Are translation memory tools replacing translators?

Of course not! Translation memory tools are not replacing translators; they are only used to assist the human translators by laying out text to be translated in a readily editable format, clarifying earlier translated text and also offering tools for verifying consistency or terminology.

Translation memory tools

We all know that humans make mistakes, but machines are restricted. While neither of the two is faultless, one has to be better than the other. But mistakes can be corrected while restrictions are hard to overcome. Besides, translation memory tools perform only what’s been given them by humans whereas humans are limitless, for them the sky is the limit.

How are memory tools different from humans?

Considering the above, one might think humans win but how and why? Here we present a logical depiction of the same.

• Human translation companies offer services which have countless features translation memory tools do not have. One may opt to choose the rather free services over the one that costs money, but know that nothing is free and that everything comes at a cost. While free things are short of reliability, the pricey ones are genuine to its greatest ability.
• Tools give programmed result while humans give creative and the most accurate translation services.
• Memory tools offer shoddy and inexact results as opposed to human translation services.
• Always choose sensibly because an accurate copy of the translated text can gather numerous benefits making life easier for you.

Why TM Tools Could Never Replace Translators?

Machines will never replace human linguists because professional translators take the time needed to make sure their work is accurate and true. Translators know about working languages and their rules. They have the ability needed to understand the full meaning of your text, to point out writing errors in the source document, if there are any, as well as the skills to meet your translation objectives.

If you want to offer information that is helpful and logical to your target audience, a human translator will be up to the challenge by taking into account the context and your choice of target audience, tone, and style. They will ask questions when needed to make a passage or a preference clear, and to signal errors in the original document. Human translation services will never be matched by machines.

When Memory Tools Become a Translator’s Best Friend

CAT Tools are formed to make easy and improve translations, when used by professional translators who understand how to use them. These programs include terminology banks and document indexing software. Effectual only when used for quality translations by professionals, these tools enable translators to get words or concepts that they have already translated for you in previous documents. Every time you do business with them, they update their database, making them to work more swiftly on your texts and to maintain reliability in your content.

Less than 1% of people are satisfied with machine translation tools just because they had a few words to be translated. Human translations, on the other hand, have always been the ultimate satisfaction for clients because of their ability, accuracy and above all for being human, for which there is no real substitute.

To conclude, CAT tools (which are different from machine translation) only help human translators by reusing past translations into current projects, making the translation faster and improving consistency across various document translated.