SDL Trados 2007 is a suite of translation software tools that work together to provide a complete solution to the challenge of creating, managing and completing translation projects. Trados is indeed the leading translating CAT software on the market and is certainly pretty good for translator freelances. It uses the so-called translation memories to help you translate between language efficiently and effortlessly.

A translation memory is a must to improve the translation efficiency. You will automatically set up a translation memory from scratch while you are using Trados. Here you will know about how to create a new file-based translation memory:

Step 1: Launch Translator's Workbench from your Start menu.
Step 2: From the File menu, select New. The Create Translation Memory dialog box opens.


Step 3: From the Source languages list, select a source language, for example, English (United Kingdom). From the Target languages list, select a target language for example, German (Germany).
Step 4: Under System fields, check that the Creation date, Creation user, Change date and Change user options are selected. These are the default system fields for a new translation memory in Translator's Workbench.
Step 5: Under Multiple translations, accept the default setting and leave the Allow multiple translations for identical source segments check box clear.
Step 6: In the Name box, enter a name for your new translation memory, for example, My Translation Memory. This name is saved in your translation memory and is not the file name itself.Creating a Translation Memory
Step 7: In the Copyright notice box, enter a copyright notice, for example, ? My Own Software Company. You can change the copyright notice at any time using the Setup command on the File menu.
Step 8: In the Description box, enter a description of the contents of your translation memory, for example, This TM contains all my software product documentation in English and German. You can change the description at any time using the Setup command on the File menu.
Step 9: Click Create to confirm the settings. Assign a file name to your translation memory and save it in a folder of your choice. Translator's Workbench automatically adds the .tmw extension and stores the new translation memory and its associated neural network files on your hard disk.  When creating a new translation memory, Translator's Workbench creates five new files: a database file in which the translation units are stored and four neural network files required for fuzzy searches.

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