What are the advantages of a translation memory

What are the advantages of a translation memory?

Almost every professional translation agency uses ICT tools for translation. The translation memory is one of them. But what exactly is a translation memory and what are the advantages of working with such a tool?

What is a translation memory?

A translation memory, also called translation memory(TM), is a database consisting of sentences and sentence segments in the source language together with the translation in the target language.

Other data is also stored in this database, such as information about the translation and the name of the translator. If the translator encounters one of these sentences or a very similar sentence when translating a document, the translation memory suggests a match and shows the previously saved translation. It is then up to the translator to use the proposed translation or modify it if necessary.

Plus: analyse texts

A translation memory is a tool used during translation, but it also helps analyse texts before they are translated. As soon as our team receives a new document, we pass it through the translation system, which determines how many repetitions and how many new words appear in it. It often happens that there is a certain degree of repetition in a text, and it would be a shame to have to translate these sentences or phrases over and over again. On the basis of this text analysis we can make a good price calculation.

Advantages of a translation memory

Our translators and revisers build up a translation memory for each new client and each individual language combination. The customer can also supply certain terms that are often used within their organisation. In order to ensure there are no incorrectly entered translations in the translation memory, it is very important to build them up carefully.

The purpose of a translation memory is to make translation work easier and more uniform. The advantages at a glance are:

  • Time saving
    Using a translation memory can save the translator a lot of time. The more sentences there are that have already been translated in an earlier translation, the faster the latest translation can be delivered. As a result, the client gets his or her translation faster.
  • Uniformity
    We’ve already mentioned it: the purpose of a translation memory is uniformity. For example, if several translators work for the same client or the same project, sentences that have previously been translated can be retranslated in exactly the same way for updates or new versions of the document. This prevents any confusion caused by the same word being translated in different ways.
  • Cost savings
    Since the translation system indicates exactly how high the repetition rate is, we can offer a lower price to the customer for the document to be translated because fewer words need to be translated. And you can see that on your invoice!

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