Translator uses compare program

We have a number of customers who use our Compare Suite program to support in some way the translation. In this article Raymond Peat, one of our customers, shares his thoughts about how can translator use compare program.

Investigate and report on the corrections in a translated document;
Make it easy to translate the new version of the document you have already translated before;

Translator work environment

Most translators have some form of computer program (usually translation memory (TM) based) which will analyse a couple (or any number) of files for repetitions and for sentences that have appeared in previous translations. This info is given in % and is generally adequate for pricing a job.

However when things go wrong - not all that often for most translators - you need a more sophisticated tool. As far as know (at least with the two TM programs I have) they will not show you quickly and in detail where the similarities/changes are.

Compare Suite Response

I have used the Compare Suite twice - both were circumstances where it proved a 'lifesaver':

Control the corrections in translated document

In one case a client said he had spent many hours correcting mistakes in my translation (13,000 words) and wanted a whopping discount to cover his time. I have never had that happen to me before (in 9 years) so I suspected he was making other changes or exaggerating. He eventually handed over the edited file and I was able to find all the changes quickly. I was able to clearly demonstrate with Compare Suite's excellent reporting facility (and adding a separate comments column in MSWord) that 99% were his extras/second thoughts or matter of opinion and for goodwill I accepted that the rest were my mistakes.

We agreed a much smaller discount. The client continues to send me work. I regained my reputation and the cost of the Compare Suite in this job alone.

Translate the new version

In the second case - a file (4,000 words) arrived for translation and it was returned in perfect condition. A week later the client called to say that unfortunately she had sent a previous version of the file before and that there had been certain changes. She did not or could not highlight the changes in the new version. I was asked to find and implement the changes - 'without spending too much money'.

It took me next to no time to find the changes and implement them accurately in the previously translated document using Compare Suite instead of eyes and fingers . One happy client - it took me one hour. I estimate it would have taken at least two hours without it and all this without the accuracy provided by comparing the files using Compare Suite. In this case the client benefited from Compare Suite in terms of the time and cost saved.

Compare Suite for translation business

As I say - for translators Compare Suite comes into its own when things go wrong - so that is not very often. Compare Suite can help to control the modification of file during translation and Compare Suite is useful when you need to translate the new version of file.