What are CAT Tools and the advantages in using them

(Last Updated On: June 25, 2024)
CAT is an acronym for Computer-Assisted Translation. CAT tools are a type of a assistance translation program that human translators use to facilitate the entire translation process. They are often addressed as machine assisted or machine aided translation tools.

What Are The Advantages of Using CAT Tools?

Hence, Computer Assisted Translation tools are software applications that provide assistance to translators and linguists to increase the speed and accuracy of the translation services they provide. These tools may be just what translators need to bring any translation work to the next level.

CAT Tools offer a better and a faster translator system which can help translators earn more money due to the increase in production. Thus, translators will have more free or leisure time. This computer program helps translate text documents cost-effectively.

What Are The Four Primary Functions of Such Tools?

• Segments Texts

Computer Assisted Translation Tools divide the text into segments that will be translated in sentences or segments of sentences. The tools will then present the segments in a desirable way to provide ease and speed in translating.

• Translation Unit or TU

A CAT Tool saves the translation and the source text of every segment in one unit referred to as a Translation Unit, or TU and a translator can always go back to a segment at any time to verify the translation. There are special functions in the tool that will help in quality control. The special functions of the tool will aid a translator in navigating through the text and locating segments that require translation or revision.

• Translation Memory or TM

The primary function of CAT Tools is to save the translation units or TU in a database. The translation memory is the name given to the storage room of the translation units. With TM, translation units can be reused for any other purposes, and search functions can help in quality control. Thus, translation services are coherent and consistent.

• Terminology Databases

Computer Assisted Translation Tools include automatic look-up in terminology databases. With this, the tools can provide automatic display and insertion of the search results.

Aside from this, there are other valuable functions that those tools offer such as formatting, importing and exporting tools, indexing, internet resources, quality checking, statistical tools, post-production tools among others.

CAT Tools:                

A little help can go a long way in making your task easier. It may be hard for you to admit that you need help, but the right kind of assistance can take some worry off of your shoulders. Since no one has enough time these days and managing all your chores seems impossible, the assistance of any kind can relieve your tension. Technology has many benefits, and one of them is the assistance it provides us in various ways. From simple tasks like calculating figures to complex chores of reading graphs, computers can do almost everything.

Computers can also help translators in finishing their job in time. CAT Tools help translators complete each translation with accuracy. CAT tools allow translators to relax and use saved translation segments and words in different documents easily. With the help of CAT tools, translators can save time and produce more translations in less time.