Frequently Asked Questions

What is computer-assisted translation, and what does “translation memory” mean?

Although systems aimed at rendering the translation process completely automatic have not yet offered satisfactory results, other programs have been successfully developed that make the translation process partially automatic. These are known as computer-assisted translation or CAT tools. They allow the user to create language databases called “translation memories” that contain translated text, divided into segments of syntactic units. These translation memories are particularly useful in texts with a high level of repetition, or for revising and updating existing documentation, as they allow the user to reuse text that has already been translated and to ensure consistent translation in large-scale projects. In addition, these programs make it possible to work with many different formats, such as PowerPoint, PageMaker, FrameMaker, QuarkXpress, HTML, etc. and provide the user with terminology management tools, among many other functions. We at Intertext hold the corresponding licences and work with Trados Translator’s Workbench and Déjà Vu by Atril.