What is CAT and why it matters ?

CAT stands for Computer Assisted Translation and it is supposed to aid translators around the world to streamline the translation process. There are a number of benefits when using CAT software, and more and more translators decide to utilize this solution. Not only can it be extremely time-saving, but it can also provide professional with an additional layer of proofreading and error monitoring. So if you are a translator and you are thinking about incorporating CAT software into your daily working routine, read on and see what benefits await you.

So, how does it work?

CAT Applications break down text into small translatable bits in ways that make the translation process more effective and time efficient for the translator. These fragments remain accessible for future reference ensuring that both the writing style and the terminology follow the original. Then when the material to be translated is similar to the previous project, it takes literally seconds to processes large texts. What is more, there is no risk of errors, because the software keeps the original source phrases together with their respective translations. Since all of them are easily accessible, the translator can at any given point, revise and alter the content in order to adjust to the job at hand.

The benefits

Most of us are already aware of the fact that we are perfect and that our perception is somewhat limited. Computers on the other hand, while lacking the human emotional components can process millions of operations in a matter of milliseconds. Because of that computers are perfect companions to any translators who value their time and also their clients’ time, for at the end of the day we all wish for the same; the quickest and the best translation possible. Sine CAT allows translators to substantially cut down on the translation time, clients who commission projects that are repetitive in nature can see a substantial decrease in the final costs.

Another great advantage of CAT software is its ability to remember everything we put there. Modern translators no longer have to worry about the cumbersome aspects such as indexing, quality checking, editing or formatting; the software is perfectly capable of doing it for us. The bigger the database the words we want to refer to the easier the job.

Why not use machine translation instead?

There is a huge difference between machine translation and CAT. First and foremost, machine translation works largely by using word-by-word substitution and is very frequently incapable of considering the semantic aspect of a given text. CAT, on the other hand, is a much more powerful and conscious tool, but it requires some work on the translator’s part. However, the initial time investment pays off very quickly with great quality translation and one that is accurate. What we end up with is a system that doesn’t interfere with the translator, but it complements him with aspects of translations that are monotonous and time-consuming. CAT tools are here to act as a perfect combination of the combined skills of people and machines eliminating the drawbacks of both sides.