You are absolutely a translator; a good one for sure. But why not be the best translator? All you need is to make some extra effort, you must have worked very hard to be fluent in two languages or even more. So, keep investing in yourself, and you will be the best translator ever; today you are better than you were yesterday and tomorrow you will become better than you are today.
Many helpful tools for translators are out there waiting for you to make use of them. You might spend many hours to learn how to use those translation tools, but then you see how much it actually is worth it as it will save you time and effort in the future.
In every field, we need practical knowledge, and translation is not that different; a relative degree, proficiency in two languages or more, and training. They are enough for typical translators that only want the necessary ingredients of success. However, there are always tricks and tips to go a step further in your career. Many translators recommend translation tools to add value to your work, so let’s take a look at 10 translation tools recommended by translators. You surely remember the thousands of hours that you spent to be good enough to translate, now all you need is another 10 minutes that might lead you to take a step further to be the best translator. Let’s start!
-OmegaT
It is a simple CAT tool (Computer Assisted Translation). You can start with it, especially if you haven’t tried any CAT tools before, and you would not take much time to learn how to use OmegaT, which is also free. It has many essential features that most of the CAT tools have; including spell-check, +30 formats along with translation memory applications, which means that previous translations will appear automatically so that you will not translate the same terms again; this feature is critical in legal translation, and fuzzy matching, which means that the system will search not only for the exact past translations, but it will also figure out the relative meanings. It has no previous memory translation, but you can connect it with Google Translate for quick translation, then start to edit. One more amazing feature is that you can work online with your team of translators on the same file at the same time.
It is definitely worth trying. Remember! Your goal is to be the best online translator. Spend time now, save it later.
-SDL Trados
It is the most popular CAT tool, you probably heard of it before. So now you might make sense of how CAT tools look like. SDL Trados has a good reputation among translators; it deals with all possible formats, and there are many tutorials in different languages out there to watch. The tool allows you to create as many glossaries as you want. It has two versions; one is for freelance translators at 825$, and the other is for translation companies at 2,895$. However, some translators do not like to use it because it might crash many times while working. No one can make the final decision expect you, so try it and tell us your opinion. Or if you already have experience with it, comment below.
-MemoQ
It is a reliable, productive CAT tool. It has many advanced features; such as something called LiveDocs. The tool is all about translating a whole paragraph in a meaningful way, not only short lines. There are also auto spell-check and suggestions; which will save your time while you type the same or similar words. Another important feature is to extract and import terms from any glossaries, keep creating your own glossaries the way you want, as they will be worthwhile the effort later on when you start implementing them in your different translations. Other features include automatic saving, +80 formats, free webinars, and free online training. MemoQ has special customer service and community, you can receive replies for your questions at any time. Finally, check your system features before purchasing because it needs specific requirements for Windows or Mac systems. Its price is 770$, and there is a free version with limited features.
-WordFast Pro
It is an affordable CAT tool. It is a typical one with all classic features; many formats, spell-check, and memory translation. It has a free version with one limitation regarding the translation memory size. Its price is 400€, and there is a 50% discount for some countries. Till now we have covered four different CAT tools that have many features in common. It is hard to choose, but the good news is that you, now, know their important features, and you can go further by visiting their websites in order to explore further before making any decision.
-Babylon
It is a translation software on Windows, Mac, Android and iOS systems. You have two choices of subscription; classic at 9.9$, and pro at 15.9$ per month, not too many differences except for the advanced results and the access to the leading dictionaries. In general, you have no limitation of text translation, and there are 77 languages available, office documents’ translation, and human voice to text conversion. You can find other relative products like global dictionaries and languages’ training. Sometimes multilingual dictionaries do not give the suitable equivalent, so the advanced monolingual dictionaries explain the meaning in a way that enables you to understand and use the proper word in your native language.
-Google translator toolkit
It is an online translation tool, it is a great tool to edit Google translations online with some CAT tool features, such as translation memories and glossaries. It has 100,000 pair languages; 345 source languages and 345 target languages.
It is a good option for Wikipedia translators since they can import the link then simply get their task organized. However, you can use Google translator toolkit only if you are an approved user. It is easy to be approved; don’t miss the chance of experiencing such an easy, useful translation tool.
Now you have known many tools, you might feel a little bit overwhelmed; but wait! Four tools still await you, the best translator, to read and learn about them.
-Microsoft translator
It is an online dictionary with over 60 languages. You can type, speak or take photos of the content to be translated. It has an app on Android and iOS operating systems, and you can use it online or offline. It has a travel phrases book and other essential sections. In addition, you can save and create your own glossaries. It looks like any other dictionary, but some people argue that it surpasses Google translate in regard to quality. Furthermore, it has an exclusive feature that enables you to have a quick translation for conversations with foreign people. As translators, it is important to have relationships with other translators from all over the world, and you can learn a lot by communicating with translators from different backgrounds and cultures. Thus, Microsoft Translator will translate your conversation quickly and serve that purpose. The translation might not be accurate 100%, but if you type your sentences correctly, the other party will get a comprehensible translation.
-Systran
It is an online dictionary that is similar to Microsoft translator, but it has many other products that work as CAT tools. Systran 7 has four versions; Home Translator, Office Translator, Business Translator and Premium Translator. Like other CAT tools, it has translation memory, glossary, many compatible formats… etc. One distinctive thing is their user guide, it is really long; a 434-page-guide. It may seem like it will waste your time, but reading a language that you probably translate from or into will be beneficial; the best translator never stops reading and learning.
-Smartling
It is an amazing online CAT tool, it is appropriate for both individuals and businesses. You can import any content; webpages, subtitles, mobile apps, business documents…etc. It has the classic features that almost every CAT tool has. For example, translation guide, glossary, translation memory and in-context translation. Moreover, there is a comment section that connects translators with each other, and you can ask and get responses for any translation problems you face.
One final thing is that Smartling is used by Coursera, the largest MOOC (Massive Open Online Courses) platform. You can invite your translators to do the work as Coursera does, or get help from Smartling’s translators.
-Poedit
It is an ordinary CAT tool with fresh features. It includes memory translation and glossaries like any other CAT tools; however, encodings that operating systems support are understandable in Poedit, and you can reuse translation data from your PO, MO and RPM files. So, if you know a programmer and translator, tell him/her about Poedit. It is considered the best translation tool for websites and apps.
Oh, great job! You have done the first step. To sum up, we have recognized 10 translation tools that you can one or more of which. You need a CAT tool to get your translation documents organized and saved, you will have a translation memory so that you will never translate the same segments twice. As mentioned earlier, this feature is crucial in legal translation or technical translation because you always have repetitive terms. In addition to glossaries that you can create and share with other translators, it is a great idea to build a community for translators so that you help each other. Another thing is the online translation or dictionary, every translator needs many dictionaries; including monolingual and bilingual dictionaries. Finally, you can have those features through online CAT tools like Smartling, it is a great choice for businesses where many translators work on the same project.
Lastly, if you have any valuable experience with the tools above, comment and guide the others to save their time, they will highly appreciate it for sure.
