Forum: CAT Tools Technical Help
Topic: What is the easiest-to-use tool for large Word documents with tables, figures and text boxes?
Poster: Dan Lucas
Post title: Go into it with open eyes
[quote]BNN Medical Translations wrote:
We wanted a CAT program that would scan the Word document, identify these items and automatically translate them before we even begin the work.[/quote]
Any decent tool should be able to carry out this kind of pre-translation. Exactly how successful that process is will depend on the format of the file in question and its layout, as Samuel has already commented.
I use SDL Trados Studio 2017 and pre-translation works very well on the whole. I have also used MemoQ, which I thought had a pleasant interface and most, possibly all the major functionality that Trados had at that time.
With regard to your comment about ease of use, I have been messing around with computers since the early 1980s and despite that long experience I did find that using CAT tools required me to get my head around a completely new paradigm. These are sophisticated and complicated pieces of software and they require an investment of time and effort. When they run smoothly they can provide huge efficiency gains, but when problems crop up they can also soak up time you want to spend on hitting deadlines.
Don't get me wrong; I really would not want to translate without my CAT tool. Even the simple function of segmentation is something that I find useful. Unlike some old-time freelancers, I do not regard CAT tools as a means of squeezing the translator for the benefit of the agency or end client. They really do make me more productive, and I don't mind passing on some of those productivity gains. Nevertheless, for people who have been using Word for 20 years and who are not particularly technical, you may find that something as complex as Studio 2017 is a step too far.
My advice would be to try Studio or MemoQ yourself and get thoroughly used to it (using the trial version). You will need to really commit yourself and initially it will be hard. You'll find yourself asking questions like "What do you mean, I can't edit the source?" and generally suffering from a certain amount of frustration. These are not word processors; they are more akin to databases with advanced grid editing functions.
Note that as your translation memory and your termbase/s grows, so do the benefits. If you don't commit yourself to really working with it, you will never see those benefits. In the short term, you'll be struggling with an unfamiliar user interface and workflow, without enjoying the positive impact of a mature translation memory or termbase. So don't underestimate the potential for an initial hit to your productivity. Choose a quiet time of year to begin, would be my advice.
If the tool you select turns out to be useful for you, then I would continue to it for at least a few months until you feel really confident and comfortable with it, and only then discuss adopting it for your less technically savvy partners. Whatever you do, don't all three of you go for it at the same time. Gently does it.
Regards,
Dan
Topic: What is the easiest-to-use tool for large Word documents with tables, figures and text boxes?
Poster: Dan Lucas
Post title: Go into it with open eyes
[quote]BNN Medical Translations wrote:
We wanted a CAT program that would scan the Word document, identify these items and automatically translate them before we even begin the work.[/quote]
Any decent tool should be able to carry out this kind of pre-translation. Exactly how successful that process is will depend on the format of the file in question and its layout, as Samuel has already commented.
I use SDL Trados Studio 2017 and pre-translation works very well on the whole. I have also used MemoQ, which I thought had a pleasant interface and most, possibly all the major functionality that Trados had at that time.
With regard to your comment about ease of use, I have been messing around with computers since the early 1980s and despite that long experience I did find that using CAT tools required me to get my head around a completely new paradigm. These are sophisticated and complicated pieces of software and they require an investment of time and effort. When they run smoothly they can provide huge efficiency gains, but when problems crop up they can also soak up time you want to spend on hitting deadlines.
Don't get me wrong; I really would not want to translate without my CAT tool. Even the simple function of segmentation is something that I find useful. Unlike some old-time freelancers, I do not regard CAT tools as a means of squeezing the translator for the benefit of the agency or end client. They really do make me more productive, and I don't mind passing on some of those productivity gains. Nevertheless, for people who have been using Word for 20 years and who are not particularly technical, you may find that something as complex as Studio 2017 is a step too far.
My advice would be to try Studio or MemoQ yourself and get thoroughly used to it (using the trial version). You will need to really commit yourself and initially it will be hard. You'll find yourself asking questions like "What do you mean, I can't edit the source?" and generally suffering from a certain amount of frustration. These are not word processors; they are more akin to databases with advanced grid editing functions.
Note that as your translation memory and your termbase/s grows, so do the benefits. If you don't commit yourself to really working with it, you will never see those benefits. In the short term, you'll be struggling with an unfamiliar user interface and workflow, without enjoying the positive impact of a mature translation memory or termbase. So don't underestimate the potential for an initial hit to your productivity. Choose a quiet time of year to begin, would be my advice.
If the tool you select turns out to be useful for you, then I would continue to it for at least a few months until you feel really confident and comfortable with it, and only then discuss adopting it for your less technically savvy partners. Whatever you do, don't all three of you go for it at the same time. Gently does it.
Regards,
Dan