What would you do if your client required you to use a time-saving tool that actually made your work more time consuming? For one group of language service providers in Canada, the answer was clear: get a lawyer and sue their client, the Canadian Translation Bureau.
Wait, What Tool Is This?
The tool at the heart of this legal dust-up is none other than translation memory—the most widely-used and widely-celebrated translation tool of the past 20 years.
Essentially, translation memory is a database that stores phrases, sentences, paragraphs and other units that have already been translated. The idea is that when using translation memory, translators won’t need to constantly reinvent the wheel and translate words that they or their colleagues have already translated.
When translation memory works as intended, translators typically save time and can translate more productively. In turn, the language service providers they work for often pass that savings on to their clients in the form of discounts.
So What’s the Problem?
Even with 700 in-house translators, the Canadian Translation Bureau still buys $53 million worth of translation from outside language service providers each year. But according to the language service providers taking them to court, it’s a raw deal for them. The Canadian Translation Bureau is allegedly dulling their tools.
The service contract stipulates that the language service providers must offer important discounts to the Canadian Translation Bureau for translation memory matches; however, they claim that the client’s translation memory is so “polluted” that using it makes the translation process more time consuming, instead of less. As a result, the language service providers believe that this is robbing them of approximately 25% of their revenue every year.
Is That Possible?
While this lawsuit is rather unusual, it does highlight an important fact: that translation memory is only as good as how it’s being used and maintained.
Like many work tools, translation memory needs to be kept in tip-top shape. Otherwise, it deteriorates. But not everyone knows how to give it the care it needs to stay useful and relevant for client and language service provider alike.
Here’s How We Do It
At Responsive Translation, we create, use and maintain translation memories every day.
For each new individual client and each new language pair they request, we will create a new translation memory, which will eventually contain all the saved segments from our final edited translation. That is, unless the client has provided their own translation memory to serve as the foundational building block. And if they have, then we will first evaluate its quality and suitability for us to use. Undertaking this important step helps to avoid problems down the road. If the translation memory is suitable, we will add to it and enhance its usefulness.
During the translation process, collaboration tools provide our translators, editors, project managers and subject matter experts with ways to easily discuss issues and to resolve them.
Finally, with any translation feedback we receive from clients, their reviewers or their stakeholders, including style preferences, we will update the translation memory, which is key before any subsequent translation. This helps us to keep the translation memory as helpful, relevant and up to date as possible for every individual client and in every language pair they require.
You can never be too careful with your translation memory! For more information, please contact 646-847-3309 or [email protected].