6.1 - Basic Orientation

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SDL Trados Studio 2009 - Overview

The official SDL website is advertising the fact that with the use of this translator's workbench, translation may be done up to 40 per cent faster compared to working without this CAT tool. The speed of translating of course depends on the nature of the source text. Therefore, if a document contains many repetitions, translating may be even faster.
On the other hand, even if you work with an empty translation memory and termbase, it still offers many interesting features. Let us now take a closer look at what it has to offer. Trados Studio is the application that provides the following main functions in one user interface that integrates the following features:

- Translation memory (TM) capability
- An editing environment for translating and reviewing various source document formats such as Microsoft Office, HTML, etc.
- Automatic quality assurance features
- Functionality for creating, managing, and packaging projects

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Reflection #1: What is a TM and how can it make life easier for a translator?

 

The following few points will introduce the main user interface; open SDL Trados Studio and check for yourself:

1. When you open SDL Trados, the Home window appears. In the center of the application you will see 3 icons through which users can access the most common functions:

  • Open Document opens a single document for translation.
  • New Project is used for preparing projects with multiple files and target languages.
  • Open Package is used for opening project packages sent e.g. by a project manager.

2. The Navigation pane on the left-hand side displays links to popular help topics. This is where you can look up detailed information on the application.

3. The navigation buttons on the bottom of the Navigation pane are used to switch from the currently displayed Home view to, for example, the Projects view, the translation Editor, etc. During the training you will use these buttons very often.

4. You can save screen space if you minimize the Navigation pane on the left-hand side. To do this click the button Minimize the Navigation Pane (<<). After minimising the Navigation pane, the buttons on the bottom of the pane are still visible, but the links to help topics, labels, etc. are hidden. Click Expand the Navigation Pane (>>) to restore the Navigation pane to its original size.

5. The content of the Navigation pane changes when you switch to a different view. For example, in the Editor or Projects view it offers different functions from the Home view. In the Editor view it offers functions relevant for editing and navigating documents, in the Projects view it contains functions relevant for managing projects.

6. In the toolbar on the top of the application window you will find various buttons used to access basic or advanced functionality. For example, the New Translation Memory button is used for creating new translation memories (TMs). In the toolbar you also find the buttons Open Document and Open Package. Clicking these buttons is the same as clicking the corresponding icons in the center of the application window.

 

 

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Reflection #2: In which part of SDL Trados Studio do translators spend most time?

 

 


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