CAT Tools Thread poster: Giovanella (X)
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Giovanella (X)
German to English
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I recently started translating; however, I have a couple of very large projects that I need to get done. Both are German to English but I am completely unfamiliar with what to look for in a CAT tool and right now don't have a lot of time to do research on the subject. Can anyone suggest a good place to start and how know what to look for?
| | | | Samuel Murray 
Netherlands
Local time: 19:14
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
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| Try OmegaT and Wordfast first | Apr 5, 2006 |
Giovanella wrote:
...but I am completely unfamiliar with what to look for in a CAT tool and right now don't have a lot of time to do research on the subject.
Try OmegaT first. The opening page contains a "quick start guide" which will help you get on your feet. To use OmegaT, you need to install Java, and if you're going to translate formatted documents such as Microsoft Word, you'll need OpenOffice.org too.
With OmegaT, you translate in the CAT tool's GUI.
If you're not happy, try Wordfast next. Read the first about ten pages of the User Manual to get yourself into things. To use Wordfast, you need Microsoft Word. Wordfast is shareware (up to 500 segments for unregistered version).
With Wordfast, you translate in the wordprocessor's GUI.
Hey... you asked for it.
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You can also try Metatexis. It's very easy to use --the manual is priceless if you're a beginner translator, and even though it's not free, you can use without any restrictions for 60 days. I find it more user-friendly than Wordfast but every translator has his or her own preferences.
| | | | Giovanella (X)
German to English
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TOPIC STARTER | Another question | Apr 5, 2006 |
I have not done any research into this until I got these two very large documents, but do you purchase dictionaries to add to the programs or do they come with dictionaries, I am just not quite sure how the whole process works. I am working them word for word in microsoft right now and I downloaded Wordfast, I will try OmegaT as well. Thanks so much. Joanna.
Samuel Murray wrote: Giovanella wrote:
...but I am completely unfamiliar with what to look for in a CAT tool and right now don't have a lot of time to do research on the subject. Try OmegaT first. The opening page contains a "quick start guide" which will help you get on your feet. To use OmegaT, you need to install Java, and if you're going to translate formatted documents such as Microsoft Word, you'll need OpenOffice.org too. With OmegaT, you translate in the CAT tool's GUI. If you're not happy, try Wordfast next. Read the first about ten pages of the User Manual to get yourself into things. To use Wordfast, you need Microsoft Word. Wordfast is shareware (up to 500 segments for unregistered version). With Wordfast, you translate in the wordprocessor's GUI. Hey... you asked for it.
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Olaf (X)
Local time: 19:14
English to German
| You can also try Nero Across | Apr 6, 2006 |
Since you speak German you can still download the free freelance version of Nero Across 3,1.
http://www.across.net/de/fdb_intro.aspx
However, Wordfast is probably easier to learn and to use.
Olaf
| | | | Giovanella (X)
German to English
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TOPIC STARTER
Thank you both for your feedback, it is hard to start and the support I have had from ProZ members has been great. Joanna.
| | | | Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 19:14
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
| Regarding dictionaries | Apr 6, 2006 |
Giovanella wrote:
...do you purchase dictionaries to add to the programs or do they come with dictionaries, I am just not quite sure how the whole process works.
I think SDL Trados purchased a dictionary company recently which makes it possible to use their dictionaries natively with the CAT tool. But the problem is that dictionary companies all use their own programs, which are not compatible with CAT tool programs. So you'll just have to have the dictionary program (which you have purchased elsewhere) as a separate program. Wordfast has a way to do dictionary lookups, but I don't use it (I simply use the dictionary program itself... much faster, IMO).
You can also have glossaries. Both Wordfast and OmegaT uses plaintext glossaries in the format [source term][tab][taget term], but you have to compile these glossaries yourself (or, the client provides them). These glossaries usually don't contain more than 10000 terms in them, and are not meant as general dictionaries, but as specialist word lists.
| | | | Robert Tucker (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 18:14
German to English
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Although not currently being developed further this CAT tool, a little involved to set up, is quite nice to use on simpler files once you've done so, I have found.
It features a look up facility which will take a word you have copied to clipboard from the source text window and look it up in Leo (http://dict.leo.org/), giving the result in your default browser. You can also select to send them or even... See more Although not currently being developed further this CAT tool, a little involved to set up, is quite nice to use on simpler files once you've done so, I have found.
It features a look up facility which will take a word you have copied to clipboard from the source text window and look it up in Leo (http://dict.leo.org/), giving the result in your default browser. You can also select to send them or even larger chunks of text to Google translate.
Cafetran (not finding much support from translator comments I have so far seen) will look up terms in KudoZ and elsewhere. (The free version only allows translation of a limited number of segments.) ▲ Collapse
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Brandis (X)
Local time: 19:14
English to German
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| quickest start with Fusion | Apr 6, 2006 |
if your projects involve purely MS-Word based documentation, then Fusion is called for, it is quick to learn (about 20 min) and very visual. good luck, Brandis
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