Abstract

Analysis of characteristics and strength of computer aided translation compared with machine translation

Author(s): Wei Wang

Informationization and globalization exert new requirements to translators. In translation, translators should guarantee both quality and efficiency. As Computer Aided Translation (CAT) could help tranlators guarentee translation quality and efficiency, so it has won great favor among translators. CAT system takes full advantage of information technology and avoids purely reliance on computers. With high quality and efficiency, CAT has become the primary resolution of enterprises and translators. As the tele-translation age is approaching, this essay is designed to analyzes the characters of CAT and its strength compared with Machine Translation (MT). CAT is theoretically based on Nida's translation theory, which divides translation into four basic steps, including analysis, transformation of language, reconstruction and checking. While analyzing the theoretical base of CAT, the research also raise four important characters as below: the efficient utilization of available achievements, the consistency of terminology under the new terminology management system, outstanding management of translation unit, strict quality control system. Compared with Machine Translation, CAT is more advanced in core translation memory technology, efficient examining system, opened sharing system and so on. Given its characters and compared strength with MT, CAT will be a focal point in the future development of translation technology.