Computer Aided Translation Tools
Most of the translation agencies and translators today have started using Computer Aided Translation Tools extensively and most of the firms prefer, in terms of employment opportunities, translators who have access to a CAT tool.
The CAT tool is nothing but software to help you in your translation. It is quite different from the computer translation, which actually does the translation for you. Computer Assisted Translation Tools will remember translated terms and repetitions for you, thus saving a lot of time. Repetitions are called ‘fuzzy texts’ and CAT will remember these and alter the new words automatically.
The CAT tool can display both sources as well as target language and thus it is bilingual. A translator may however choose to deliver only the ‘clean text’- source language rather than both languages. If you are a translator, you will be able to import, export, and create a translation memory in a CAT tool, which can be of great help in maintaining consistency if you are working for the same client and helps save a lot of time. This is much better and more efficient than maintaining all the details in an excel spreadsheet.