If you don’t have any professional experience as a translator, this article is for you! As a foreign language student, I wasn’t expecting to becoming a translator, but as fate would have it, I quickly found myself in this environment. Wandering around the internet looking for a company willing to take me on as an intern, I stumbled upon a small start-up specialized in the self-repair of household appliances. Since it was in the middle of a global pandemic and I was desperate, the hiring manager welcomed me with open arms and accepted me as a Spanish translator intern for six months.
I was overjoyed, and I put a lot of effort into this internship. My mission was to translate YouTube video tutorials on electrical appliance repair to open a new market for spare parts sales in Spain. The audiovisual world instantly seduced me; the subtitling of videos was very interesting despite its complexity. However, the day came when I was confronted with a major problem: using a CAT tool. I had no idea what it was, what it was for. I was in my third year of undergraduate studies when I started doing this internship and I realized that it was in the first year of the master’s degree that students were learning to use such tools.
My manager asked me to look for a CAT tool adapted to their needs for the translation of their video tutorials. So this was my first important assignment. The question is how to do it when you don’t know anything about CAT tools? This survival guide will help you find the right way to master this amazing software!
Step1: Prepare Your Speech
The best thing to do first is to research the definition of the translation tool. Have a good coffee, then go online. Computer-Assisted Translation, as its name suggests, allows the translators to be faster in their work. But you still have to master this software. I had no idea what it was, so I started doing my CAT study and found out that two most used devices in the world are SDL Trados Studio and MemoQ.
Before using such important software, you need to prepare your teaser text because there’s definitely someone behind the software. I must admit that I was intimidated since I was only an intern and had this responsibility of starting a discussion with a CAT professional. First: outline your challenges and what you’re looking for. In my case, I gave a brief presentation of the start-up I was in and what was its international objective. The person I contacted was immediately enthusiastic about the idea and we agreed on several videoconference meetings.
Step2: Master the Tool
To work with such a tool, it’s essential to know how to master computer skills at least. It’s impossible to move forward otherwise, CAT is a complex tool and requires great agility to acquire all the resources integrated in the computer program. Fortunately, you can stay in touch with technical support when you start your subscription trial on the software. Read the manual, watch tutorials and be rigorous in your learning, because it’s a lesson at breakneck speed. That’s why you have to manage your time to study the software and at the same time do the translations for the company or for yourself.
The goal is to test the computer program and see if the working time for the translation is more optimal than when you work without CAT. The answer seems obvious since the CAT software is there to help translators operate better, but if you have no knowledge of the tool, it can very quickly become a source of trouble and it may slow you down. There’s no better way to gain experience than by practicing on the job, so have no fear and take the tool in hand. Listen, learn, test!
Step3: Compare the Tools
Once you have mastered your first CAT tool, it’s important to think critically and test another one to compare software. Initially I contacted SDL Trados but as I was going to suggest this translation software to my manager and the company would surely work with it, I had to explore all the options. So, I had to find out if there was another solution besides SDL Trados Studio. I tested MemoQ, the second important CAT tool on the market. You have to look at all aspects and find out which tools would afford quality translation and efficient performance.
You will have to struggle with the AI of the CAT tool so that you don’t settle into a translation facility that is the fatal trap! Challenge yourself, don’t rely on the software and instead test its performance. I could work with SDL Trados Studio AI, which automatically provided pre-translation of documents. However, it isn’t always perfect. Post-editing is a point not to be neglected, it’s the job of all translators to proofread and have a critical mind on their translation.
Step4: Negotiate Your CAT Tool
Your translation skills are important, but you will also have to master business negotiation, because CAT software isn’t free. So, you have to compare the two software programs and see which one offers a better price, a better working environment, the best alternatives, etc. All these important factors help to find out what fits best for the company. CAT software offers several workspaces, either as a team or solo. Since I had to accompany and train other intern translators who arrived after me during my internship, I chose an option that allowed me to work as a team. You also need to consider your budget, and see if buying the tool will help you or the company making a profit.
You should not only negotiate with yourself by listing the pros and cons, you should negotiate with the CAT tool. State your feelings and be confident in presenting your arguments. You have had enough time to understand the CAT tool to be able to explain clearly and concisely why you should choose this tool and not another one.
That’s all, folks! I hope this little guide will be useful if you’re looking for a CAT tool for your future projects and that it will allow you to master it without any problem.
Andréa Ruiz – M1 TSM (2021-2022)
La Traduction de A à Z 