THE NOUN: BENEFITS AND LIMITATIONS OF CAT TOOLS IN LITERARY VS TECHNICAL TRANSLATION

Abstract

The increasing reliance on Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) tools has significantly influenced contemporary translation practices, particularly in professional and academic contexts. While CAT tools are widely adopted in technical translation due to their efficiency and terminological consistency, their applicability to literary translation remains contested. This paper examines the benefits and limitations of CAT tools in literary and technical translation, focusing on how text type influences the effectiveness of such technologies. The identified research gap lies in the limited comparative analysis of CAT tool usage across different translation genres, especially regarding stylistic and creative constraints in literary translation. The study adopts a comparative analytical approach, examining selected literary and technical texts translated with CAT tool assistance. A combination of qualitative and quantitative methods is employed to evaluate translation quality, with particular attention to accuracy, consistency, stylistic adequacy, and creative expression. The findings indicate that CAT tools substantially enhance consistency and efficiency in technical translation; however, they present notable limitations in literary translation, where flexibility, cultural nuance, and stylistic variation are essential. The study further emphasizes the importance of translator competence in balancing technological support with human judgment. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the role of CAT tools in translation practice and highlight the need for translator training that integrates both technological proficiency and genre-sensitive translation skills.