What Is Translation Memory (TM)?

Throughout history, humans have always been interested in communication. As a result, they have developed many different ways to express themselves and share information. When it comes to language, people have created thousands of different languages and dialects. The problem is that most of these languages are not mutually intelligible. This means that people who speak different languages cannot easily communicate with one another.

Today, translation memory development is a dynamic and expanding field. The innovations in this field have created new opportunities for improvement in existing tools as well as for the creation of new ones.

What Exactly is Translation Memory?

Translation memory is a database that contains references to source documents and their translations, enabling the system to match the sentence segments in two text documents. Once the two files are matched, it is possible to display synonyms and perform other kinds of linguistic analysis.

Translation memory systems are semi-automated tools that help translators and localization professionals produce high-quality translations faster and more efficiently than if they were using traditional translation techniques. Translation memory systems can also be used for machine translation when someone has translated the source text before.

How Translation Memory Works Translators use CAT tools or TMSs to create their databases by saving previously translated texts. These databases are called Translation Memories (TMs). When a new project comes up,

you can search your TM for matching text segments instead of translating everything from scratch again. This speeds up the process dramatically and lowers costs because you don’t have to pay someone else to translate something already done.

How Does The Translation Memory Work?

The basic principle behind TM is that once a sentence or phrase has been translated, it can be reused in future translations, saving time and reducing costs. When new content is added to the translation project, the TM software automatically checks to see if there are any matches with existing translations. If a match is found, the software suggests the previously translated text, which can then be accepted, modified, or rejected by the translator.

Translation Memory works by breaking down the source text into segments, usually sentences or paragraphs, and then storing them in a database along with their corresponding translations. When a new source text is uploaded, the TM software automatically searches the database for matching segments and displays the results to the translator. The software can also track changes made to the translation, so that future translations of the same segment will reflect the most recent version.

TM is particularly useful for translations that involve large amounts of repetitive or similar content, such as technical manuals, legal documents, or user interfaces. It can help improve consistency and accuracy across translations, reduce errors, and speed up the translation process, ultimately saving time and money.

Overall, Translation Memory is a valuable tool for translators and localization teams, and has become an essential part of the translation industry.

What are the Advantages of Translation Memory?

Translation memory software can be used as a standalone or integrated into CAT tools. If you work with translation memories, you may have noticed that they can help to reduce your workload by eliminating repetitive tasks and ensuring consistency in your translations. In addition, they can:

• Improve productivity: Translators can reuse previously translated segments of text instead of translating them manually again. This saves time and increases productivity while maintaining high-quality standards.
• Improve consistency: Using a translation memory helps ensure consistency between translations because similar texts will always be translated in the same way.
• Reduce costs: You can avoid paying for expensive translation services more than once by reusing already-translated segments.
• Save time: Using translation memories also allows translators to focus on more complex tasks that require their expertise rather than repeating low-level work repeatedly.

In a Nutshell

No matter what industry they work in, translators will surely appreciate the ability to use translation memory tools to speed up their workflow. With constant updates and new features popping up all the time, more tools are available than ever to take on the tasks that would slow down a less efficient team of translators. It’s hard to say just how technology will continue to shape the translation industry—but translation memory solutions will likely be at the forefront. Here at Eurolingo translation agency, we are glad to help with any of your translation requirements. Contact us today.