Understanding translation memory

In order to make future translation projects easier, we use what’s called “translation memory”. This is simply a database that stores pairs of sentence segments in different languages to help translators maintain consistency in their work.

The translation memory stores what are called “translation units;” for example, a translator working on a life sciences translation may store certain technical terms or phrases to be recalled later for future translations in the software.

Benefits of Utilizing Translation Memory

Having translated words and phrases easily accessible makes a translator’s work faster and more consistent. It can drastically cut down on the time a project takes, as any translator — whether it’s the one who worked on the initial translation or not — can access this information rather than looking up these terms each time they come up.

Translation memory can ensure client satisfaction through consistency. Language service providers (LSPs) often ask a client for reference materials to establish consistency in the terminology used. These resources can be included in the TM, and clients will be assured that all translated documents will be consistent in the terminology they use.

The more translations a language service provider handles for a client, the more the translation memory reduces the long-term cost of translation. Because many documents share words, phrases, or even paragraphs, relatively less additional translation is needed over time.

And when a translator has all of the tools at her disposal, the translation project can move more quickly, and deadlines are easily met.

How it Works

When a document is uploaded to be translated, the translation memory technology scans it to see if there are any matches with existing segments in the database. When the program finds either exact matches or “fuzzy matches,” (85-99% matched to content in the database), the technology can insert the text the TM system has stored. This cuts down on the cost of a translation. The translator will review the entire document once the translation is complete to ensure that the inserted terms still maintain the same meaning in the new context.

Considering how frequently a given phrase or word is used across marketing materials, product descriptions, and technical documents, it makes sense to maximize the use of translation memory.