Have you ever wondered how professional translation services deliver large projects with speed while maintaining precision?
The secret lies in more than just expertise and teamwork. Reliable translation companies also have the tools and streamlining systems to ensure seamless processes from start to finish.
These tools include the most famous translation memory software, which is very beneficial for clients and translators alike. But what exactly is translation memory, and why should you care as a client?
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the numerous advantages of using translation memories, how they work, and how they can benefit your business. Let’s get started!
What Is Translation Memory?
Translation memory is a database that stores previously translated text segments. It pairs sentences, phrases, or words in a source language with their translations in one or more target languages.
By integrating translation memory software into the Computer Assisted Translation (CAT) tools or Translation Management Systems, translators can reuse an existing translation to translate repetitive segments.
Machine Translation vs Translation Memory: Are They Similar?
Translation memory and machine translation are both used to streamline the translation and localization processes. However, they work differently and deliver completely different outputs.
As a client, having a clear understanding of their key differences is crucial so you can make informed decisions that align with your expectations. Let’s see how they differ.
Translation memories (TM) reuse an existing translation to assist human translators in the process – not to replace them. TM produces highly precise translations, especially for technical terminology, since professional linguists have reviewed the output.
Machine translation (MT), on the other hand, uses AI technologies to translate text automatically with no human intervention in the translation process itself. And without post-editing, MT may produce inaccurate translations due to its lack of nuanced understanding and cultural sensitivity.
Curious to learn how translation memories are created and used professionally? Jump to the next section!
How Do Translation Memories Work?
As we’ve said, the translation memory database is created over time as it continuously stores previous translation projects. This allows the database to grow and improve with each new project. Here’s how translation memory software fits into the translation workflow.
- Segmentation
Once the source text is uploaded into the CAT tool, it divides the content into small, translatable segments. These translation units are typically short sentences or phrases.
- Automatic Matching
As the translator works on the text, translation memory analyzes the text and automatically suggests a translation for segments that are identical or similar to ones already in its database.
- Reusing
Then, the translator must carefully review the suggested translations before deciding whether to reuse them.
- If the translation is a 100% perfect match they will accept the suggestion as-is.
- For similar but not exact matches, called fuzzy matches, the translator will modify the translation and fit it into the context.
- If the suggested translation is incorrect, they can either start the translation from scratch or choose to update the translation into the database, improving the accuracy of future translations.
3 Different Ways Translation Memory Tools Can Benefit You As A Client
It’s true — translation memory is a tool to assist professional translators and help translation companies streamline their translation workflow. But most importantly, it provides time-efficient and cost-saving advantages for clients like you.
So, let’s delve deeper into how you can benefit from working with a translation services provider that integrates translation memory software into their system.
1. Translation Memory Speeds Up the Translation Process (Means Faster Turnarounds!)
Firstly, translation memories enable translators to automate their processes and handle large volumes of text more efficiently without compromising quality. How?
When translating content that involves repetitions, such as technical manuals, legal contracts, or product descriptions, TM translators can automatically recycle approved translations. As such, they can save time translating every word from scratch, and instead, focus on the creative aspects of translation.
This means faster deliveries that meet your tight time requirements. Ultimately, this provides businesses in industries where speed is critical with quicker time to market.
2. Translation Memory Tools Ensure Consistency & Quality
Ensuring consistent use of terminology is undeniably integral to producing high-quality translations, particularly in technical documents that involve specialized jargon. By recycling validated translations, TM guarantees the accuracy and precision of technical terms across all documents.
Nonetheless, the consistency guaranteed by TM can also be very effective in creative content like marketing copies. This is because it makes sure that branding elements like slogans, product names, and brand voice are unified across all content.
3. Translation Memory Reduces Translation Cost
Translation memory tools can be a great tool for clients to not only save time but also money.
Most translation companies don’t charge you the same rate for repeated translations as they do for new ones. Therefore, by automating the translation of repetitive content, you reduce the amount of new translations required, leading to lower costs.
What’s more, by using TM, you maximize the consistency and accuracy of translated content. This reduces the chances of back-and-forth revisions and rounds of edits required, consequently reducing costs.
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Experience The Benefits of Optimized & Automated Translation Processes with bayantech
bayantech is a leading provider of professional translation services, offering comprehensive language solutions across various industries. Empowered by the most advanced technologies, we optimize and customize our processes to perfectly align with each client’s unique needs.
With our ISO-certified quality management systems in place, we consistently deliver the highest quality with speed, accuracy, and efficiency. We also follow a meticulous resource selection approach to match you with the most qualified native translators in +120 languages.
Want to learn how our expertise can benefit your organization? Contact us and let our experts answer all your lingering questions.
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