CAT tools and translation memory systems: working with Trados

Introduction. The aim of this dissertation is to describe and explain my job placement experience at CLA, the Language Centre of the University of Padua. During my job placement I have learned how to use Trados, a computer-aided translation tool; I was taught how to use its main features and applications and I took part in the translation project of the Statistical Report of Regione Veneto 2009. In order to make it easier for the reader to understand the tasks I performed during the job placement, I have devoted some chapters of this paper to the description and theory of machine translation and computer-aided translation tools (Chapters 1 and 2). The third chapter focuses on Trados and on its various features, and it gives a detailed description of how the programme works and what its applications are. The last chapter draws the attention to my personal experience at the Language Centre and to the daily tasks I had to perform, some of them involving Trados, and some others regarding translation on a more general level. I also inserted some images and examples, in order to better explain the functions of Trados and the steps to follow when translating with a computer-aided translation tool such as Trados. Finally, this paper also includes a glossary containing some technical words and abbreviations used in the translation field, and an appendix containing extracts from some of the chapters of the Statistical Report I worked on. 4