Eging Solutions is one of the largest translation companies in Shanghai,provide enterprise-level, professional translation services.

Whether you’re a customer who requires translation services from a Language Service Provider (LSP), or vice versa, it must be realised that the injection of translation memory into the equation certainly eases the process.  In a globalising world, the demand for multilingualism is undeniably high, and technology can certainly intervene when called upon.  

What is translation memory?

translation memory, often referred to simply as TM in industry, is essentially a linguistic database which helps to reduce the perhaps unprecedented cost of translation services, both on the part of the supplier and the consumer.  The tool relies on the premise that translation costs reduce over time due to an increased demand for more frequent translation services to be offered; lowering costs for the customer and equally increasing revenue for a business, due to increased productivity.

How does it work?

This tool, the knowledge and practice of which is widely distributed across the Translation andLocalisation thoroughfare, works to store linguistic entries in both the source and the target language- anything ranging from short sentences to lengthy bodies of text, dependent on the consumer’s requirement.  Due to the accumulation of stored phrases of languages, which complement one another in meaning, there doesn’t remain a need for the contracted linguist, who provides the translated material, to repeat previously realised tasks.  As a result, this minimises the translation cost for future projects, as previously mentioned.

What are the benefits?

Furthermore to the benefits of incorporating TM, below are a few additional benefits of using such a database:

• Quicker turnaround
  Due to an increased amount of content being translated, the TM database increases in size. As a result, it is possible there will be less content out there to be translated in the future, that hasn’t already been stored in the system, which in turn reduces the turnaround time of the project to follow.

• Lower costs
  A considerable percentage discount is applied to a translation project that makes use of previously translated linguistic content; a lesser discount being offered for similar content (‘fuzzy matches’).

• Increased consistency
  In TM absorbing only completely new translatable content, elements of the original text such as tone and style will be maintained within existing documents; only adding to the consistency and quality of the offered service.

• Glossary introduction
  With a client glossary being the collection of terminology which the client has specified a particular preference, the latter can be implemented into the TM software to ensure a satisfactory finishing touch to the content.

When would it be used?

translation memory is an extremely practical method for those who often localise content from one language to another- in other words adapting texts from different languages to suit another regional context.  Having said that, TM is also very useful in situations with a lack of context to content, as the system will hone in on the specificities required based on previously translated documents.

So if you have a need- a need to read, look no further than translation memory to assist with streamlining the process; of converting an original text into any given language, most likely for a discount on future projects.