How can you increase your translation speed without sacrificing quality?

As a translator, you want to deliver high-quality work to your clients, but you also want to optimize your time and income. How can you increase your translation speed without sacrificing quality? Here are some tips to help you achieve both goals.

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1 Use a CAT tool

A computer-assisted translation (CAT) tool is a software that helps you translate faster and more consistently by leveraging previous translations, terminology databases, and machine translation. A CAT tool can save you time by avoiding repetition, suggesting matches, and checking errors. It can also improve your quality by ensuring consistency, accuracy, and adherence to client preferences. There are many CAT tools available, so choose one that suits your needs and budget.

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Michael Bailey

MA(Hons) MCIL - Translator (DE>EN), Banking Supervision - Finanzmarktaufsicht / Austrian Financial Market Authority
There are multiple layers of CAT tool usage that can speed up your translation rate. Optimizing your setup can make a big difference, and not just in the ways that this text claims. The AI generated text is very superficial in how it states that a CAT tool can help you. Its definition focuses on leveraging existing translations and terminology as well as MT. What it can also do is to perform QA checks, allow customisation of filetype definitions, use powerful segment filtering (such as in ADF 2.0 which is now part of Trados Studio). You should also consider that there are different pricing models for CAT tools - some subscription-based, others involving outright purchases, and there are frequently try-before-you-buy options.
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2 Plan your workflow

Before you start translating, it's important to plan your workflow and set realistic deadlines in order to avoid stress, distractions, and interruptions that can slow you down and affect your quality. To do this, analyze the source text to identify the purpose, audience, and tone of the translation. Research the topic, terminology, and style guides relevant to the project. Divide the text into manageable segments and assign priorities and deadlines. Don't forget to schedule breaks, revisions, and quality checks.

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3 Improve your typing skills

Typing is an essential skill for translators to master. Achieving speed and accuracy while typing can save time and reduce errors. To improve your typing skills, you should use a comfortable keyboard and mouse that fit your hand size and posture. Additionally, you should learn the keyboard shortcuts and commands for your CAT tool and other applications. Practicing typing regularly with online tools or games that measure your speed and accuracy will also help. Finally, it is important to avoid looking at the keyboard and use touch typing instead.

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Michael Bailey

MA(Hons) MCIL - Translator (DE>EN), Banking Supervision - Finanzmarktaufsicht / Austrian Financial Market Authority
While accuracy of typing, and speed thereof will increase your translation speed, in this day and age of CAT tools being indispensible in many fields of translation, refining your CAT tool setup may stand you in considerably better stead. Try using some of the built-in QA tools - these will help you to avoid a lot of minor corrections that you otherwise will need to invest time in finding. Similarly, small tweaks like segmentation rule exceptions can help you to speed up translation, by ensuring segments are split where they should be. Furthermore, learning keyboard shortcuts will help speed you up in that you don't have to take your hands off the keyboard to reach for the mouse and click through multi-level menus.
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4 Expand your vocabulary

Having a rich and varied vocabulary is essential for translators, as it allows them to express themselves clearly and creatively, while avoiding unnecessary repetitions and ambiguities. To expand your vocabulary, you should read widely in your source and target languages, noting down any new words and expressions. Additionally, you can consult dictionaries, thesauruses, and glossaries to find synonyms, antonyms, and collocations. To aid with memorization, consider using flashcards or apps to review the words and expressions you have learned. Finally, make sure to use the words and expressions you have learned in your translations and other writing.

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5 Learn from feedback

Feedback is a valuable source of learning and improvement for translators, helping them identify strengths and weaknesses, and find ways to enhance speed and quality. To benefit from feedback, you should ask for it from your clients, colleagues, or mentors on your translations, thanking them for their input. Analyzing the feedback and noting down the positive and negative points, as well as areas for improvement, is also important. Implementing the feedback in future translations and monitoring your progress is key. Additionally, seeking feedback regularly and consistently, while being open to constructive criticism, is essential.

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6 Keep updating your skills

Staying up-to-date with the trends and challenges in the translation industry is essential for meeting your clients’ expectations. To do so, you should stay informed about your source and target languages, as well as your fields of specialization. Additionally, enrolling in online or offline courses, webinars, or workshops can help you update your skills and tools. Joining professional associations, networks, or communities can also provide you with resources, support, and opportunities. Lastly, experimenting with new methods, tools, or techniques can enhance your translation process and output.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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How can you increase your translation speed without sacrificing quality?

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1 Use a CAT tool

2 Plan your workflow

3 Improve your typing skills

4 Expand your vocabulary

5 Learn from feedback

6 Keep updating your skills

7 Here’s what else to consider

Translation

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