Computer-based translation tools , terminology and documentation in the organizational workflow : report from recent EAMT workshops

Introduction The workshops held by the European Association for Machine Translation (EAMT) in the past three years have been devoted to exploring the practicalities of using machine translation software and other computer-based translation tools in organizations. In these environments, translation has to be seen by management as a positive enhancement to the promotion and sales of company products. For those involved in the provision of company translations the cost-effective exploitation of the most appropriate translation software and the careful design of operational workflows are of crucial importance. At two recent workshops in 1997 at Copenhagen and in 1998 at Geneva, the focus of discussion was the integration of MT and translation tools in the overall documentation workflow. Since this topic involved also the use and management of terminology resources, I shall attempt in this paper to relate the findings of these workshops to the interests of this conference. (It should go without saying that this will not be a full report of these workshops, which covered a range of topics and issues outside the focus of this presentation. See EAMT 1997, EAMT 1998.) The first point to stress is that when talking about the use of computer software for professional translation work, there is no question of utilizing the cheap PC software that is becoming increasingly available in stores. These programs may be of value for the occasional non-professional (perhaps bilingual) user who wants a rough version of a letter or document, but who has no intention of producing from the results anything of publishable quality. There is, of course, a danger that some people may underestimate the difficulties of translation and may overestimate the capabilities of these cheap systems, but that is a problem of marketing − and, I must add, of the associations such as IAMT and EAMT which follow developments in this field. In this respect, I should add that the IAMT is proposing to set up a 'seal of approval' as guidance for consumers. We may broadly distinguish four basic purposes for using translation software. First, for assimilation − to find out what an article, document, letter, etc. is about in general terms − where a rough, uneven version may be all that is necessary. Many MT systems are capable of providing such 'translations.' Secondly, for one-to-one communication − e.g. for translating electronic mail, for Internet discussion groups, and for spoken language, telephone communication, etc. − …