Automatic Translation (Overview)

You can save yourself time and translation costs by using RC-WinTrans‘ auto-translate feature to automatically translate one or more text items based on translation data available from various sources. The auto-translate function can search the current project, dictionaries/translation memories, and/or other opened projects for translations that meet predefined minimum match value and apply them to translation units in the active project.

The auto-translate function can be performed for all or a selection of the data contained in a translation project:

In order to translate a text item (a translation unit), the automatic translation mechanism looks up translations that already exist in the active project and/or in other available data sources, i.e., dictionaries, Trados translation memories (TMs), and other open translation projects.

Data sources used for auto-translation:

Data sources can be specified on the Automatic Translation property page in the Dictionary/TM dialog box.

Figure 1:  Data sources for RC-WinTrans' auto-translate function..

The auto-translate function can assign a specific translation status to items that are translated automatically, making it easier to locate and review them in the project.  You can specify one state for items that were translated with a match value of 100% and another for items that had a match value of less than 100%.  Translation states include “needs review translation,“ “translated,” or “final.”

The settings for the translation status are located on the Automatic Translation page in the Dictionary/TM dialog box.

Designating a translation status for automatically translated items is recommended, especially for those texts with a match value of less than 100%, which you will want to check for accuracy.  Even translations from 100%-matching source texts should be reviewed to verify that they fit the context.  Specified states let you find (and isolate) these texts very easily.

RC-WinTrans maintains information (name and type) about the data source from which a translation was taken during the auto-translate operation.  This information is displayed in the Text Table view’s “Origin” column.

Figure 2 shows the Project window’s Text Table view in which three items (lines 4, 5, and 6) have been translated automatically. The “Origin” column shows that each item was translated using a different data source (a Trados translation memory (4), a dictionary (5), and another translation project (6)).  Note that the item in line 6 (“Status”) was only translated with a match value of  98% while the other two items were translated with source texts that matched 100%.

Figure 2:  Automatically translated items in the Text Table view.

NOTE:  The Text Table view’s “Origin” column is set to be hidden by default.  Make the column visible in the Show/Hide Columns dialog box, opened by right mouse-clicking in the view to call up a local menu and selecting the Show/Hide Columns command provided there.

You can undo the last auto-translate operation (delete all translations entered in this way) with the Undo command from the Edit menu, or with the “Ctrl+Z” shortcut.