CAT tools (Computer Aided Translation” or “Computer Assisted Translation”) are software applications that support the translation of text from one language to another. They assist a human translator in doing their work more quickly and in managing their translation projects. That means CAT tools don’t translate for you.
More specifically, CAT tools for translation are used for EDITING, MANAGING, SUBMITTING, CREATING and STORING translations. Today’s CAT tools are mostly cloud-based and can be accessed from anywhere, anytime, via a web browser.
What does a CAT tool do?
CAT tools for translation are engineered to automate translation-related tasks. The more content you translate, the more translation matches the software will be able to reuse. This kind of automation significantly speeds up the translation process and ensures consistency with past translations.
What's inside a CAT tool?
CAT tools typically contain a translation memory, which stores previous source and target translations for easy reference while working — you can save all previously approved translations and use them again to save time and increase consistency.
The second piece is a term base, which give translators the ability to develop their own bilingual glossaries in their subject areas. They are databases providing definitions or specific instructions for the use of translated terminology.
Much like the spelling and grammar tools on text editor software, quality assurance (QA) functionalities, such as internal spellcheck, prevent all kinds of errors from creeping into your translation projects.
They also include Machine Translation Engines, which can be used to translate large volumes of text quickly, which would be hardly possible using traditional translation methods.
What is computer-assisted translation (CAT)?
Computer-assisted translation is the process of using software to help a human translator transfer the meaning of written text from one language to another.
Machine translation vs. computer-assisted translation:
Machine translation (MT) is the process of using artificial intelligence (AI) to automatically translate content from one language to another without any human input.
Based on algorithms and probability, MT lacks some skills that humans have, like spotting mistakes in the source text or picking up language nuances. Combining MT engines and CAT tools, human translators can streamline the translation process to deliver accurate, efficient, and high-quality results.
At YOKO, we use state-of-the-art CAT tools together with AI-powered platform for a dynamic and efficient translation and localization process. Along with that, we combine neural machine translation which speeds up the process and permits to translate larger volume of content within your budget. Our expert's final touch will also provide a high quality result.
Our technology enables us to reduce time-to-market launches in the most cost-effective manner.
So, need translation services? Reach out to us!