CAT tools – Essentials
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Table of Contents
Introduction: ................................................................................................................................................. 3
CAT tools definition:...................................................................................................................................... 3
CAT tools logics: ............................................................................................................................................ 3
CAT tools extensions: .................................................................................................................................... 3
SDL Trados Studio 2015 ................................................................................................................................ 4
How to create a new project?....................................................................................................................... 4
How to analyse a file? ................................................................................................................................... 4
How to read the analysis report? ................................................................................................................. 4
What is a project package? ........................................................................................................................... 5
How to create a project package? ................................................................................................................ 6
What is a return package? ............................................................................................................................ 6
What is penalty? ........................................................................................................................................... 6
How to set penalties? ................................................................................................................................... 6
How to save the target file? .......................................................................................................................... 6
How to import files into a TM? ..................................................................................................................... 7
How to export a TM? .................................................................................................................................... 7
Quality Assurance ......................................................................................................................................... 7
How to verify files on Trados? ...................................................................................................................... 7
How to run QA in Xbench?............................................................................................................................ 7
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Introduction:
This hand-out is designed especially for new comers at Future Group. It provides an introduction
of the essentials of CAT tools along with application on Trados.
CAT tools definition:
Computer- assisted translation tools or computer-aided translation tools. They don’t translate;
they only aid humans in translation. A CAT tool is a broad term that includes spell checkers,
grammar checkers, translation memory tools, alignment tools, and search tools.
CAT tools logics:
All CAT tools run according to the same logics, which are:
1- Segmentation:
Segmentation is like a type of parsing. It is done monolingually using superficial parsing and
alignment is based on segmentation. It divides the source text to segments. Every translation unit
contains a sentence, a phrase, or a small paragraph. Segmentation is done according to rules
related to every language’s construction such as punctuation.
2- Translation Memory (TM):
A translation memory is a database which stores a source segment and its translated pair with the
aim of reusing previously translated materials.
3- Term Base (TB):
It is a database containing terminology and related information.
4- Tagging:
Marking content in a document with information about its content. Tags store structure
(paragraphs styles and tables for example) and format (bold, italics, and underlined for example).
CAT tools extensions:
1- Xliff: The standard extension that stores the translated files and the data (bilingual), so
we can pass it between the different CAT tools.
2- TMX: Translation memory exchange. The standard extension for exchanging translation
memories.
3- TBX: Term Base Exchange. The standard extension for exchanging term bases.
Note: Most of the files are supported except pictures and scanned PDF.
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SDL Trados Studio 2015
The main screen for Trados contains different views:
1- Welcome view: This is where you can get started with quick links that enable you to
access frequently used functions. It also enables you to check out the latest SDL Trados
Studio videos, Help resources and information on the latest product releases.
2- Projects view: This is where translation projects are created, tracked and managed. You
can select a project to view detailed project and file information and track project and file
status.
3- Files: This is where manage files and open files for translation.
4- Reports: This is where you view project reports. The reports provide detailed translation
analysis figures which helps you into the project planning and budgeting process.
5- Editor: This is where documents are translated and reviewed. It contains the segments in
the source file. The translation memory window and the termbase’s window.
6- Translation memories: This is where you create and manage translation memories.
How to create a new project?
- Click on new project.
- Leave the template as default.
- Insert a name and select the location.
- Select the source language and add the target language (s).
- Add your file (s).
- Add a TM for every language or for all languages or create a new one..
- Add a termbase.
- Choose prepare as a task sequence.
How to analyse a file?
- From projects’ view, choose your project and click on Batch tasks (analyse files).
- The report will appear in the report’s view.
How to read the analysis report?
- Repetitions means there are repeated segments in the same file. So, once you translate
the first one, all the similar segments will be translated as well.
- Cross-file Repetitions means when this option is selected, the repetition counts also
include segments which occur in other files that are being analysed in the same task.
- Fuzzy match indicates that words or sentences are partially - but not exactly - matched to
previous translations. Fuzzy match appears in the analysis report as percentages.
- Internal Fuzzy Match Analysis Internal fuzzy match analysis calculates the maximum
additional leverage that can be obtained by the translator interactively translating the
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document with a translation memory. It assumes that the translator will translate the
document from start to end, segment by segment. After each segment is confirmed, the
translation memory is updated, and the best match applied to the next segment.
- Context Match A context match is better than a 100% match. To be a context match, the
translation memory segment must be a 100% match for the document segment and the
two segments must have the same document context. For the document segment and the
translation memory segment to have the same context, they must both have been
preceded by the same segment. Context matching is possible because context information
is stored in the translation memory. When you add a new translation to a translation
memory, three segments are added:
1. The source document segment.
2. The segment translation.
3. The segment preceding the source document segment. If there is no preceding segment,
other context information is uploaded, such as information that the segment was the
document header, for example.
- New This row displays the number and/or percentage of words, characters or segments
for which no match was found in the translation memory/memories.
- Segments are locked to prevent their content being updated accidentally.
- Perfect Match It is a form of context match that compares updated source files to a
corresponding set of existing bilingual documents rather than to a translation memory.
- Minimum Match Score: This shows the minimum acceptable degree of similarity
between the text in the source segments and the text found in the translation memory
using fuzzy match search techniques. The higher the value, the more similar the terms.
What is a project package?
A collection of the files needed for a translation, including the translatable items, translation
memories, termbases, and instructions, packaged together in a form that can be sent to a user or
another system as part of a translation project. (Usually this means they are put in a zip file.)
Note:
Project packages do not include the project source files but you can add them as reference files
when you create a project package on the Review Project Packages page of the Create Project
Package wizard.
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How to create a project package?
- From projects view, click on create a project package.
- Select the files and customise your package (s) options:
- On Review Project Packages page, you can:
a- Review the package contents.
b- Add a new package.
c- Specify a manual task to be completed.
d- Assign the package to a user to complete the task.
e- Specify any files to be included as reference (You can also choose to add the original
source files as reference)
f- Change the package name if required.
- Project package extension is .sdlppx
What is a return package?
A return package contains project files for which a specific manual task has been completed. A
package that a member of a project sends to the project manager on completion of translation.
-Return package extension is .sdlrpx
What is penalty?
A translation memory penalty is a number that indicates the loss of reliability in a translation
match.
If the source document segment is identical to the source segment in the translation memory, the
match is exact and the match reliability figure is 100%.
How to set penalties?
- Open project settings – Language pairs – All language pairs – Translation memory and
automated translation – penalties.
- Reduce or increase the penalties as per your client’s request.
How to save the target file?
After translating, there are 2 methods to send your file (s) with:
1- Clean: clean files mean that only the translated text will appear in the target file. From
save target as. The target file is saved in the same format of the source one.
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2- Unclean: means the bilingual file as it is viewed in the editor. The extension in Trados is
sdlxliff.
How to import files into a TM?
- From translation memories view, choose your TM and click on import.
- Choose the file(s) you want to add, you can add TMX, sdlxliff, or sdlalign.
- Complete the choices as per your client’s request.
How to export a TM?
- From translation memories view, choose your TM.
- Click on export and follow the steps.
- A TMX file will be generated.
Quality Assurance:
Process designed to ensure translation quality, in which you check the final product and whither
it meets the client’s instructions or not.
How to verify files on Trados?
- Open your file, and click on F8. Or from view ribbon, click on verify.
- You can view the error messages in the messages tab.
- You can run a verify report, from batch tasks as well.
How to run QA in Xbench?
- Open file in Xbench.
- Add your glossary.
- Run QA.
- Export your report or edit it.
