Nowadays, translators’ work is completely reliant on computer-assisted translation software. However, for many translators, especially those new to the translation industry, CAT tools have many limitations. Due to the lack of effective memory and terminology databases, translators often translate sentence by sentence, which does not significantly improve translation efficiency.
With the advancement of deep learning, both the speed and quality of machine translation have greatly improved, changing the working model of translators. The working model of machine translation + post-editing is gradually being accepted by more people. So, can we implement this MTPE (i.e., machine translation + post-editing) working model in today’s mainstream computer-assisted translation software?
The answer is yes—today, the editor will take the widely used CAT tool Trados and Baidu Translation API as examples to show you how to call the machine translation API in CAT software to achieve machine pre-translation.
Part I Obtain Baidu Translation API Access
First, we need to download a Baidu Translation API plugin from the Baidu Translation platform.
Baidu Translation API download link: https://api.fanyi.baidu.com/
1
Find the “Free Experience General Translation API Entry”
Open the Baidu Translation Open Platform, find the “Free Experience General Translation API” under the “Product Services – General Translation” path, click “Free Use“, and enter the registration process.
2
Register as a Baidu Translation Developer
Follow the registration process to enter your personal information.
3
Activate and Apply for Baidu API
Select the version to activate – apply for certification – fill out the application form to activate the Baidu Translation API. The standard version can meet personal needs and also save the certification application step.
4
Obtain Baidu Translation APP ID and Key
In the management console options of the Baidu Translation Open Platform, click on developer information; the application information section contains the API account and password we need.
Part II
Create a New Project in Trados and Call Baidu Translation API
After obtaining the API account and password, we can call the Baidu Translation API in Trados and use it.
1
Create a New Project
Open Trados, follow the usual process to create a new project, and in the third step “Translation Resources“, select Baidu Translation.
2
Configure Baidu Translation API
Input the APP ID and password we just obtained to complete the project setup process.
3
Open the Project to Use Machine Translation Functionality
When we open the project, we will find that each sentence can automatically generate machine translation, and then we can perform post-editing on the machine-translated document, significantly increasing translation efficiency.
Thus, we have completed the setup of the machine translation + post-editing working model in CAT software, achieving a perfect upgrade for machine-assisted translation software!
Many newcomers to the translation industry may find the above operations cumbersome, and may not be familiar with using Trados. Additionally, once the machine translation API expires, the use of Trados will be limited again, and translation efficiency will decrease—however, all of this can be avoided! Now, we proudly introduce the trial translation treasure post-editing practice platform, no API required, directly perform machine translation; post-editing, with higher efficiency through human-machine collaboration!
Such a powerful software can still be used for free? Click the “Read Original below to start your translation journey!