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tranfree issue 31 - 15 May 2001
Proofreading (other people's translations)
by Sian Marlow
There are a number of different ways in which you can proofread
other people's translations, depending on a number of things...
- what is the translation for? information, publication?
- who did the translation? was it a reliable translator?
- how much time do you have?
In this article I'll be looking at the different kinds of
proofreading you can use to review translations. And why we use
these different methods.
So let's start with the hardest option...
Full Proof
This is, as its name suggests, a complete review of the
translation in its entirety. You have to compare the translation
with the original in detail. These are the questions you should
be asking yourself...
Is the translation complete?
Every word in the source text needs to be conveyed in the target
language. For example, I've seen translations in the past where
the word "not" has been omitted. Minor omissions can have major
repercussions! The best way to check this is to use two rulers.
You put one on the source text, and one on the target text. Then
move the rulers down sentence by sentence as you check the
translation. It takes a bit of practice to get used to working
this way, but it's very accurate. You'll find yourself developing
a real eye for detail.
Are all the headings and footers included in the translation?
These are very easy to leave out by accident. You should always
check the first and last elements on every page carefully. This
is where most mistakes occur.
Are all numbers correct, and have names been spelt correctly?
Obviously two very important things to verify! Numbers have to
be exactly right (for obvious reasons). If numbers are hard to
read on account of poor fax copies, make sure the translation
contains a note to this effect. While the correct...
 ...spelling of
names isn't quite so vital, misspelling a name creates a very
bad impression.
Does the text read well?
You may find it easier to read through the text as a whole after
completing all the above checks. (Although I personally prefer
to check as I go!)
So when should we do a full proof?
- when the text is for publication.
- when accuracy is absolutely vital, such as in court evidence.
- when a client requests it... They have their reasons. If they
ask for a full proof, even if the translation is fantastic,
don't waste time arguing about it - just do it!
Overview
Overviewing is a very simple method of proofreading and is
generally used when time is tight.
This is what to do...
- Check that the translation is complete. However, this check
shouldn't be very detailed. It's enough just to make sure that
all the paragraphs/headings/footers are there. A good way of
doing this is to count all the paragraphs in the source text,
then count them all in the target. If they're the same, great!
If not, then you can go into more detail to find out why not.
- Just compare the paragraphs visually. If any paragraph in the
target language looks suspiciously short (or long...), double-
check it.
- Check all numbers and names as outlined in Full Proof. These
are important even if 100% accuracy isn't!
Overviews are carried out...
- when time is very short
- when you're not very familiar with either the source or the
target language (it does happen!)
- if the client requests it. For instance, they may know the
translator is brilliant but just need a quick review to weed
out glaring errors.
Random Sampling
This is a combination of the above two methods. You take random
paragraphs and full proof them, and you overview the rest to
make sure the translation is complete. This is used when the
client is short of time but isn't totally confident about the
quality of the translation.
If the quality of the random paragraphs turns out to be poor,
you then need to tell your client this and ask for further
instructions. If it's good, no problem!
You should never be afraid to tell a client if the quality of a
translation is poor. But one thing you should never do is query
another translator's style, unless it renders the text unfit
for its intended purpose.
For example, a text written in a very formal style wouldn't be
useable for a chatty website. But if the translator used the word
"spade" and you prefer "shovel", leave it alone! The golden rule
is...
ONLY CHANGE IT IF IT'S WRONG.
...stick to that and you won't have many problems. When in doubt,
you can always compile a set of notes to send to the client. But
if you do this, keep it short!
Finally, when it comes to proofreading your own translations,
everyone has their own methods for this. I don't propose to
touch on that here. But if you base your methods on the outlines
above, you won't go far wrong. The main thing is to pick up
errors and mistranslations.
This issue of proofreading and how to go about it can be a
minefield for translators. I hope this article has given you
insight into how it's done.
Sian Marlow BA (Hons) MIL MITI
Translations from Swedish, Norwegian, Danish and German into
English Tel./Fax: +44 1753 655 058, Mobile: +44 7703 652 199
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