Over the years Adelphi Translations Ltd have invested heavily in modern Translation Memory software. We are currently the proud owners of Trados 2007 and SDL Studio 2009. Using Translation Memory Software brings two major benefits to our clients: projects can be completed more quickly and deadlines met, and costs can be reduced for repeated translations.

What is Translation Memory?

When Translation Memory (TM) software is used to translate a document the source document is processed and broken down by the software into a series of logical sections or ‘segments’. They can be whole sentences, phrases or sub-phrases. The image below shows how an English document has been segmented by the TM software.

When loading the document into the software an empty TM is created which is populated by the source English segments. When the translator enters the translation in the target language column and verifies that segment this is entered into the TM. So now the TM database hold the original English source and its associated translation.

How does TM benefit the current project?

Speed and accuracy are improved even during the translation of a document using TM software. If an exact copy of the segment appears again in the document it will be pre-translated from the TM database which both speeds up the translation process and assures consistency – identical English segments will always be translated in the same way.

How does TM benefit future projects?

When the translation is complete the TM will hold a complete translation of the source document. If you then need another document translated, which contains similar subject matter, the new document can be loaded and run against the TM which will translate any segments which have been translated before in the previous project (100% matches). If the segment is almost, but not exactly, the same as in the previous document the software will alert the translator with a “fuzzy match”. The translator will then check the translation and correct it to be accurate.

A good example of the power of TM would be a technical manual. Your product manual can be translated using TM software. If you then produce an upgrade or version of your product, in which certain features or functions are improved or changed, much of your previous manual may still be relevant. Using TM software, only the new parts of the latest manual will be charged at the full rate.

Both 100% and fuzzy matches speed up the translation process, ensure consistency between documents and will cost less as such matches are charged at a lower rate than new translations.

Save Time and Money with Translation Software

In order to save both time and money on translation projects it makes sense to partner with a translation company that understands the power of TM software and can use it to increase speed and accuracy and to lower costs. Adelphi Translations can offer you such a service as your translation partners for almost all types of document, from MS word to InDesign, from XML to HTML.