ABSTRACT
Chapter 1 introduces the reader to comprehensive translation projects and the level of expectations imposed on the translator by the translation industry (Gouadec 2007: 57–85). A solid level of MS Word competence and a basic level of CAT tool skills are required before you attempt the project-based assignment at the end of the chapter. The book is not a manual but it does discuss the basics which will help you understand and manage a wide range of translation environment tools. Good Word-processing skills make the CAT tool learning curve less steep. The translation project in the project-based assignment, in which the CAT tool plays a key part, is presented as a commercial business project that needs good management and collaboration among contracted linguists. The project-based assignment is a discovery into project management team operations and workflow which are surveyed in some detail in the chapter. Additional focus is on cognitive ergonomics and the translator’s work as a desktop operator, either on their standalone PC or on the web.
