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What is it?

Technical activities required to support the process of translation, including converting files to a translatable format, re-converting them to their original formats after translation, and ensuring technical validity of translated files.

Why is it important?

Localization engineering is a key component of the localization process and often included as a cost item in estimates, but it is frequently misunderstood or misinterpreted.

...continue reading "Term of the Week: Localization Engineering"

What is it?

The instance when a source segment that is submitted to translation is partially recognized as being similar to a source segment that has already been translated and exists in the translation memory (TM).

Why is it important?

Fuzzy match is important for translation costs and efficiency. As a TM builds up a library of content, it will recognize more fuzzy matches, leading to reduced costs and increased efficiency.

...continue reading "Term of the Week: Fuzzy Match"

What is it?

The instance when a source segment that is submitted to translation is word-for-word the same as a source segment that has already been translated and exists in the translation memory (TM).

Why is it important?

Exact matches save translation expenses. Once a segment has been translated, an exact match reduces the cost of processing that same segment again. In-context exact matches reduce costs even more.

...continue reading "Term of the Week: Exact match"

What is it?

The production of professional quality, print-ready materials using specialized software to design the layouts and templates. It has replaced manual typesetting and paste up as a discipline, and has evolved beyond desktop computers to include laptops, mobile devices, and the cloud.

Why is it important?

DTP software is used to produce most printed documentation in circulation. It can be 50% of the cost of a localization project, so if the source files are poorly internationalized, this task can break a company’s localization budget[Esselink, 2000]. Properly implemented XML or other structure can significantly reduce DTP costs, but you still need skilled designers to create the output templates.

...continue reading "Term of the Week: Desktop Publishing (DTP)"

What is it?

A translation process in which professional human translators use software programs, such as translation memory or terminology management tools, that support and facilitate productivity and accurate, consistent translations.

Why is it important?

CAT tools provide workflow management and resource allocation and help human translators build and maintain translation memories. When implemented correctly, CAT tools significantly improve efficiency, quality, and consistency, which helps to reduce translation costs.

...continue reading "Term of the Week: Computer-aided translation (CAT)"

What is it?

A defined list of grouped symbols used for digital communication.

Why is it important?

All global text belongs to a particular character set. Digital programs and platforms expect a specific character set so that they correctly process, render, and visualize each character of the text.

...continue reading "Term of the Week: Character Set"

What is it?

A method for representing characters in a data format, typically binary, so that the characters can be transmitted electronically and decoded properly by the receiver.

Why is it important?

As localizers, all the text we work with is encoded for storage and transmission. If we don’t know how it’s encoded, we’ll read or write it incorrectly.

...continue reading "Term of the Week: Character Encoding"

What is it?

A two-step process used to ensure that previous translations are correctly matched to the original source in the translation memory (TM). First, the software matches existing translations with their original source. Second, a linguist confirms the matching of source to target.

Why is it important?

Alignment is a great way to retain previous translations that were not completed using a translation memory tool. Done correctly, alignment preserves previous language work and ports it into a reusable format.

...continue reading "Term of the Week: Alignment (of a TM)"

What is it?

The branch of artificial intelligence (AI) and computational linguistics that deals with the analysis, representation, processing, and synthesis of written and spoken human languages.

Why is it important?

NLP has important implications in the ways that humans and computers work together and how we bridge the gap between human language and digital data. While many applications already use NLP, as we progress with artificial intelligence, it will become even more important.

...continue reading "Term of the Week: Natural Language Processing (NLP)"

What is it?

The scripted audio recording of human voices speaking in multiple languages; the spoken word applied to media.

Why is it important?

Multilingual voice over provides a way to communicate globally and in a unified way through various media. Many business applications use recorded voice. Narration is a common style of voice over that is frequently used for multilingual voice over recordings. Narration is known for its slower tempo, which allows you to hear the texture of a relaxed vocal reading clearly.

...continue reading "Term of the Week: Multilingual Voice Over"