Professional translators all over the world are increasingly dependent on computerised tools in their work – i.e. computer-aided translation (CAT). To emphasise that the translator is in control of the process, this is also referred to as machine-
aided human translation (MAHT). MAHT is carried out by means of a translator's workstation or a translation-memory (TM) system, which is an interactive tool that helps the translator to look up source- and target-text segments as an integrated part of the translation process (Alcina 2008: 82). The TM system that is most commonly used is the Translator's Workbench from TRADOS ® (O'Brien 2008: 82; Lagoudaki 2006:24).

Dragsted 2006 suggests that the design (interface) of the TM system changes the translation process. If translators feel that their working process is influenced by the TM system, this should change our understanding of the translation process.

This is what we intend to investigate in a Danish context.

Research question:

• How does a TM influence the translation process?

Subjects:

• Novices (first-semester MA students of specialised translation who are taking a compulsory two-lesson crash course on TM translation at the school).
• Newcomers (professional translators with 0-5 years of full-time experience).
• Experienced translators (professional translators with at least 5 years of experience).

Tasks in the experiment:

• Human translation of an English text into Danish without the use of a TM system.
• Translation with the use of a TM system of a similar text.

- Tina Paulsen Christensen and Anne Schjoldager