Translation alignment
Description
In the lifecycle of global content, organizations often accumulate vast archives of translated material before they implement a Translation Management System (TMS) or CAT tools (Computer-assisted translation). Without alignment, this content is "dead data." It exists as final documents but cannot be leveraged to automate future work.
Translation alignment bridges this gap. Using specialized software, the process analyzes the source file (e.g. an English user manual) and the target file (e.g. the Spanish version) side by side. It attempts to pair sentences or phrases that share the same meaning, creating translation units. These pairs are then imported into a translation memory, enabling the organization to recycle those translations in future projects. While modern alignment tools use sophisticated algorithms to match segments based on structure, formatting and linguistic patterns, the process is rarely fully automatic. Therefore, alignment typically requires a Human-in-the-Loop (HITL) review. A linguist or project manager uses an alignment editor to verify matches, correct misalignments and disconnect segments that should not be reused.
Example use cases
- Recovery: Creating a translation memory from years of previous manual translations.
- Training: Generating high-quality parallel corpora to train domain-specific engines in Language Weaver.
- Migration: Capturing linguistic assets from a previous language service provider (LSP).
- Finalization: Aligning the final, published PDF version of a document with the source.
- Harmonization: Harmonizing linguistic assets when two companies merge by aligning their respective documentation.
Key benefits
RWS perspective
At RWS, translation alignment is a key component of our technological onboarding and AI enablement strategies. We understand that your past content is a valuable asset that should drive future efficiency.
We leverage the advanced alignment capabilities within Trados to process complex file formats and recover linguistic value from legacy documentation. However, we know that technology alone is not enough. To ensure the integrity of your translation memories – and the AI models they train – our process incorporates expert human review. Linguists verify alignments to ensure that only accurate, high-quality segment pairs enter your ecosystem. Whether you are migrating to a new TMS or building a bespoke Language Weaver engine, our Human + Technology approach ensures your data is clean, structured and ready to power your global growth.