Pavel Tsvetkov

This process is supposed to be "Export for bilingual review", not "Export for bilingual translation".  The feature is intended to allow users to do some light editing and then import the file back in with the changes available to see and action appropriately.

So if you wish to do wholesale translation with it then you need to always copy the source to text first.

If you would like to see this feature enhanced to allow translation then the best place to make your suggestion is http://ideas.sdl.com

Hi Paul,

So, this is indeed a 'feature' and not a bug? Please, note that none of the other CAT tools acts in the same way when importing reviewed files. Why differentiate between 'small' and 'big' edits, 'light editing', etc., and who would want that anyway?

Thank you for providing the link, I will definitely post the suggestion there, just wondering why no one at Trados has thought of this previously?

Imagine all the time wasted by thousands of translators copying text manually from the translated bilingual file into Trados Editor over the years... mind boggling.

Best regards,

Pavel Tsvetkov

Anyone interested may vote here: https://community.sdl.com/ideas/translation-productivity-ideas/i/trados-studio-ideas/import-correctly-reviewed-bilingual-files

Pavel Tsvetkov

Pavel Tsvetkov said:

Please, note that none of the other CAT tools acts in the same way when importing reviewed files.

That's irrelevant really.  Other CAT tools use a different mechanism to us which is more robust.  We support track changes in the word file for this process and we use hidden metadata in each segment.  All of this is what makes the process prone to problems when the files are not handled carefully.

Whe the feature was first delivered it was done so on the basis of "light review" and was never intended to be used for the purpose you, and probably many others, use it for.  In fact there was a lot of resistance to doing it at all because the approach we have always taken is one of more control by keeping things in the CAT tool workflow.

Pavel Tsvetkov said:

just wondering why no one at Trados has thought of this previously?

They have... but like I said, this just isn't the Trados way of working so offerring flexibility to do complete translation work outside of Studio in a Word file has never been a priority.  It's seen as a review tool and that's it.

Pavel Tsvetkov said:

Imagine all the time wasted by thousands of translators copying text manually from the translated bilingual file into Trados Editor over the years... mind boggling.

Indeed... but why are they doing this?  Understanding the way things work is key to doing anything, and as long as you copy the source to target first, don't change the format of the Word file, and especially don't introduce hard returns into the file, then you shouldn't have a problem.

Pavel Tsvetkov

Pavel Tsvetkov said:

Please, note that none of the other CAT tools acts in the same way when importing reviewed files.

That's irrelevant really.  Other CAT tools use a different mechanism to us which is more robust.  We support track changes in the word file for this process and we use hidden metadata in each segment.  All of this is what makes the process prone to problems when the files are not handled carefully.

Whe the feature was first delivered it was done so on the basis of "light review" and was never intended to be used for the purpose you, and probably many others, use it for.  In fact there was a lot of resistance to doing it at all because the approach we have always taken is one of more control by keeping things in the CAT tool workflow.

Pavel Tsvetkov said:

just wondering why no one at Trados has thought of this previously?

They have... but like I said, this just isn't the Trados way of working so offerring flexibility to do complete translation work outside of Studio in a Word file has never been a priority.  It's seen as a review tool and that's it.

Pavel Tsvetkov said:

Imagine all the time wasted by thousands of translators copying text manually from the translated bilingual file into Trados Editor over the years... mind boggling.

Indeed... but why are they doing this?  Understanding the way things work is key to doing anything, and as long as you copy the source to target first, don't change the format of the Word file, and especially don't introduce hard returns into the file, then you shouldn't have a problem.