Ch.1.

Computer-Aided Tools
and Translation Project
Management
TRA 6181
Translation and Technology
Dr. Dana AL-Suhaim
CAT Tools

• CAT tools are invariably used in managed translation projects, but they can also be
helpful in translation projects where the translator is working directly for the client
• The CAT tool was built to assist the translator, it is shaped by the translator, it can
efficiently process the work of collaborating translators and revisers
• This chapter builds on a basic level of CAT tool skills, good MS Word competence,
the availability of Microsoft (MS) Windows operating systems and an appropriate
CAT tool, effective personal file management is the precursor to successful CAT tool
operations.
Translation environment tools (TEnTs)
what does TEnTs cover? who coined this term and why?

• The denotation ‘translation environment tool’ (TEnT) was coined in 2006 by

Zetzsche, a translating professional, who realized that when translators refer
to ‘CAT tool’, they are referring to the TM feature, which is only one
component of a CAT tool.
• The acronym TEnT is meant to cover a broader spectrum.
• CAT refers to the translation memory program
• TM stands for the translation memory database
• TEnT covers a whole range of translation technology tool.
 what are the tools that
translators need?
List of tools required for
Translators
how excel and PowerPoint works
• Zetzsche’s list (2003–17) of required technology tools for the
translator: what are dirty and clean files ?
• Microsoft Windows (MS) and Office: MS software is the first
essential. In a standalone and not web-based CAT tool, docx,
Excel and PowerPoint files are uploaded and saved in MS
Office, then imported in the CAT tool and exported to MS
Office after translation. The translation, or target file, is then
called a ‘clean’ file. Sometimes the client or LSP also need the
bilingual CAT work file, the so-called ‘dirty’ file or XLIFF file.
• Leading CAT tool competitors are Microsoft only programs.
 dictionaries, bookkeeping/financial tools,
conversion tools

web browsers (Firefox, Chrome, Opera,

etc.)

Other Examples
speech recognition software

what is TenT?
TenT is any tool that can be linked to or
integrated with CAT tools.
what is the sort of system and tranlator that LSPs
prefer?
what is the system that have leading programs?
Compatibility (Programs)
• Most CAT tools operate on MS Windows systems
• the leading programs are only Windows-friendly. LSPs
often prefer to contract translators who use MS operating
systems for ease and compatibility. (If you run a business
put this in mind)
• Many MS-based TEnTs are a challenge for non-Windows
users.
• Solution:
what should non-MS users do?
1- Users of non-MS Windows systems can either download
virtual MS software or use CAT tools specifically designed for
their systems.
 what does OmegaT system need to use CAT
programs?
what is OmegaT and XLIFF and XML ?
For Non-MS users
• OmegaT is an example of free open-source software for non-MS users.
• OmegaT was launched in 2000 to work on multiple operating systems and others have followed.
• Open means that it can be inspected, modified, and enhanced by anyone, either producer or
user
• OmegaT’s compatibility with other CAT programs is supported through filter plugins, which
allow you to process XLIFF files, the standard workfiles in CAT. XLIFF is an XML-based format,
created to facilitate the exchange of files between programs and users. Extensible Markup
Language (XML) encodes documents in a format that is both human-readable and machine-
readable.
Compatibility: file types
(Format) are images and pdf compatible in CAT
programs? Which sort of files that
CAT tool could work with
• CAT tools can handle major file types like Microsoft Office files
and webpages, but more complicated file types such as image
files are not always supported.
• InDesign Document files (INDD) are currently only supported by
one CAT tool
Do XML files need to be converted? Where is the text created and stored?
• even then, only after conversion in the cloud. XML files, in
which text is created and stored in databases rather than in
document files, can be converted in CAT tools, but not without
limitations or applied filters. Once they are set up in the CAT
tool the process is straightforward and they will be delivered as
a perfect image product, ready for publication, if tags and
codes have been applied correctly
• PDF files can be problematic in relation to formatting. Hence,
there are conversion TEnTs to make the import in a CAT tool
straightforward

• Images and pdf could not be used in CAT tools we have to

convert them first.
 Compatibility: between
web-based and standalone
does the translator have the intellectual property if he works in web-based CAT
and TM ?

• When the translator is required to work in a web

or cloud-based CAT tool, such as a server
managed by an LSP, the translator cannot take
ownership of the data they have entered in the
TM database.
• If the translator cannot download the XLIFF file
or work in, for example, the program’s off-line
editor (off-line mode), the translation units
entered in the TM are no longer the translator’s
intellectual property. This loss of control often
means that translators cannot build their own
TMs.
• Lack of compatibility between CAT tools has brought much frustration to
working translators.
• However, the user-friendliness of CAT tools today compared to the early
programs in the 1990s has made the current tools intuitive and much more
accessible.
Translation Memory
(TM)
• Reasons for using a CAT tool: the
manufacturers compete to make their
software user-friendly; they have included
clearly written Help features and videos
that can be accessed from within the CAT
tool and the internet has opened many
opportunities for users and learners to
find instructors and answers to questions.
demo versions, training videos, online
support groups, webinars
Definition of TM
• EAGLES (Expert Advisory Group on Language Engineering Standards) defined TM as
• a collection of multilingual correspondences with optional control information stored with
each correspondence. […] The control information can include information about the
source text […], its date, author, company, subject domain. This information may be used in
ranking matches. […] A given query with a current source segment may return a number of
correspondences with matching stored source segments. CAT programs differ as to the
information stored along with the raw texts and the retrieval methods. […] (1996)
• In simple words, TM is a text archive where linguistic pair units are stored from which
translator select, has changed to programs which are highly compatible.
What value does the
CAT tool add to the
translation process?
 • reduce our time investment- less time means

Why
more money.
• improve efficiency/productivity and profit.
• The CAT tool has many advantages over and

should 1.
above translations performed outside the tool:
(read p. 5)
clear side-by-side presentation of ST andTT

we use 2.
3.
segmentation of text helps prevent omission
the search function facilitates searches in large
texts and multiple texts

TM? 4. power loss does not affect the TM, hence no

loss of translated text
 how many systems in CAT program for storing files and what do they
share and differ?

File Management
• Good management of electronic files as soon as we receive
them is crucial to learning how to manage CAT tools.
• It prevents ‘loss’ of files in the many new folders set up by
the CAT tool.
• CAT programs have different systems of storing files, but
they share the creation of many new files and their way of
naming them.
• For example, one source file will generate the following
files: • source file • bilingual doc file (for review) • XLIFF
file (the work file that can be shared with others) • TM
database • terminology database • target file
 what are the rules to name files ?

could the translator control generating files and storing files?

can the name of the file be changed in CAT tool?

• The translator cannot control the generation of files but can

control where they are stored. Before importing the source file
in the CAT tool, it is important to • name the source file
clearly,and • to store it in a clearly marked folder.
• Here are some rules to Name a File:
• Do not change filenames: The naming of a computer file should
be done with care, clarity, and precision. Once in the CAT tool
the name cannot be changed.
• Label files with short names or numbers and language tags: The
filename should be clear and short and not exceed the width of
the column in File Explorer, where it is stored. AB_ 2020_IT.
• Further reading (p. 7-8)
Parent Folder
what is Parent Folder?

• A parent folder is the higher directory and can be filled with

subdirectories or subfolders.
• We need to be systematic and create a good parent folder
with subfolders (Figures 1.1 and 1.2) before we open the CAT
tool.
TIPS for File Management
and storing
• Do not move files: Moved files can no
longer be opened in the CAT tool because
the CAT tool classifies them as ‘lost’. The
error message ‘file cannot be found’ is final
and future updates will not be possible.
• Do not change filenames
• Label files with short names or numbers
and language tags
From Microsoft to CAT tools

• A more than basic familiarity with

Microsoft Windows and Microsoft
Word is extremely helpful. CAT tools
replicate MS software with windows,
dialog boxes, ribbons, menus, toolbars,
and functions.
• Practice in class
• Further reading (p. 10-11)
The CAT tool

• A CAT tool has four main features:

1. it segments the text into units and presents the source and target segments next to or
below each other
2. a source segment and target segment form a pair, called a translation unit (TU)
3. the translation memory stores TUs which are recalled as perfect or fuzzy matches when the
TM recognises a source segment
4. it employs an automatic lookup in its TM and terminology databases to display search
results for insertion.
• Additional features compiled by GALA (Globalization and Localization Association) (p. 12)
Standalone and web-based CAT tools
• CAT tools are available for online or offline usage.
1. Web-based (cloud-based) CAT tools are accessed online and require
a licence, which is often supplied by the commissioning LSP for the
duration of the project
2. standalone desktop CAT tools must be purchased and the programs
can be downloaded. Compared with web-based CAT tools, they
have the advantage that they do not depend on internet
connection stability.
Smartphones what is smart phone?

does smartphones cat tools have the all functions?

• A new type of web-based CAT tool entered was launched in
2019, the smartphone or tablet version.
• the phone version cannot show all the functions, but it works
well as a backup for the translator on the road who is asked
to make quick changes or add a paragraph.
 what is cognitive ergonomics?

CAT tools and cognitive ergonomics

• Despite all the improvements in TM software programs, there
appears to be little consideration for cognitive ergonomics, in other
words, the well-being of the user of TEnTs.
• The International Ergonomics Association (IEA) defines cognitive
ergonomics as ‘mental processes, such as perception, memory,
reasoning and motor response [i.e. physical movements], which can
affect interactions among humans and other elements of a system’
[i.e. human-computer interaction].
• What advantages and disadvantages does the CAT tool bring to the
translator?
What disadvantages does the CAT tool bring to the
translator?

• There are reasons for some translators not to adopt CAT tools. They find that
multiple screens and functions, the requirement to manage external
terminology tools, dictionaries, and to integrate machine translation in the
tool, make them feel overloaded. The industry’s mantra, ‘speed, quality, and
efficiency’, can be felt as a curse, because if the use of a CAT tool means
tighter deadlines, the tools are seen to become counter-productive. It
cannot be denied that the advancement of translation technology is a
controversial topic if we consider how TEnTs affect the translator
Translation project management

what does translation project require?

• Translation Workflow:
Translations have become projects and translation is only one
component in the workflow. The translation project requires
management of communications and accounts in addition to
the actual translation process.
The translation project consists of many stages, ranging from
job offer, translation to revision, and delivery.
(Project manager, translator, Proofreader)
Stages of three workflow
what is purchase order?

• the first stage will most likely require briefing, and negotiating about time and remuneration
between client and translator. The LSP must source translators (and other linguists, such as
revisers). A purchase order (PO), which is the first official document with details about type,
word count, deadline, and agreed price for the translation service, needs to be sent to the
translator to complete the first stage
• Translation is the second stage followed by the third stage of revision; If the contracted
translator uses a CAT tool, stage 2 consists of: receipt of file > preparation > ST import >
translation > self-revision > return to LSP > third-party revision > return to LSP > return to
translator > export of XLIFF file or generation of target text > return to LSP.
• the final stage in the workflow includes delivery and invoices from translators to the LSP,
and from the LSP to the client.
• Further reading p. 16-19
 is project management team important in project-based
assignment?

is the report important to be submitted?

what does "translation is a project process" mean?
Project

• a project-based assignment for which you will

need to set up a project management team.
• you will be asked to build your own project
management teams to fully appreciate the
benefits of technology and experience the
challenges of collaboration and teamwork.
(rotation of team members is a must)
• Translation is a project process which means it
needs multiple individuals such as translation
manager and translator and reviser and so on .
• The project-based assignment will always have a
set time frame in which members fulfil their roles
• A report must be submitted for the role of each
member in the team.
 END END of Chapter 1. For next week:

Revise Please Revise Chapter 1

Prepare Prepare Chapter 2