Essential software for new translators
Thread poster: Bronagh McInerney
Bronagh McInerney
Bronagh McInerney  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:38
Member (2020)
Italian to English
+ ...
Dec 10, 2020

Hello I signed up as a member today and just wondered which software is essential to get started. I will start my MA in Translation in January but am hoping to get some work before then if possible. I know the Trans express is included with membership would that be enough? This is all quite new I did translations when I lived in Italy but haven't used any software.
Any advice on software which is affordable and essential. I noticed that a lot of jobs request software.
Thanks


 
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:38
Member (2008)
Italian to English
CafeTran Dec 10, 2020

Bronagh McInerney wrote:

Hello I signed up as a member today and just wondered which software is essential to get started. I will start my MA in Translation in January but am hoping to get some work before then if possible. I know the Trans express is included with membership would that be enough? This is all quite new I did translations when I lived in Italy but haven't used any software.
Any advice on software which is affordable and essential. I noticed that a lot of jobs request software.
Thanks


Have a go with CafeTran (free trial version although I used it to do short real translations before paying for the full version)

https://www.cafetran.com/

It's easy to learn as you go. Just jump in and feel your way

[Edited at 2020-12-10 14:21 GMT]


 
Kevin Fulton
Kevin Fulton  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 06:38
German to English
Free trials Dec 10, 2020

A number of software packages are available to use on a free (time or otherwise limited) trial basis. The cheapest application is not necessarily the one you find the most useful in the long run.

Stanislaw Czech, MCIL CL
 
Sheila Wilson
Sheila Wilson  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 10:38
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
There is no essential CAT tool Dec 10, 2020

Bronagh McInerney wrote:
Any advice on software which is affordable and essential. I noticed that a lot of jobs request software.

With CafeTran being included in the ProZ.com package (congratulations on becoming a member !), that seems an ideal place to start. Others may have a free trial -- I believe that Wordfast does, for example. The thing is, you can't buy all of them, so it's best to wait and see what your clients ask you to have. Often, they're compatible to a certain extent if you know your way around IT (I don't!), so you may well be able to get by with just CafeTran until more funds are available. Having any CAT tool at all is not always necessary -- I could have managed perfectly well without one in my specialisations, although I tend to use Wordfast Classic anyway. Edited to add that what is essential is knowing what a CAT tool is (and how MT differs from TM, for example) and how one works. More and more agencies and even end clients want us to work on their own online interfaces.

[Edited at 2020-12-10 16:30 GMT]


Paula Graf
Jorge Payan
Kaan Altıntaş
neilmac
 
Bronagh McInerney
Bronagh McInerney  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:38
Member (2020)
Italian to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Thanks for the advice. Dec 10, 2020

Thanks everyone sounds like quite a learning curve.

Jorge Payan
 
Paula Graf
Paula Graf  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 10:38
Member (2018)
German to Portuguese
+ ...
Wordfast Anywhere Dec 10, 2020

If the client does not specify which CAT he wants, I use Wordfast Anywhere. It's free and you can work Trados packages.
Of course, it doesn't have some interesting features like paid versions, but for me, it has been enough.


 
Bronagh McInerney
Bronagh McInerney  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:38
Member (2020)
Italian to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Essential software for new translators Dec 10, 2020

Will check it out thanks Paula

 
Sarper Aman
Sarper Aman  Identity Verified
Türkiye
Local time: 13:38
Member (2019)
English to Turkish
+ ...
Smartcat Dec 11, 2020

I'm actually a subtitle translator but recently I've started to translate very short stories as hobby. I have no experience in CAT tools. I needed one, I've found out Smartcat. It's free and online. Very basic. Can be a good warm-up tool.

 
Maxi Schwarz
Maxi Schwarz  Identity Verified
Local time: 05:38
German to English
+ ...
MS Word Dec 13, 2020

Essentially that's what I use.

Rachel Fell
 
Georgi Kovachev
Georgi Kovachev  Identity Verified
Bulgaria
Local time: 12:38
Member (2010)
English to Bulgarian
+ ...
@Maxi Dec 14, 2020

Maxi Schwarz wrote:

Essentially that's what I use.


Which version of MS Word do you use? How do you ensure consistency of terms throughout the document?


Jorge Payan
 


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