First Edition, May 1996
This edition applies to IBM TranslationManager Version 2.0 (5622-999) and to all subsequent releases and modifications until otherwise indicated in new editions or technical newsletters.
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TranslationManager is designed to help you perform your daily translation work. As a flexible tool that can be adapted to your specific requirements it improves your productivity regardless of the types of documents you translate and the size of your business.
The following scenarios give you an overview of how you can perform your translation tasks using TranslationManager. They show you how to:
Translating a new document involves the following tasks:
These tasks are briefly described in the following.
New documents must be included in a folder before you can translate them. Therefore your first step is to decide whether you want to create a new folder or include the new document in an existing folder. The folder concept allows you to group the entire translation material belonging to a specific project into one folder. If the new document does not belong to an existing project, create a new folder. A folder can contain only one document or several documents.
When you create a new folder, choose a folder name that describes the subject of the project and is easy to remember.
Each folder is associated with a Translation Memory. You can either specify a new Translation Memory or use an existing one. You can use a new Translation Memory for each folder. If you later decide that several folders should share one Translation Memory you can merge the Translation Memory databases of these folders.
You can also specify whether you want to create a new dictionary with the folder or use one or more existing dictionaries. If you specify existing dictionaries, TranslationManager searches these dictionaries during translation and displays the translated terms for you to include them in the text.
When you import a new document into the newly created or an existing folder the document is analyzed, that is, its text is broken into segments. You later translate the document segment by segment. Each translated segment is stored in the Translation Memory associated with the folder or the specific document. If a segment appears a second time in the document or in another document of the folder TranslationManager displays the translated segment to you. You then only have to include the displayed translated segment in your translation. In this way, you achieve consistency throughout your document.
When you open a document for translation TranslationManager displays the document with the first segment being highlighted. You translate the segment by overtyping the source text and using the full-featured editor provided by TranslationManager. In addition to the document you also see a Translation Memory window, which displays translation proposals, and a Dictionary window, which displays dictionary terms (single words or word groups). You can copy the proposals and terms into your document.
While you are translating a document you can open another document in TranslationManager or files outside TranslationManager . TranslationManager enables you to copy text from the opened document into your current translation.
After you have translated all segments of the document, you can move directly into postediting mode, which allows you to revise and correct your translation. In postediting mode, the Translation Memory and Dictionary windows are not displayed and you can type text anywhere in the document.
After translating and revising the document, you can export it back into its original word-processing format.
To translate an updated document, you first import it into a folder referencing the Translation Memory containing the old translation (of the original document). You then have the following options:
After the translation is complete, you can postedit the translation regardless of which option you chose. The associated Translation Memory is updated automatically.
When you export a changed document you can ask TranslationManager to place different revision marks next to the old text, the changes, and the text that you copied from the Translation Memory.
When a translation project involves only one translator, this person must also carry out the management and terminology tasks supporting the translation process. These tasks are performed under TranslationManager's workbench, whereas the translation itself takes place in the Translation Environment.
The workbench consists of the following parts: folders, dictionaries, Translation Memory databases, and three kinds of terminology lists. It enables you to perform the various tasks, such as:
From the workbench you can also open a document to access the Translation Environment.
After opening a document, you are in the Translation Environment where you translate segment by segment using the Translation Memory and dictionary proposals. The original document is still in the background and can be viewed at any time. After postediting the translation you return to the workbench to export the document into its original word-processing format.
TranslationManager can also be used by a team of translators. This is useful in particular if a large document has to be translated. You can divide the large document into several parts and include these parts in individual files. In addition, you can assign one person the role of a coordinator who performs all duties associated with the preparation of the translation material. These duties can include maintaining and importing dictionaries, making sure that each team member receives the appropriate dictionary for the document to be translated, and performing all workbench-related tasks.
When the workbench is handled by a coordinator, translators perform their work exclusively in the Translation Environment. All resources needed for translation can be prepared beforehand, and the only functions the translators need to select from the workbench are the Open folder and Open document options.
Due to the split of TranslationManager into a workbench and a Translation Environment, work can easily be assigned to a vendor. The coordinator can supply the vendor with a folder containing all the required resources, namely the Translation Memory databases, dictionaries, and documents to be translated. After receiving the translated folder, the coordinator can merge the Translation Memory databases returned by the vendor into a main Translation Memory for future translations. The dictionaries updated by the vendor can also be merged into one main dictionary and then be maintained by the coordinator or project leader.
In addition, the word count utility enables you to count all the words to be translated and so facilitates billing.
For example, if you must translate a sentence that your colleague has translated only recently for the same project, you can instantly use your colleague's translation by copying it from the shared Translation Memory. For detailed information on sharing dictionaries and Translation Memory databases, see and "Sharing dictionaries".
TranslationManager lets you exchange translation material with other TranslationManager users by means of its export and import facility. For this purpose TranslationManager uses a specific exchange format (based on SGML tags), except when exporting or importing a folder or document. This feature ensures a consistent interface with the outside world, such as your own terminology databases and full-text editors.
When a translation is completed it must be exported from TranslationManager and loaded into its original word-processing system for final formatting and printing. The markup information is preserved throughout the document because all tags are protected.
An exported translation can be copied on a diskette or forwarded to another translator or a word-processor operator using E-mail.
You can use your own terminology databases or dictionaries in TranslationManager using the SGML-based exchange format. You must add SGML tags to the file containing your database or dictionary to make it compatible with TranslationManager.
TranslationManager dictionaries can also be converted into other formats. You first export them as external dictionaries and then replace the SGML tags with the appropriate coding. Outside TranslationManager, the dictionaries can be copied on a diskette or any other media for distribution.
TranslationManager dictionaries can also be distributed as part of a folder. This is convenient for copyright-protected dictionaries that can only be transferred from one workstation to another using the folder export and import procedures.
Terminology lists can be exported as standard text files and processed with any editor or word processor. They can also be distributed in this format on a diskette or any other media.
Terminology lists can be reimported into TranslationManager for dictionary maintenance.
Translation Memory databases can be created from scratch using the Initial Translation Memory utility. If you have a document and its translation in external format, TranslationManager can align the translated segments with the original segments. In this way you can create a Translation Memory to be used in TranslationManager.
Translation Memory databases can be exported to an external, SGML-based format and copied on a diskette or any other media for distribution and modification. They can be imported back onto another workstation through a standard import procedure. They can also be merged into an existing Translation Memory.
Folders cannot be exported to an external format. Exported folders remain in TranslationManager format with the data being compressed to save storage. When you export a folder you can choose which of the documents it contains should also be exported. In addition, you can decide whether the associated dictionaries and Translation Memory databases should be exported with the folder. For future reference, you can add a note describing the contents of the exported folder. Folders can be copied on a diskette or any suitable media for distribution.
TranslationManager is an open platform that supports many word-processing formats using specific markup tables. These markup tables enable TranslationManager to distinguish between formatting information in a document and actual text to be translated.
You may want to distribute a markup table to someone who has to translate a document with special formatting tags that require customization of a TranslationManager markup table.
Markup tables can also be exported in a SGML-based format for distribution or modification. However, they should only be modified by people experienced in SGML.