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Introducing CAT Tools - a life saver for all translators

 

In this month’s article, TrueOnline would like to recommend free CAT Tools (Computer-Assisted Translation Tools) that are available online. The tools are highly recommended if you are a translator or translation company that is interested in expanding customer’s base overseas. When the workload increases and there are loads of texts that need to be translated, CAT Tools are here to save the day.

 

What are CAT Tools exactly?

 

According to an article from GTE Localize, Computer-Assisted Translation Tool (CAT tool) is a tool specifically designed to support translators in boosting productivity as well as translation quality and consistency. With CAT Tools, translators can edit, store previous translations, and use them for future projects.

 

CAT tools contain four main features that make them a powerful tool: translation memory, termbase, the ability to work on almost any format, and bilingual format. The translator can input text into the CAT online platform in the source language and use the interface to divide it into segments—a phrase, sentence, or paragraph. Meanwhile, the platform saves each source segment and its corresponding translation as an entry in a database which is called translation memory. The translator can refer to it anytime while translating. 

 

Why should we use CAT Tools in the first place? 

 

CAT tools can handle everything from editing to quality assurance, applying formal rules or style guides, correcting, formatting, and standardizing terminology. With the aid of CAT software, your translation projects will improve in many ways.

 

CAT tools promote consistency. Thanks to translation memories and termbases within CAT tools, you can translate multiple texts with the same consistent results every time. Plus the tools also increase productivity. You no longer have to copy and paste your translations into a template; just focus only on translating the units that need translation and your CAT tool will handle the rest.

 

It will even generate a clean copy of your original file in the source language once you are done. A CAT translation tool also enables you to work flexibly with a team by inviting team members to collaborate on your translation projects in real time. CAT tools are also accessible on many platforms—on the web, desktop, and mobile which you can use as you like.

 

Importantly, A CAT tool for translation caters to quality. You will be able to deliver high-quality translations consistently and effortlessly by referencing the language databases integrated into a CAT tool.

 

Recommended free online CAT Tools

 

Although there are many CAT tools available, both paid and unpaid, we would like to focus on the ones that are available online for free.

 

Wordfast Anywhere

 

For those who are just beginning to use CAT Tools, try Wordfast Anywhere. It has all the main features of CAT tools as mentioned above available for free. Simply go to www.FreeTM.com and sign up to launch the most up-to-date version of WFA, and begin translating instantly. However, the biggest drawback of this free CAT tool is its slow operation and bug proneness.

 

SmartCAT

 

SmartCAT has great advantages of being free, user-friendly, and comprehensive. Its open-source solution offers CAT Tool, collaborative space, and freelance marketplace – all features in one tool. Simply click the “Get SmartCAT Free” button to create your own SmartCAT account with an e-mail address and start translating right away.

 

So, if you need to get your translations done faster and more conveniently and be sure that they have quality and consistency, let’s sign up and try using CAT Tools now. We hope this article will help those who are interested in using this translation aid more or less.