Apologies to OmegaT

This blog is only one week old but it's already taught me a valuable life lesson: never put others down in print, because you will look silly when you are proved wrong! (Of course, I could just doctor my last post and delete his comment, but I think I'd rather learn a life lesson.)

After my last post, where I expressed disdain of OmegaT paragraph segmentation, none other than software's developer himself posted a comment that my info was shamefully out of date.

I must publicly confess that I've never used OmegaT. When I was looking for a CAT, several reviewers warned against it for the reasons I described. However, if OmegaT has indeed changed their segmentation feature, I'll be installing it this very night to give it a try.

Stay tuned to find out what happens...

Wordfast in Action

There are several options for free CATS available online, and I'll mention two here right now: OmegaT and Wordfast. OmegaT is a true FOSS (Free and Open Source Software), meaning that it can be used free-of-charge in all its versions. The problem with it is that it segments the text by paragraphs which means that it almost impossible to get any matches with your translation memory (TM). Perhaps if you are translating financial reports or form contacts... but that's about it.

Why they designed OmegaT this way is a mystery to me. I don't want to say "you get what you pay for" since some other FOSS is excellent. (I'll be given some prime examples soon.)

The other free option is Wordfast - which happens to be the one I use. Wordfast is not FOSS, but rather it has a very generous, unlimited-time free version which is designed to entice you to buy the full version (only 300 Euro!). Wordfast segments your text by sentence or phrase.

To understand what I mean by segmentation and to view some other good features of Wordfast, click here.

I must point out that Wordfast seems to have a few bugs but in spite of that I definitely find it worthwhile for use on longer docs with a technical element.

What is a CAT?

My previous post caused a bit of confusion about just what is meant by a CAT. CATs are computer programs used by translators which memorize their translations of phrases and insert them when that phrase is encountered again.

CATs are different from Machine Translation tools, such as translate.google.com, Babel Fish, Babylon*, and many others. These programs actually do the translating for you. Fantastic! The only problem is that they produce appalling results. Some people think they are being smart by using these free programs rather than spending money on a human translator. But the result is they end up looking anything but smart.

If you want to see a great example of how Machine Translations can make you look sooooooooo stupid, you simply must visit the Prague Olympic bid site. We all need a good laugh, so feel free to forward the link to all your friends.

More on CATs soon.

*Not that I mean to degrade Babylon. Like so many other translators and all my students, I'm addicted to using it as a dictionary. However, its machine translation feature is no better (and no worse) than any other.

The Trados Trade-Off

Computer Assisted Translation (CAT) - Sounds great! But only a little bit of research and the pitfalls become clear. They are really expensive (Trados is 695 Euro) and their usefulness is somewhat limited since they only remember sentences that they've seen before. That means that if you are translating a text that is just a dash more creative than the phone book, it is unlikely that you'll have any matches at all. On the other hand, if you're translating standard, repetitive legal or technical texts, whole sentences, if not paragraphs, are given to you as freebies. Very nice, since we get paid by the word.

But I have to admit, I've never felt motivated enough to shell out to buy it. The fact that there a experts known as "Trados trainers" deters me. If you need a specially trained professional to teach a translator (generally a computer savvy breed) how to use software, you know it's complicated. That doesn't mean it's not worthwhile, but it does mean that its not the kind of purchase you rush in to. Rather, you wait for the right moment, and for a busy translator, that moment may never arrive.

I still believe I'll buy it one day, if not for my own sake then at least so I'll be able to tell my students if it's worthwhile. But up to this point, I've only used the free CAT options, and there are a few. I'll discuss what I've learned from this experience in my next post.

(PS. In case you are dying to hear more about Trados from a translator who actually uses it, check out this link to the AboutTranslation blog. Note that he prays fervently for it's demise, but doesn't stop using it. Sounds like the love-hate relationship many of us have with certain other software.)

Welcome to Translation R&R!

Just ask any hard-working pro translator what they need most - the answer will be "some R&R." Not just Rest & Relaxation (though that alone would be most welcome), but also some really great Resources & References. R&R is one of the the keys to producing truly first-rate translations (this blog will offer translators the other kind of R&R too).

It will also be jam-packed with tips and info related to the translation profession, including finding good translation jobs and dealing with clients, the usefulness of various software and online tools, translating The Untranslatable, lots of humorous stories and examples of the joys and pitfalls of the translation game, and much more.

I want to start by saying that I love translating. It is for me a passion and a calling. As well as working as a Hebrew-English translator, I run a translator's training program with WritePoint in Jerusalem. Thank God I found teaching, because it allows me to channel my overflowing enthusiasm for my job towards helping others get started, rather than stupefying acquaintances I meet at bar mitzvahs by regaling them with my latest death-defying translation adventures.

I look forward to sharing my knowledge, experience and love of translation with a wider audience through this blog!

Enjoy and feel free to leave friendly and constuctive comments!