Computer-aided translation tools: The uptake and use by Danish translation service providers

TY - JOUR

T1 - Computer-aided translation tools

T2 - The Translation Profession: Centres and Peripheries (panel at 7th EST Congress)

AU - Christensen, Tina Paulsen

AU - Schjoldager, Anne

PY - 2016

Y1 - 2016

N2 - The paper reports on a questionnaire survey from 2013 of the uptake and use of computer-aided translation (CAT) tools by Danish translation service providers (TSPs) and discusses how these tools appear to have impacted on the Danish translation industry. According to our results, the uptake in Denmark is rather high in general, but limited in the case of machine translation (MT) tools: While most TSPs use translation-memory (TM) software, often in combination with a terminology management system (TMS), only very few have implemented MT, which is criticised for its low quality output, especially when Danish is one of the languages, though some also express willingness to consider using MT (more) when output quality improves. Most respondents report that CAT has changed the translation industry, mentioning that the technology facilitates improved productivity and consistency, but also that sometimes it results in lower prices and decreasing output quality.

AB - The paper reports on a questionnaire survey from 2013 of the uptake and use of computer-aided translation (CAT) tools by Danish translation service providers (TSPs) and discusses how these tools appear to have impacted on the Danish translation industry. According to our results, the uptake in Denmark is rather high in general, but limited in the case of machine translation (MT) tools: While most TSPs use translation-memory (TM) software, often in combination with a terminology management system (TMS), only very few have implemented MT, which is criticised for its low quality output, especially when Danish is one of the languages, though some also express willingness to consider using MT (more) when output quality improves. Most respondents report that CAT has changed the translation industry, mentioning that the technology facilitates improved productivity and consistency, but also that sometimes it results in lower prices and decreasing output quality.

KW - Computer-aided translation (CAT), translation memory (TM), terminology management system (TMS), machine translation (MT), questionnaire survey, translation service provider (TSP)

M3 - Journal article

SN - 1740-357X

SP - 89

EP - 105

JO - Journal of Specialised Translation

JF - Journal of Specialised Translation

IS - 25

Y2 - 30 August 2013 through 31 August 2013

ER -