There are many computer-assisted translation (CAT) tools in the market these days, and each one has their own pros and cons. When you translate English into Khmer, some tools perform far better than others in increasing the efficiency and accuracy. This post ranks some of the best known CAT tools that I have used over the years from the best to the worst while discussing briefly on their pros and cons, specifically for Khmer language.
1. MemoQ
MemoQ is on the top of my list to use for translating English into Khmer and other languages in general. Typing Khmer characters is well supported without much hassle. We can filter the target with Khmer words and the tool recognizes the filter term without any issue; you can customize the font to get the best look; and it even recognizes Khmer number formats, which is helpful if you are localizing for the local market. When it comes to the review, you can export them into rtf file and import back with no issues most of the time. The draw-back on this tool for Khmer though is that, it does not allow auto-propagation from the bottom to the top, while it does work from the top to the bottom.
2. MateCAT
For a basic tool with limited function, MateCAT is quite impressive when it comes to translating English to Khmer, or translating from Khmer to English. It offers free neutral machine translation (which you should use with reservation to ensure it complies with your client’s policies), that supports Khmer language. Its dictation feature is also helpful for simple text source, even though it still has a long way to go to replace typing. It supports auto-propagation in both directions — up or down. Its draw-back though is its limited functions which is not just for Khmer but also for any target language, basically. You can’t export to work offline and upload it back to update the translation, nor you can have a live document to view for contextual reference.
3. Trados
Trados is undoubtedly the most powerful CAT tool in the market — and also the most complex one to master. In general, it works with Khmer language for most of its functions including auto-propagation up and down segments, live document for contextual reference and you can customize the font. However, its customized font does not always display correctly. There seems to be a glitch there as the tool keep showing a mixture of both the default and the customized fonts. Another draw-back is that typing Khmer on Trados is not smooth. If you starts in the middle of a line, it keeps stacking your characters together (the trick is to back space once before typing any Khmer text).
4. SmartCAT
In many way, SmartCAT is similar to MateCAT in terms of its CAT tool experiences and without taking in consideration the project management side. SmartCAT is more powerful though for the fact that it supports Khmer characters in all of its function and it offers more advanced features (to any target language in general) including source context view, offline export of xlf file and reference file storages. However, it is listed at number 4 for the fact that setting up a project is not straight forward and its free features (such as neutral machine translation and storage space) will eventually become chargeable.
5. Memsource
Memsource is put at the end of the list for Khmer as this tool does not make your translation of English into Khmer any faster, but actually slower compared to other tools. Even though it allow you to export the working file to work offline, and support Khmer in its offered functions, its compulsory QA (for most projects set by your client) must be cleared of all errors (solved or ignored) before you can complete the job. Guess what, its spelling check is the biggest hassle. It does not recognize Khmer character yet it keeps flagging all character combination as wrong spelling, so if you translate 1,000 words, be prepared to click “ignore” on its QA board around nearly 1,000 times as well. I normally communicate this set-up issue to the client to avoid having to click ignore that many times. Another con is that the way it shows red lines under words marked as misspelling makes the interface less favourable to work on.