Tips

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.

The same goes for Smartcat. It has become complicated these days to write a post without mentioning the name of this ill-fated virus.

Taking into account the numerous texts about the coronavirus, epidemics, etc. being hastily translated in all language directions, Smartcat decided to do a good deed collecting them in a translation memory open to general use—CovidTM, and invites all translation companies to participate in its filling. Once the appropriate materials appear, it will be uploaded as an open access multilingual TMX file. Smartcat promises to fill it with new translations regularly.

Detailed information can be found here.

Back in the day, Trados 2007 was the leader in the market of CAT-tools. It consisted of a whole set of powerful programs: TagEditor was used for working with texts, Translator’s Workbench—for working with translation memories, MultiTerm—with terminology, there was a separate module in the form of a Word template and several additional programs. As times go by, Trados 2007 is antique though it is still being used here and there.

In 2009, SDL company launched the first version of a “cat” of the new level—Trados Studio 2009 which broke the neck of Trados 2007. 

It is remarkable that Trados 2007 still remains a proprietary program. SDL neither releases it nor shifts it to the category of open software—probably, that is because it is perfectly functional and able to compete with the major SDL product—Trados Studio.

However, many translators of classic vintage still keep some translation memories in Trados 2007 text format, and sometimes there arises a need to convert them to TMX (translation memory exchange) format for importing into any other “cat” or CAT-system. But how to do it if you got rid of Trados 2007 long ago?

Very easy:

• Start Xbench. Every technical translator is familiar with this tool. What is more, its free version is perfectly enough for the convertation (you can download the installer from here).
• Create a new project in Xbench and upload the Trados 2007 text translation memory:

• Choose Tools > Export Items (or just press CTRL + R):

An Export Items window appears:

• Here fill out all the necessary fields—specify TMX format, languages of the source and target texts, the name and path to the TMX file—and press ОК.

You get a TMX file containing all segments of the old Trados 2007 text translation memory. As long as TMX is a generally accepted international format, this file can be imported into any “cat”.

There are two notes:

1. To perform this kind of transformation, the old translation memory is to be a text one—i.e. of TXT format. Unfortunately, Xbench appears back-strapped when facing a 5-file memory.
2. If you need to apply an old translation memory in Trados Studio, all these operations won’t be necessary. An heir of Trados 2007, Trados Studio supports this format directly. To do this, enter Trados Studio project settings: Project Settings > on the left panel Language Pairs > All Language Pairs > then in the right part of the dialog box press the Add key > File-based Translation Memory...:

A window appears in the bottom right corner; choose the type of Legacy Trados Translation Memory (*.tmw):

State the path to the Trados 2007 5-file translation memory TMW file. Then press Quick Upgrade, wait for all segments to transform, agree to delete temporary files and press OK.

As a result, the old Trados 2007 5-file translation memory is transformed into Trados Studio format. Another file with SDLTM extension will appear in the same folder where files of the translation memory have been stored—this is the very old TM in the new format.

Trados 2007, one of the aged CATs, becomes history gradually. But experienced translators who worked in it still store old translation memories in Trados 2007 format in their archives. Occasionally, it makes sense to involve these antiques in some projects.

Sometimes translation memories become corrupted, due to different reasons. It is still possible to open them in Translator's Workbench, and even to perform translation in TagEditor, but they do not allow you to convert them into some “more modern” CAT format, because when you try to export them into TMX, the program crashes.

The procedure described below can help in such a situation.

1. The first thing you should try is preforming the so called reorganization of the corrupted translation memory. During the reorganization, the index files (i. e., .iix, .mdf, .mtf, and .mwf files) of a 5-file translation memory are being re-created anew from the information from the “container” file (.tmw).

To perform reorganization, in Translator's Workbench, select

File > Reorganise:

The translation memory is reorganized. After that, try to export it to TMX:

File > Export > OK > choose the format, file name and folder where it must be stored.

NOTE: The export command is not accessible, if Exclusive check box was not set when you opened the translation memory in Translator's Workbench.

Is this is a case, close the translation memory and open it again with this check box set.

2. If reorganization or export is failed, sometimes the following trick helps.

• Create an empty translation memory with the same name, language direction and structure of custom fields.
• Close this translation memory in Translator's Workbench.
• Rewrite the .tmw file of the empty TM with the .tmw file of the corrupted TM.
• Open the TM you created this way in Translator's Workbench. Opening usually runs smoothly. Do not forget to set the Exclusive check box.
• Try to export the TM into TMX format.
• If export fails, try to reorganize the TM and to export it one more time.
• If reorganization does not help, try to add several new segments into the TM via “usual” translating, and then try to repeat the reorganization/export cycle.

If you fail to export the TM after all these steps, most likely even SDL, the Trados developer, will not help you :(

A Wordfast TM file has .txt extension. Actually, it is an usual .txt file delimited with tabs in a special way. Converting it into TMX format that allows TM exchange between all other CAT tools can be done in several ways. The easiest and quickest way involves Xbench (either free or paid version).

Step 1: Load your Wordfast TM into Xbench. There is a special file type Wordfast Memory there:

Do not forget to set the checkbox Ongoing translation.

Step 2: In Xbench, select Tools > Export Items, or simply press CTRL + R.

Export Items dialog box appears. Specify the settings in Output section: what languages are considered to be source and target, and the path and the file name for the .tmx file of the TM.

Press OK button. The .tmx file you get is the converted Wordfast TM.

Passolo files (they have tbulic extension) are not convenient for some operations: it is not easy to add the translations they contain to the existing Trados translation memory, to perform QA in Xbench etc. Free Passolo Translator's Edition does not allow that at all; Professional version allows them, but the export procedure is rather complicated.

The export of translations from Passolo file becomes possible with a help of auxiliary macros, attachable to the program.

By default, the macros files are downloadable from here:
http://translation-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Passolo.zip

To enable macros for export in Passolo, please perform the following steps:

Unpack the archive and copy .bas files it contains,

• PslAutoProjectFromFolder.bas
• TEK_Passolo2TMX.bas
• TEK_Passolo2Xliff.bas
• TEKPassolo2TTX.bas

to the Passolo macros folder. The path can be different depending on your Passolo and Windows version, for example:

Windows Vista/7/8:

• c:\Users\Public\Documents\Passolo Translator\2011\Macros\
• c:\Users\Public\Documents\Passolo Essential 2011\Macros\
• c:\Users\Public\Documents\Passolo 2011\Macros\

Windows XP:

• C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\Passolo Translator\2011\Macros

etc.

Now you can export the translation from Passolo into text format.

In Passolo, press CTRL + M or select Tools > Macros. The dialog window Macros appears. It contains macros beginning from TEK...

— TEK_Passolo2TTX.bas macro is for exporting text into TagEditor (TTX) format.

Note: When you try to open the resulting .ttx file in TagEditor, the message about missing .ini file appears. You can choose any .ini file from the existing ones. Changing .ini file affects nothing, because the text is already segmented.

— TEK_Passolo2TMX.bas macro is for exporting text into TMX format.

— TEK_Passolo2Xliff.bas macro is for exporting text into XLIFF format.

To run a macro, select the necessary one in the list and press Run button. The resulting file with exported text is created in the folder where the original .tbulic Passolo file is stored.