Translation studiesLesson 4 of 4 in the course Localisation and technology

Translation Memory: Matching, Workflows, Risks, and Interchange

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

This lesson introduces translation memory (TM), the information it stores, and how translators use it. Understanding these basics helps explain how translation technology can support consistent and efficient human translation.

A translation memory is a database that stores previously translated text in paired source and target segments. A segment may be a sentence, paragraph, heading, title, or sentence-like item in a list. Each stored source segment and its corresponding translation form a translation unit.

All flashcards

What is a translation memory?
A database that stores previously translated source and target segments so translators can retrieve and reuse suitable translations.
What is a translation unit?
A paired record containing a source-language segment and its corresponding target-language translation.
How does a TM system assist with a new document?
It segments the source, searches stored source segments for matches, and presents matching source-target pairs for the translator to consider.
How do exact and fuzzy matches differ?
An exact match is identical to a stored source segment; a fuzzy match is similar but differs in some way, which the system may flag for review.
What belongs in a terminology base rather than a TM?
Individual words and their approved translations are generally handled by terminology bases, while TMs store larger segments and their translations.

Quiz questions

  1. What does a translation memory primarily store?Answer: Paired source and target text segments called translation units.
  2. When a TM suggestion does not suit the current source, what can the translator do?Answer: Edit the suggestion or replace it with a new translation.
  3. Which resource generally handles individual words and their approved translations?Answer: A terminology base or termbase.
  4. A system retrieves a similar but non-identical source segment and highlights its differences. What kind of match is this?Answer: A fuzzy match.
  5. What is the main focus of a translation management system (TMS), compared with a translation memory system?Answer: Managing the broader translation process.

Based on the Wikipedia article Translation memory, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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