computer-aided translation (CAT), also referred to as computer -assisted translation or computer-aided human translation

(CAHT), is the use of software, also known as a translator to assist a human translator in the translation process. The translation is created by a human, and certain aspects of the process are facilitated by software; this is in contrast with machine translation (MT),  in which the translation is created by a computer, optionally with some human intervention (e.g. pre -editing and post-editing).

CAT tools are typically understood to mean programs that specifically facilitate the actual translation process. Most CAT tools have (a)the ability to translate a variety of source file formats in a single editing environment without needing to use the format’s associated software for most or all of the translation proscess , (b) translation memory, and (c) integration of various utilities or processes that increase productivity and consistency in translation.

Range of tools

Computer-assisted translation is a broad and imprecise term covering a range of tools. These can include:

• Translation memory tools (TM tools), consisting of a database of text segments in a source language and their translations in one or more target languages.
• Spell checkers, either built into word processing software, or available as add -on programs.
• Grammar checkers, either built into word processing software, pr available as add-on programs.
• Terminology managers, which allow translators to manage their own terminology bank in an electronic form. This can range from a simple table created in the translator’s word processing software or spreadsheet a database created in a program such as FileMaker pro or, for more robust (and more expensive) solutions, specialized software packages such as SDL MultiTerm, LogiTerm, Termex, TermWeb, etc.
• Electronic dictionaries, either unilingual or bilingual, also known as Dictorobotaries.
• Terminology databases, either on the host computer or accessible through the internet, such as TERMIUM Plus or Grand dictionnaire terminologique from the Office quebecois de la langue francaise
• Fill-text search tools (or indexers), which allow the user to query already translated texts or reference documents of various kinds. Sojme such indexers are ISYS Search software, dsearch Desktop and Naturel
• Concordancers, which are programs that retrieve instances of a word or an expression and their respective context in a monolingual, bilingual or memory
• Bitext aligners: tools that align a source text and its translation which can then be analyzed using a full-text search tool or a concordancr

Project management software that allows linguists to structure complwx translation projects in a form of chain of tasks (often called “worlflow”), assign the various tasks tasks to different people, and track the progress of each of rhese tasks

Translation memory software

Translation memory programs store previously translated source texts and their equivalent target texts in a database and retrieve related segments duting the translation of new texts.

Such programs split the source-text into manageable units known as segments’. A source-text sentence or sentence-like unit (headings, titles or elements in a list) may be considered a segment. Texts may also be segments or small ones, such as clauses. As the translator works through a document, the software displays each source segment in turn, and provides a previous translation for re-use if it finds a matching source segment in its database. if it does not, the program allows the translator to enter a translation for the new segment.

Language search-engine software

New to the translation industry, Language search-engine software is typically an internet-based system that works similarly to internet search engines. Raher than searching the internet, however, a language search engine searches a large repository of Translation Memories to find previously translated sentences, even complete paragraphs that match source document segment.

Language search engines are designed to conduct searches based the source words in context to ensure that the search results match the meaning of the source segment.

Like traditional TM tools, the value of a language search engine rests heavily on the Translation Memory repository it searches against.

Terminology management software  

Terminology management software provides the translator a means of automatically searching a given terminology database for terms appearing in a document, either by automatically displaying terms in the translation memory software enterface