Translation memories are the most important linguistic assets for LSPs and end-customers which is the reason why it is crucial that they are set up properly when an account is created or when a new customer is added. Not only will it facilitate project creation, but it will also ensure that these assets are used efficiently as any match missed means higher translation costs.
There are no limits in the number of translation memories that can be created and no limits in the amount of data that can be stored in the translation memory databases. Just like other assets, translation memories can be organized using client and project group labels. Smartcat allows the user to create multilingual translation memories — one source language, multiple target languages — which helps to limit the number of databases needed. In practice, only one translation memory database per source language is needed for each client and this is often the ideal model for most customers to optimize the leverage of data.
Creating a new translation memory in Smartcat is quite simple. Choose Translation memories from the Resources option the main menu:
Then click in the Create TM button:
The following dialogue box will appear:
Import a TM file (1) in one of the available formats. Assign a unique name (2). In many cases, it is recommended to choose a name based on the customer name to simplify data management. Then choose the source language (3) and all the target languages (4). There can be only one source language but you can choose as many target languages as needed for a specific client. In most scenarios, matches are found based on comparing new sentences with sentences stored as the source language but Smartcat now allows translation memories to be reversed automatically when used as reference (in read-only mode) and matches can be found in the target language in this case.
Labels can be assigned for a client (5) and project group (6). There is an option to define a subject (7) for the translation memory but this option is generally redundant if the translation memory is assigned to a specific client. It could be useful when dealing with clients who work across multiple fields and separate translation memories need to be maintained.
You can also add comments or a description (8) for each translation memory. Click Save when you are done.
