Technology
Wilkens Medical Translations uses state-of-the-art CAT (Computer-Aided Translation) tools to translate your documents with significant benefits for you as the customer. As time goes by and you have more documents translated by us, the greater the advantage to you.
Translation memories
The concept of translation memories is simple: every sentence we translate for you is saved in a database (the translation memory) together with the translation of that sentence. We maintain one or more separate translation memories per client.
Benefits of translation memories
Over time, as we continue doing more and more translations for you, the benefits of the translation memory become evident.
- If a sentence has already been translated, the translator does not need to translate it again. The translation is done automatically from the translation memory. This considerably speeds up the translation process (and brings translation costs down).
- Translation memory allows the translator to always use the same translation for sentences that have been translated before, making translations more consistent.
- Sometimes a sentence that needs translating is similar to one from the translation memory. In that case the translation memory will suggest a translation. The translator then only needs to translate a few additional words. This too results in time and cost savings.
Terminology databases
A terminology database (or glossary or term base) contains all the terminology that is specific to a particular client, in two or more languages. A term base could indicate, for example, that the Dutch word “arts” must always be translated as “physician” – and not as “doctor”.
Benefits of term bases
- Improved control. Thanks to the term bases, we always use the terminology you prefer, and the translations become more consistent.
- Time saving. Translators have fewer terms to look up, and therefore need less time to finish the translation. This, of course, also helps to reduce translation costs.
Translation software
A terminology database (or glossary or term base) contains all the terminology that is specific to a particular client, in two or more languages. A term base could indicate, for example, that the Dutch word “arts” must always be translated as “physician” – and not as “doctor”.
Benefits of term bases
- Improved control. Thanks to the term bases, we always use the terminology you prefer, and the translations become more consistent.
- Time saving. Translators have fewer terms to look up, and therefore need less time to finish the translation. This, of course, also helps to reduce translation costs.
Translation software
A large number of our translators use special translation software. Translation memories and term bases are integrated in these ‘translation suites’. In addition, these systems have extra translation functions such as built-in dictionaries and grammar checks, search functions and integrated internet support sites.
Moreover, using these translation suites allows us to have multiple translators working on the same translation at the same time. This is extremely valuable when large texts need to be translated in limited time.
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