TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Re: Revision tracking in translations of large manuals
Subject:Re: Revision tracking in translations of large manuals From:SusanH -at- cardsetc -dot- com To:techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com Date:Fri, 24 Mar 2000 08:37:36 +1100
Keith Wilkinson asked about automated tracking of revisions in large
translated manuals.
This list has seen at least two recent threads on updating translations
but in the last thread Peter Ring and Andrew Becrat both posted very useful
suggestions about translation memory.
What does that mean? I'm a very, very lay person on this topic but it seems
to means that each segment of your source is matched with a translation in
the target language, and the pairings are stored in a "translation memory".
When a new version of the source is created (with changes and extra info),
the source is loaded into the translation memory tool. The tool is used by
a translator. The tool automatically translates segments that match
existing segments in the translation memory, suggests translations for
segments that are partly matched (fuzzy matching) and highlights new,
unmatchable segments of the source... which the translator then translates.
Edward Shi, from Trados, a leading translation workbench (TM) tool, quoted
an approximately 50% savings in localisation time (= translation time
principally) that Microsoft made by using translation memory (TM)
technology when it moved to Office 2000.
Edward S also confirmed to me that loading an existing translation into
translation memory is not a trivial task BUT it can be done between
releases (= will not impact delivery times), and once done, the translation
memory is simply augmented at each release.
If translation memories can really deliver in this way, Keith, they will
practically eliminate the need to track change... and your company probably
needs to start talking to translation companies who use the TM technology
and who can partner with you in reducing the translation versioning pain!!
Cards Etc will be on stand 573 at CardTech SecureTech in Miami
from 2nd May to 4th May. Look forward to seeing you there!
==================================================================
This e-mail is from Cards Etc Pty Ltd (ACN: 069 533 302).
This e-mail may contain privileged and confidential information.
It is intended for the named recipient(s) only.
If you are not an intended recipient, please notify us immediately
(by reply e-mail) and delete this e-mail from your system.
==================================================================
