between human translators and those technologies. I note that the main aspects being investigated are productivity, quality and effort. I also mention how the new technologies might affect the translation market and the activity of translation professionals. I conclude by indicating some areas for future research, including tool usability and job satisfaction."