Best Machine Translation Engines

 

Machine Translation (MT), i.e. automated translation, is a "process when a computer software translates text from one language to another without human involvement [in the output]” (MemoQ.com, 2020). The human being is certainly involved in providing input, i.e. content to be translated, to the machine tanslation engine. 

Machine Translation has many advantages. The MT engine can handle large amounts of texts (8500 words per day) and a lot of languages, if compared with the human translator abilities (2500 words per day). Thus, it is efficient, because it is time-saving. It is also cost-effective, because it is useful in reducing costs. In addition, it improves quality through the memorization of recurrent translated sentences and terms.

Subtitling & Post-Editing Projects

Follow the external links below to watch on youtube the videos subtitled and post-edited by my students as part of their courses' assignments in the Master's programme at the UB2. These projects are short and deal with different themes each time.

SUBTITLING (From English into Arabic)

Subtitling Projects (M2 Translation 2022/2023 - UB2)   (Watch Now!)

Subtitling Projects (M1 Translation 2022-2023 / UB2)  (Watch Now!)

Subtitling Projects (M1 Translation 2022/2023 - UB2)   (Watch Now!)

Subtitling Projects (M2 Translation 2021/2022 - UB2)      

 

Subtitling Projects (M2 Translation 2020/2021 - UB2)       

Subtitling Projects (M1 Translation 2020/2021 - UB2)             

Subtitling Projects (M2 Translation 2019/2020 - UB2)

Subtitling Projects (M1 Translation 2019/2020 - UB2) 

Subtitling Projects (M2 Translation 2018/2019 - UB2) 

Subtitling Projects (M1 Translation 2018/2019 - UB2)

Subtitling Projects (M2 Translation 2017/2018 - UB2)

Subtitling Projects (M1 Translation 2017/2018 - UB2)

Subtitling Projects (M1 Translation 2016/2017 - UB2)

These video playlists will be updated. Check them out later

Your comments and feedback are most welcomed and greatly appreciated.

What is Machine Translation?

Machine Translation simply means automated translation. This term is used versus the term Human Translation, i.e. translation which is produced by human translators.

Here is a playlist of videos which introduces you to the topic of Machine Translation.

Access the Playlist here: Machine Translation

Click on this external link to download an application that provides free MT: https://gt4t.net/en/

Free CAT Tools Tutorials

In addition to the mastery of languages, the practice of translation requires the mastery of at least one CAT Tool. In order to get started, there are a lot of free tutorials which would help you master the basics of CAT Tools. Follow the links below to benefit for free from our selection of tutorials of the main tools in the Translation Industry:

SDL Trados Tutorials

MemoQ Tutorials

MateCat Tutorials

Wordfast Tutorials

OmegaT Tutorials

Across Tutorials

STAR Transit Tutorials

Selections of introductory videos to this topic are curated here:

CAT Tools [English] 

CAT Tools [Arabic]

Check the label CAT Tools out for updates on relative topics.

Audiovisual Translation (Studies & Industry)

                       
               The world of Audiovisual Translation is vast.


                           

          If you are keen to learn more, check our previous posts via the label: Audiovisual Translation or watch the playlists curated for you. The first is entitled Audiovisual Translation Worlds. You will find a set of videos which have been selected and organized to introduce you to the wide range of areas in this field. The second playlist is focused on Audiovisual Translation Challenges.

          If you have any questions or you need more explanation, do not hesitate to get in touch or leave your comments below

Subtitling Software: EZTitles

          

        EZTitles is a subtitling software developed by EZtitles Development Studio. Other subtitling solutions are provided alongside EZTitles such as EZConvert, 3DTitles and EZTitles Plug-ins. However, these solutions are not free, only a 30-day free trial is offered. The cost starts from 50 euros/month. 

          With a good mastery of this kind of software, one stands a better chance of having a rewarding and better fulfilling career as a freelance subtitler. It is apposite to stress that professional subtitlers must have excellent mastery of the software, because it is hard for them to increase their personal productivity to ensure they are available to accept the work when it comes in. Learning how professional subtitlers and subbers use technology to increase their productivity can be facilitated by watching Video Tutorials which explain the basics and advanced features of cueing subtitles in EZTitles. If interested in such career, this can be the first step for you to do. The Video Tutorials can be accessed here: Video Playlist.

What is Subtitling?

     Subtitling is the most common mode in Audiovisual Translation. Subtitling is used not only in cinema and TV programmes such as films, series and TV shows but also in debates,  documentaries and video games. Besides, it is also used even in cartoons, eventhough its use is controversial. This interest in subtitling and widespread use is due to two factors: (1) It is more economical than dubbing; (2) It can be achieved in shorter periods of time.

        Technically speaking, subtitles can have many forms: 

1/ According to number of languages: (a) Interlingual subtitles; (b) Intralingual subtitles
2/ According to quality: (a) Professional Subtitling; (b) Fansubbing
3/ According to format: (a) Subtitles; (b) Captions (Open or Closed)
4/ According to position on screen: (a) Subtitles; (b) Surtitles

     The creation of subtitles consists in producing a written translation that is adapted to fit the screen size. It is not a word-for-word translation. Thus, subtitles are the text (sentences, chunks, utterences, etc) derived from the spoken discourse (dialogue, commentary, etc) that accompany the picture/image displayed on screen. Subtites are ususally displayed at the bottom of the screen. However, in opera, the "titles" are displayed on a screen above the main stage; therefore, they are called "Surtitles". Closed Captioning is an alternative term for subtitling.

     Sometimes, when subtitling for the deaf and hard-of-hearing people, subtitlers add other signs and symbols (e.g. music) to depict the non-verbal process of communication, as shown in the picture below.

      In some of our previous posts, we dealt with the software used to produce subtitles. We will step-by-step deal with the problems that subtitlers face and their solutions soon. All these posts can be accessed via the label "Subtitling" (Labels are on the left side of the blog). In addition, a lot of Video Tutorials have been curated and organized in the form of Playlists on Youtube to help you learn at your own pace.

     From a reserach perspective, many research problems have been investigated in subtitling; namely, reduction, linguistic variation and expletives (Cintas, 2004). If you are interested in such kind of content, please  let us know.

Subtitling Software: Wincaps Q4

Wincaps Q4 is a subtitling software used by many universities to train would-be subtitlers. It is also used by companies which prefer to use the technique of "re-speaking" to increase productivity.

A playlist of Videos is available to guide you step-by-step in using it.

However, this software is not free. You could download this software for a 7-day trial period. Follow the link for more details: Wincaps Q4 (Official Software Website).

If you would like to have an idea about free subtitling software, take a look at our previous post: Free Subtitle-Editing Tools

Check this post out later for more explanations or you may want to subscribe to get more info in your inbox.

Free Subtitle-Editing Tools

Below is a non-exhaustive list of the best free subtitle editing software:

• Aegisub
• SubtitleEdit
• Subtitle Workshop
• Open Subtitle Editor
• Gnome Subtitles
• Pitivi
• SubtitleCreator
• Submagic
• SubViewer4
• Gaupol
• VisualSubSync
• WinSubMux

Online/Web application do not require any downloading, if you do not want to install more software:

• http://www.sync-subtitles.com/
• http://www.subsedit.com/
• https://amara.org/en/
• http://subtitle-horse.com/
• https://www.captionsmaker.com/
• FiveLoadSub/

This list will be updated. Descriptions of these software will be added later.
See more here: Wikipedia
If you want to learn more, check out the label: Subtitling

What are the advantages of CAT tools?

       The term Computer-assisted Translation (CAT) does not refer to Machine translation (MT) of texts which is provided for free by many engines and websites such as Google translate, Reverso and Bing. CAT refers rather to the human translation which is facilitated by desktop computers and the software installed on them. These software are called CAT tools. They have many features which cannot be ensured by a human being, so the translator uses them as tools to improve his performance and to increase his daily output. Indeed, CAT tools have many advantages when working on big projects, especially technical ones, because they will not help much in literary or creative translation.

 

               

         So, one may cite that:

1. CAT tools help the translator keep track of his previous work by creating Translation Memories "TMs" which enable him to save time when translating recurrent expressions or similar ones.

2. CAT tools enable him to keep Term Bases "TBs" which enable him to be consistent in all the translated documents, i.e. using the same terminology along the project.

3. The translator can even use the client's TMs and TBs when required, consequently this will save him a great deal of research.

4. CAT tools enable the translator to have a machine translation from his workbench. All he has to do is to set his preferences when creating the translation project.
5. The translator can align his previously translated documents

6. They enable the translator to work on all types of formats and to save the translated documents in multiple formats.

7. Some CAT tools have servers which allow the translators to work on projects in teams.

8. Wordfast anywhere, for example, allows the translators to access the user-friendly environment wherever they might be and to share their TMs free of charge.

N.B: You can download free trial versions of these software and some of them are open-source.

More posts on CAT can be found here.

Visual Localization tools for newbies

   

 

The most common localization tools are:

• Alchemy Catalyst

http://www.alchemysoftware.com/

• SDL Passolo:

http://www.sdl.com/products/sdl-passolo/

• Lingobit Localizer Standard: 

http://www.lingobit.com/products/compare.html

• Sisulizer Translator:

http://www.sisulizer.com/localization/steps/localization-step-2-translate-text.shtml

• Multilizer Pro for Translators: 

http://www2.multilizer.com/

Localization tools for newbies

         As far as language industry is concerned, there are different types of localization. Simple definitions of these types are as follows:

• Language localization, the process of translating a product into different languages or adapting a product for a specific country or region.
• Internationalization and localization, the adaptation of computer software for non-native environments, especially other nations and cultures (Webtranslateit)
• Game localization, refers to the preparation of video games for other locales.

• Dub localization, the adaptation of a movie or television series for another audience.

                                                                       (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Localization)

        We may also talk about Website localization or internationalization which refer to the translation of the website content either into a local language or into an international one. The main tools which may help achieve this purpose online are (GlobalizeIt, Bablic).

       The videos that I have chosen for you are a comparison between two Localization tools, Catalyst and SDL Passolo. See how each tool localizes the application "notepad.exe" and a ".resx" file.

Link: Catalyst, SDL Passolo, 

          You may also want to check: Translation Exchange, Pairaphrase, GlobalizeIt, POEditor.com/

Free CAT tools videos for newbies

Learning through videos could be a step before deciding on the CAT Tool you would like to use. We have curated for you many videos which will introduce you to the main features of the CAT Tools available in the market. Click on the external links below to watch some videos for free:

SDL Trados Tutorials

MemoQ Tutorials

MateCat Tutorials

OmegaT Tutorials


Across Tutorials

Here is a link to a website which I recommend for any newbie.

The website offers 21 videos absolutely free. Unfortunately, you cannot download them, you have to watch them online. So, just take notes!

The videos will help you to compare the available CAT tools with a very easy-to-follow narrated video presentations. Watch how each tool performs the same task: translating a simple Word document. 

Follow the link below, select the CAT tools, then click on the tool icon to see more information.

Link: http://www.translatorstraining.com/sito/index.php

There is also a premium content that you can watch and download if you register.