Technology

Technology Content

There is always a healthy tension between the need for quality and cost-effectiveness.

At Teneo we  harness technology to help with the translation process and add in the experience and judgement of excellent linguists to ensure that quality is maintained.

There is a difficult balance to be struck and we always err on the side of caution when looking at the use of technology in our work.

Translation technology

There are two types of technology commonly available to the translation sector; Machine Translation (MT) and Computer Aided Translation (CAT)

At the same time that machine translation (MT) has become more widespread, so too has the use of computer aided translation (CAT) tools. These are software programmes that don’t replace human translators but enhance their work by ensuring that terminology and tone of voice can be harmonised across projects. This has enabled large projects to be completed more quickly than previously would have been possible, without any variances in terminology.

So there are huge benefits in using MT and CAT. However, as always, there needs to be a note of caution.

Machine or Human?

Machine translation is much cheaper than using a human and almost instantaneous; however, we believe there is still a need for human translators to edit the final output to make sure that it is fit for purpose as the quality produced by MT algorithms is fine for everyday use where there are no nuances, or the end result is not mission critical. However, there are many examples where a translation absolutely must be exact and precise. Within the legal sector for example, a word can have different connotations, depending on how and when it is used. Similarly, the medical sector demands that meaning must be clear and accurate.

Why not both?

This is where having the translations checked by a sector-experienced linguist with a deep understanding of terminology will ensure that there are no costly mistakes in the final output.

Computer-Aided Translation is the use of a technological solution to aid a human translator.

The system doesn’t do the translation as much as providing a suite of tools that the linguist can use to carry out their work quickly and accurately.

Typically this will include things like spellcheckers, databases and editing environments that make the translation process smoother.

We are happy to use CAT as it increases the productivity of our translators whilst at the same time maintaining the quality of the output meaning that we are able to offer a lower price to our customers.

And of course, all of our finished work is quality checked before it leaves our premises.

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