We focus on FREE translation memory tools. While CAT tools such as TRADOS and Wordfast are widely used in the translation industry, free open sourceTM software can be used as an alternative to major CAT tools.
We collect two software called OmegaTTM and AnaphraseusTM and discuss their advantages and disadvantages.
OmegaTTM
OmegaT is a CAT tool that some of its features include user customizable targeting using regular expressions, translation memory, fuzzy match, match spread, glossary match, translation memory context search and keyword search.
in reference materials.
OmegaT uses the international standard TMX (Translation Memory eXchange) as the native translation memory format that most CAT tools can import and export. TMX is an open XML standard that allows easier exchange of TMs between translators with different application tools.
Although lacking in features compared to other CAT tools, OmegaT is fast at segmenting a source file, compiling target files (known as ‘cleaning’), and fuzzy matching. In its previous version, OmegaT segments the source file by paragraph, instead of sentences. Now, you can select targeting at the paragraph or sentence level. By using the feature called Edit Behavior in Options, you can have the option to display in source text or best fuzzy match. This is a CAT tool worth trying.
OmegaT includes the following features:
– Fuzzy match
– Propagation of the party
– Simultaneous processing of multi-file projects
– Simultaneous use of multiple translation memories
– External glossaries
– Document file formats include:
XHTML and HTML
Microsoft Office 2007
XML
OpenOffice.org/StarOffice
XLIFF (Okapi)
MediaWiki (Wikipedia)
Plain text
– Unicode (UTF-8) support: can be used with non-Latin alphabets
– Support for right-to-left languages
– Compatible with other translation memory (TMX) applications
Some third-party software that can be used with OmegaT are OpenOffice.org, Rainbow, bitext2tmx, and Samuel Murray’s scripts and procedures.
Download site: http://www.omegat.org/en/downloads.html
AnaphraseusTM
Anaphraseus is a CAT tool for the creation, management and use of bilingual translation memories. Some of its main features include text segmentation, terminology recognition, plain text TM (Unicode UTF-16), fuzzy search in TM, export / import of TMX UTF-16, user glossary and OpenOffice. org extension.
Anaphraseus works in OpenOffice.org as an extension and works seamlessly with TM created in Wordfast. You can install it using the Extension Manager in Tools at OpenOffice.org. During the translation process, Anaphraseus divides the translated text into segments or sentences. When a segment is selected, Anaphraseus displays the closest match found in the TM.
As an extension to OpenOffice.org, it allows you to use all the functions of the word processor “on the fly”. When it comes to performance, it is slower than Wordfast, especially when handling large files. Anaphraseus works with translation memories in TMX format, which allows it to work with most CAT tools on the market.
Anaphraseus includes the following features:
– Text segmentation
– Recognition of terminology
– Plain Text TM (Unicode UTF-16)
– Fuzzy search in translation memory
– Unicode UTF-16 TMX export / import
– User glossary
Since Anaphraseus is still in beta testing, it currently only works with plain text, omitting all formulas, images, and similar objects. If you need a CAT tool that costs you nothing and works with OpenOffice.org, Anaphraseus is worth a try.
Download site: http://anaphraseus.sourceforge.net/
Professional translators discuss their experience with translation memories in our translators column of the monthly newsletter at http://www.synergy-focus.com
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