Translation Software

[Paul B. Gallagher]

David Fegen wrote:

> I am translating a large amount of scientific and technical Russian
> text into English, but I am not sure which software to use.  I
> searched the archives but was unable to come up with any particular
> software programs associated with personal experience.  I realize the
> translation will be poor, but at this point I know I will be
> purchasing software I just have no idea which one to choose.  Any
> information would be a great help.  Thank you all for your time.

It depends a lot on who you are and what your purpose is.

The best translation programs are designed for translation professionals
-- people with specialized training, skills, and knowledge that permit
them to use the tools wisely and well without depending on them as
crutches and falling into the traps inherent in computer-aided
translation (CAT). If you are a non-translator looking to save yourself
some money, I feel ethically bound to warn you against pursuing this
path, just as a doctor or lawyer would warn you against practicing on
yourself. But if you are knowledgeable enough to use a CAT tool well,
then go for it.

The two most widely used programs in our profession are Trados
<http://www.trados.com> and Déjà Vu <http://www.atril.com>. These
programs are most effective -- and this is especially true of Trados --
if you have many texts within a narrow subject area or texts that
contain repetitions of similar or identical phrases and sentences.
Trados limits its recognition to the sentence level, while Déjà Vu also
recognizes words and phrases. If you have a very diverse corpus, you
should not expect to reap large savings with these programs until you
have built up a large database of familiar "translation units" (pieces
of text whose translations are known to the program). And that will take
time, especially with Trados.

In terms of your decision-making process, there are basically three
options:

1) Do the work yourself, aided by a CAT tool such as Trados or Déjà Vu.

   The potential costs are the cost of buying and installing the
   software and your time spent learning to use it.

   The potential benefits include saving the money you might otherwise
   spend hiring it out and the control you will have over quality
   (assuming you are good enough to do this).

2) Hire a professional translation agency, paying them for their time
   and expertise but saving your own time.

   The potential costs are chiefly monetary -- the fee they will charge
   for their service. If you choose badly, as with any vendor, you can
   get poor quality, missed deadlines, etc.

   The potential benefits, if you choose wisely, are the high quality
   you will get from their professional staff and quality control
   procedures, and also the efficiency of a well-managed project that
   frees you to do your real job.

3) Do the work yourself without a CAT tool.

   The potential cost is that it will take a long time to finish a
   large project and it will take you away from your real job.

   The potential benefit is that this is the most economical choice.

If you want more information and opinions from a large community of
professional translators, I suggest you post a query to lantra-l, the
"Language Translation" mailing list. The FAQ for the list is at
<http://www.geocities.com/Athens/7110/ltr2.htm>.

--
War doesn't determine who's right, just who's left.
--
Paul B. Gallagher
pbg translations, inc.
"Russian Translations That Read Like Originals"
http://pbg-translations.com

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
  options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
                  http://home.attbi.com/~lists/seelangs/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------