Editing Computer-assisted translation (section)

{{Short description|Use of digital logic devices to facilitate communication across languages}}
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{{original research|date=January 2011}}
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{{Translation sidebar}}

'''Computer-aided translation''' ('''CAT'''), also referred to as '''computer-assisted translation''' or '''computer-aided human translation''' ('''CAHT'''), is the use of [[software]], also known as a translator, to assist a human translator in the [[translation]] process. The translation is created by a human, and certain aspects of the process are facilitated by software; this is in contrast with [[machine translation]] (MT), in which the translation is created by a computer, optionally with some human intervention (e.g. pre-editing and post-editing).<ref>{{cite book | editor-last=Gambier | editor-first=Y. | editor-last2=van Doorslaer | editor-first2=L. | title=Handbook of Translation Studies | publisher=John Benjamins Publishing Company | year=2010 | isbn=978-90-272-0331-1 | chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sBVGAYCh_9AC&pg=PA60 | access-date=4 March 2024 | page=60| chapter=Computer-aided translation| first1=Lynne |last1=Bowker |first2= Des|last2= Fisher}}</ref>

CAT tools are typically understood to mean programs that specifically facilitate the actual translation process.  Most CAT tools have (a) the ability to translate a variety of source [[file format]]s in a single editing environment without needing to use the file format's associated software for most or all of the translation process, (b) translation memory, and (c) integration of various utilities or processes that increase productivity and consistency in translation.