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Translation by computer
Computerised translation ranges from
hand-held devices that are little more than electronic
dictionaries or phrasebooks to complex software that produces a
full-scale translation based on detailed analysis of sentences
and context.
Some of the hand-held devices include a
voice synthesiser which "speaks" the results of a
search.
Full-scale computer translation systems have
improved considerably in recent years but they still have
limitations. Even with the most expensive software, mistakes are
relatively common. Automated translation has two main uses: (a)
to convey the broad gist of a foreign language document and (b)
to serve as a tool for professional translators by speeding up the
more tedious parts of their work.
Hand-held devices Ectaco
Partner
Trilingual talking dictionary (English/French/Arabic) Ectaco
Military Speechguard
English-to-Arabic talking dictionary pre-programmed with
military terms and phrases. Also available in a medical
version and a police
version. LingvoSoft
Middle Eastern Pack
A selection of dictionary and phrasebook software for
Palm OS LingvoSoft
Dictionary
Bi-directional English/Arabic dictionary for Palm OS Comparison
of hand-held dictionaries
(Aramedia.com)
Electronic dictionaries The
dictionaries listed below are for use with a computer. This
may be more convenient than a printed dictionary for some
purposes. Al-Qamoos
Dictionary Bishai's
Arabic Dictionaries E.W.
Lane Lexicon Islamic
Dictionary LingvoSoft
Dictionary
Translation software AppTek
Various products
including TranSphere. More
information from Translation.net ATA
Software
Various products, including al-Mutarjim
al-Arabey Cimos
A variety of translation packages from this French-based
company. Translation.net has more information on their
multi-lingual translation system, an-Nakel.
See also aramedia. Sakhr
This company based in the Middle East is a pioneer in language
processing technology aimed at the corporate market rather
than individual users. The Sakhr
Enterprise Translation (SET) system is server based. See
Translation.net for more
details. Systran
A variety of products to suit different purposes. (Note: not
all of them include Arabic.) Translation.net has more
information.
Online translation Several
of the companies producing translation software also offer
automatic translation via the internet: Apptek
(WebTrans)
Dynamic online translation of websites and documents. Cimos
Two-way translation of text and web pages, plus a dictionary
look-up. Subscription only but free trial available. al-Misbar
(ATA Software system)
English-into-Arabic translation of text and web pages.
Subscription only. Tarjim
(Sakhr)
Automatic translation of web pages. Free, but registration
required. SYSTRANet
(Systran system)
Online translation of files, web pages and plain text.
Subscription, but free trial available.
Translation memory Translation
memory or TM technology is a way of speeding up manual
translation. It works on the principle that translation work
involves a lot of repetition - so it builds up a database of
previously translated words and phrases, and then re-uses
them. The main options in this field are:
AppTek
(MemorySphere)
Déjà
Vu Trados Wordfast
Several articles by professional
translators discuss their pros and cons: Translation
tools today: a personal view
An overview of the options, by Danilo Nogueira (Translation
Journal, Vol 6, No 1, January 2002)
An
Effective and Inexpensive Translation Memory Tool
Review of Wordfast by Andrei Gerasimov, Ph.D. (Translation
Journal, Vol 5, No. 3, July 2001)
Trados
- Is It a Must?
by Andrei Gerasimov (Translation Journal, Vol 6, No. 4,
October 2002)
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