Title: How Hard Could It Be? Building My Own CAT tools
Speaker: Richard Walker
Abstract
Computer Assisted Translation (CAT) tools are nothing new and, if designed and used correctly, can be a great boon to both productivity and quality. However, most commercial CAT software leaves a lot to be desired and one of the primary reasons for that is that CAT programs market themselves as being able to handle virtually any language combination.
I think that is the wrong approach. CAT does not really become useful unless it knows how to deal with specific problems in specific languages. So, with very meagre knowledge of programming, I asked myself, “How hard could it be?” and set out to build my own.
It wasn’t easy, but it wasn’t impossible either. In this presentation, I will talk about the kinds of tools I have built and adapted specifically for Japanese-English translation, how to think about and approach automation and productivity, and how you can begin to eliminate drudgery, take control of the translation process, and create your own tools even if, like me, you start off knowing very little about writing code. How hard could it be?
Profile:
Richard Walker is the owner and sole employee of Praxis, Inc. in Yokohama. He has been a professional translator for 28 years, with specialties in finance, law and business. His translation of Issey Miyake 三宅一生, a retrospective of the designer’s career, was published earlier this year by Taschen. He also dabbles with computers.
Date: Saturday, November 19, 2016
Time: 14:00-17:00
Doors open: 13:30
Place: Room #510, Central Building, National Olympics Memorial Youth Center, Yoyogi
Address: 3-1. Yoyogi Kamizono-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 151-0052
Cost: JAT members 1,000 yen; non-members 3,000 yen (advance registration for the seminar is NOT necessary)
Koryukai: 17:00-19:00 (advance registration is recommended, pay in cash at seminar reception)
Venue: Cafe Friends (second floor at Central Building, NYC)
Koryukai cost: 2,500 yen (food + drinks)
Registration is open.
