Tips

A case from practice. We have received a project in Trados Studio. The file is only one, but huge, and the deadline is close. We were forced to cut it into pieces and assign them to different translators. It is not nice, but the client refuses to give more time, there is no other way.

We cut the file with SDL Split/Merge. It generates a pack of numbered SDLXLIFF files with horrendous names. But when we try to open them, an error pops up:

SDL knowledge base contains an article about removing this error, but the issue persists. And the deadline is getting closer.

What should we do? We try to open them in another CAT tool. The first one we use, memoQ, opens them easily and apologizes for not being able to provide a preview, but it’s nothing. The translation is then followed by a process of correct back transition to Trados Studio, which we can do.

Strictly speaking, Trados Studio is not to blame here: problematic files were created with a third-party application. However, it was expected to be able to handle its own format. memoQ made the best of it somehow.

All commands mentioned below are accessible from the dialog window that appears after right-clicking a file on the Project home tab in memoQ interface.

• How to create .mqxlz file:
  - Right-click the memoQ file > Export > Export Bilingual > memoQ XLIFF
• How to convert memoQ file into Trados-compatible format (as if it was translated in Word with Trados 2007):
  - Right-click the memoQ file > Export > Export Bilingual > Trados-compatible bilingual DOC
• How to create .mqback file in memoQ:
  - Right-click the memoQ file > Deliver/Return
• How to create clean file in memoQ:
  - Right-click the memoQ file > Export > Export (Dialog)

Recently, we learned how to extract .xlf file from .mqxlz. XLIFF file in memoQ. It appears to be that extracting .mqxliff file from a memoQ delivery package, .mqback file, goes in a similar way.

Like some other memoQ files, .mqback file is actually an ordinary ZIP archive. If you add .zip extension to its name and then unpack it, you get a set of .mqxliff files and a “technical” .xml file (like DeliveryPackageInfo.xml).

.mqxliff files can be processed like any other bilingual files. I.e., you can import them to memoQ project, run QA in Xbench (even in its free version, 2.9), etc.

A week time ago we discussed how to enable and configure spelling check in Word. This time we will make the similar adjustments in memoQ.

memoQ allows to check spelling with open source Hunspell dictionaries or with Microsoft Word engine (that is why we started the series of posts about spelling from Word).

To configure spelling check in memoQ, please select:
memoQ > Options > Options > Spelling and grammar (on the left pane).

You get the following dialog window:

Here, you can enable spelling check and specify different spelling check settings for different languages.

To enable spelling check, please select the Check spelling as you type check box.

To “teach” memoQ to use Word spelling engine in English, please select English in the list of languages and select two “Microsoft Word” radio buttons:

From now on, memoQ will use the Word spelling engine and mark the unknown words with red, like Word itself. (Of course it must be installed on your PC.)

When translators are going crazy with the amount of work and tight deadlines, they want to relax. One of the mainstream CATs (memoQ, of course) has a special tool for this. Even two tools!

The first one: put on your headset and go to memoQ > Options > Go Zen:

You will know Zen, definitely.

The second thing (if the first thing is not enough): go to memoQ > Options > Do Not Press This Button:

(It was a joke :) )

Happy International Translation Day!

Recently, a new memoQ version has been released—9.4. Key changes:

• If any grammar issue is detected in the segment, then the specific section with the error gets underlined instead of the whole segment. Similarly to Word, grammar issues in memoQ are underlined in blue.
• Direct import of Trados Studio translation memories has been added. Previously, you would need to export an SDLTM file into an exchange TMX format first (translation memory exchange) and then import it into memoQ. Starting from version 9.4, memoQ allows importing SDLTM files instantly, without any intermediate conversions.
• Integration with Protemos has been implemented. From now on, a single click is enough to create a memoQ project out of a Protemos project or, vice versa, immediately create a symmetric Protemos project for an existing memoQ project.
• Numerous changes and improvements concerning the use of machine translation plugins.

And a lot of other stuff has been added.