An Assessment of Déjà Vu X, MemoQ and Trados in terms of Terminology

An Assessment of Déjà Vu X, MemoQ and Trados in terms of Terminology

汤青媚

武汉晴川学院 湖北武汉 430000

Abstract: The rapid development of economy, especially the emerging of globalization, stimulates a greater demand in translation in terms of international trade. Thus, large amounts of computer-aided translation (CAT) tools emerge. This paper will try to evaluate three tools from the aspect of terminology in a practical way.

Key Words: Terminology, Déjà Vu X, MemoQ, Trados

1. Introduction

CAT tools hold same theory-storing linguistic elements such as words, phrases or sentences in both SL and TL into translation memory to facilitate reusing. However, which CAT tool should be most effective has been a hot topic. According to Pym and Starink (6), the developers for commercial translation tools claim usefulness in terms of productivity, consistency or quality. This essay will give an assessment of three CAT tools from respective of terminology.

2. Terminology

For professional translators who devote themselves in technical fields, terminology is a cardinal element of their translation work (Quah 104). Terminologies are often paired words or phrases that relate to a specific subject, which are picked up and stored in a technical tool.

2.1 Similarities

Firstly, terminology of those three tools must work together with translation memory if they want to be efficient and effective. Compared with terminology, TM stores translation units in the form of segments, which are always whole sentences. It utilizes its function to the utmost when there is a high rate of repetition. Terminology just takes up a little part like the words or phrases in repetition while the rest parts rely on the aid of translation memory. In addition to terminology, Déjà Vu X possesses a special independent storage called lexicon. Translators can choose whether to store those paired units into their terminology or lexicon to their preferences.

Secondly, translators must choose those paired words or phrases that are useful and frequently used and send them into term bases. Different from translation memory, terminology will not automatically be recorded into their term bases. Translators should first select paired words or phrases according to their familiarity with them.

Lastly, terminology in those three tools needs to be revised by translators to achieve consistency, since in different context the meaning of it maybe quite flexible. Keeping appropriate terminology may be the most difficult part. A word can own a large amount of different meanings and those words that automatically appear may be unsuitable or even totally wrong. Therefore, revision work after translation is indispensable when concerning the context of the whole text.

2.2 Difference

2.2.1 Intelligent Recognition

Déjà Vu X owns the poorest intelligent recognition. If we set the terminology as fuzzy match, we will get many wrong terminologies that disturb our choice. If we set the terminology as exact match, other forms of terminology cannot appear, such as its plural, past tense and so on. This will greatly enlarge the capacity of it if we add all its variants. As for MemoQ and Trados, they will always show the appropriate terminology when you set it as fuzzy match. What is more, if you don’t use a it for a long time, the software will neglect it automatically while in Déjà Vu X, it will come out each time.

2.2.2 Format of Terminology

If the formats of terminology that stored in the term bases are compatible among those three tools, translators can use the same in different translation software. Besides, translators who use different translation tools can also share their terminologies without changing the formats. However, Déjà Vu X supports 23 file formats, MemoQ 24 files formats and Trados 22. Judging by the quantity of their supportive file formats, problems of incompatibility must occur among those unshared file formats. Déjà Vu X and Trados support almost all double-line files while only TMX and CSV format can be applied to MemoQ. That means if we want to use the terminology of other software in MemoQ, what we need to do first is transferring the format into TMX or CVX and then import it. What is more, Déjà Vu X and MemoQ accept Trados files, like XLIFF, while Trados cannot process any files that in Déjà Vu X and MenmoQ.

3. Conclusion

In brief, terminology of those three tools will be great helpful and effective if it combines with translation memory and there is a high rate of terminology repetitions between the translating text and the former translated text. Furthermore, revisions by translators or by other companions will further upgrade the quality of terminology and improve consistency of the whole text.

Reference:

[1] Pym, Anthony, A. P. & Bram S. (eds.) (2006) Translation Technology and its Teaching. Tarragona: Intercultural Studies Group.

[2] Quah, Chew Kin (2005) Translation and Technology: Palgrave Textbooks in Translating and Interpreting. London: Palgrave.