The translator’s activity has always been to work with textual information. Possession of modern computer programs aimed at optimizing the activities of the translator, willingness, and ability to master these software products to increase the attractiveness to the employer and reduce the cost of the “production process” of translation are the main requirements of today’s market. If the translator is confident in modern computer technology, the ability to effectively use previously executed orders helps him and the employer expects significant savings in time and money when translating repetitive or similar pieces of text.
Influence of Modern Technology on Translation
Translation, performed with the help of computer technology, is called automated translation. To denote automated translation, the term CAT is used, computer-assisted translation or computer-aided translation. With a narrow understanding of this concept, CAT includes such translation automation systems as SDL Trados, Deja Vu, StarTransit, Wordfast, and others. According to Wikipedia, “Computer-assisted translation is the use of software to assist a human translator in the translation process.
Technology Helps Translators with Their Tasks
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).” Memory, chant-checker, grammar checkers, terminology databases, full-text search tools, camcorders, etc. Modern computer technology helps with the following translations and tasks:
- communication with the customer and obtaining the source text;
- perception of electronic foreign language text;
- information and reference search on the topic of a foreign language text;
- translation analysis of a foreign language scientific and technical text;
- creation of annotated lists of information resources;
- selection of translation correspondences and equivalents;
- creation of the text of the translation;
- creating translator’s notes;
- creation of an electronic information and reference database of the translator,
- editing, correcting, and layout of the performed translation of a foreign text in accordance with the requirements of the customer;
- assessment of the quality of the performed translation of a foreign language scientific and technical text;
- delivery of the performed translation of a foreign language scientific and technical text to the customer.
Useful Tools for Translation
It can be argued that the translator in his professional career can not do without information means of obtaining, processing, storing, and transmitting the information. If you don’t have such, it is better to ask for the help of the best translation services and receive a qualified translation. Nevertheless, such tools include electronic resources like:
- Text Editor;
- Electronic bilingual and monolingual dictionaries for online and offline work;
- Terminological databases;
- Specialized terminological dictionaries and glossaries;
- Automatic editing programs;
- General and specialized encyclopedias, encyclopedic dictionaries;
- Electronic parallel text corpora and concordance;
- Electronic libraries;
- Online newspaper and magazine archives;
- Translation Memory Programs
- Machine translation programs;
- New communication technologies, etc.
Electronic Dictionaries and Their Advantages
An electronic dictionary is a computer database that contains specially encoded dictionary articles that allow you to quickly search for words, often with morphological forms and the ability to search for word combinations, as well as the ability to change the direction of translation. If you want to use an electronic dictionary or other devices you can search for more information about translation devices in 2022 to help you with your studying or work. Advantages of electronic dictionaries are:
- high-speed information processing;
- portability of the information carrier;
- availability of the latest vocabulary due to rapid updates, especially in rapidly developing areas (nanotechnology, computer technology, etc.);
- simultaneous access to several dictionaries;
- the ability to change the direction of translation.
Computer Helping People
Now all areas of human activity are inextricably linked with information technology, so it is difficult to imagine the translation process without the main tool of the translator, the computer. Screen culture has replaced the culture of printed text, the functions and essence of translation have changed, and information itself has been generated, transmitted, and perceived directly through the computer. There are a number of features that are important to the translator in the Microsoft Word text editor that translators typically work with. This is Spelling and Grammar Checker, a tool for checking the spelling and grammar of the text and the program allows you to control the spelling of words.