Good Proofreaders/Bad Proofreaders

By Pham Hoa Hiep | Published 11/10/2011 | Miscellaneous | Recommendation: Contact the author Quic lin : http://!!!"pro#"com/doc/$%10

&urin' my career as a (reelance translator) in many cases * ha+e had my translations chec ed by e,perienced and pro(essional proo(readers to !hom * am al!ays 'rate(ul) since they help a 'reat deal to

enhance the -uality o( my !or " Ho!e+er) li e any other established translators) * reali#e that in other cases) my !or is corrected by bad and un(air proo(readers" .hese proo(readers o(ten !aste the time o( the pro/ect mana'er) o( the translator and e+en o( themsel+es" .hey also brin' about unpleasant (eelin's (or both translator and the pro/ect mana'er" *n !hat (ollo!s) * attempt to discuss !hat * belie+e a 'ood proo(reader tends to do in contrast to a bad proo(reader"

0ttitude and role

0 'ood proo(reader has a cooperati+e attitude to!ards the translator !hose !or he is handlin'" 0 'ood proo(reader has a cooperati+e attitude to!ards the translator !hose !or he is handlin'" He is a!are that the purpose o( chec in' is to enhance the -uality o( the translation) and thus his role o( the proo(reader is li e a concerned collea'ue !ho can help identi(y the translator1s !ea points and the errors

he may ha+e made" *n contrast) bad proo(readers tend to ha+e a condescendin' attitude" Many ine,perienced proo(readers assume an air o( superiority in the process o( proo(readin'" .hey (alsely belie+e that they ha+e more e,perience than the translator and are 'ranted the authority to critici#e a translation) or to do!n'rade the translator" *n reality) it is true that some proo(readers are more e,perienced than the

translator) but this is not al!ays the case" Many translation companies o(ten conduct peer re+ie!in') !hich means the person !ho is hired to re+ie! or edit a translation is not necessarily more e,perienced or pro(essionally better than the translator"

Correctin' approach .he /ob o( a proo(reader is to correct a translation) but 'ood proo(readers and bad proo(readers ha+e di((erent approaches to doin' it" 2,cept spellin' or typo issues that re-uire immediate chan'es) a 'ood proo(reader !ill hesitate to chan'e anythin' until he is sure that the chan'e !ill ser+e a purpose) such as help clari(y a certain meanin') (it the client1s style sheet or terminolo'y) a+oid misunderstandin's or

enhance the naturalness o( the messa'e" 0 bad proo(reader usually hurries to chan'e anythin' that he thin s does not match his o!n stylistic pre(erence" Many bad proo(readers e+en tend to re!rite e+erythin'

in their o!n !ords) (alsely belie+in' the more chan'es they ma e) the more competence they can sho!) at least) to a pro/ect mana'er" 3hile a 'ood proo(reader tends to (ocus on errors that can ob(uscate the clarity o( meanin' or result in misunderstandin' o( a te,t) a bad proo(reader o(ten concentrates on the minor details" 4eedless to say) a 'ood proo(reader o(ten re+ie!s all the chan'es he ma es be(ore submittin' the edited !or to the client" 0 bad proo(reader does not re+ie! chan'es or does this in a careless !ay" 4ot lon' a'o) * recei+ed bac an edited +ersion o( my translation in !hich * reali#ed that the

proo(reader used the 1(ind and replace1 (unction so carelessly that he replaced many correct terms includin' the ori'inal name o( company and its ori'inal !ebsite address5

Ma in' comments 6ood proo(readers usually use the 7trac chan'es7 (unction and insert comments !hich e,plain !hy a certain chan'e is needed" .he comments they 'i+e should ma e sense and be use(ul to translator and client" .ypical comments o( 'ood proo(readers can be 7* thin the translation o( this !ord as 8 is correct) ho!e+er) (or this particular tar'et audience) * !ould su''est the use o( 9 in instead o( 8) or 7* don1t thin

that this !ord choice is appropriate in this case) * !ould su''est 9 instead"7 Many 'ood proo(readers are so tact(ul that they use -uestions in their comments rather than 'i+in' an order) (or e,ample) 7this term mi'h sound odd to some spea ers o( the tar'et lan'ua'e) !ould : be a better !ord choice in this case;7 Bad proo(readers tend to o+ercorrect thin's) but rarely insert comments or e,planations" 3hen they do 'i+e comments) their comments tend to be abrupt) +a'ue) or authoritati+e but not con+incin'" .ypical comments o( bad proo(readers can be thin's li e 7not accurate)7 7!ron' translation)7 7bad !ord choice"7

3hen sendin' bac trac chan'es (iles) 'ood proo(readers o(ten !rite a short note to the pro/ect mana'er) !hich 'i+es an o+erall e+aluation o( the translation they /ust !or ed on" 2,cept (or the cases !here the translation is too poor) a 'ood proo(reader does not (or'et to praise the translator (or the 'ood aspects" 0 'ood proo(reader !ould also summari#e the chan'es su''ested) and 'i+e a short e,planation !hy these

chan'es need to be made" .ypical notes that * o(ten recei+e (rom 'ood proo(readers are: 7*n my +ie! the ori'inal translation is +ery 'ood and accurate) but there are some minor instances o( !ord choice and style that * belie+e need to be chan'ed to ensure the clarity o( meanin')7 or 7Most o( the corrections are only to ma e the meanin' o( the sentences clearer" <nly a (e! instances !ould * re'ard as mistranslations"7

&ealin' !ith bad proo(readers 3hat happens !hen a translator 'ets bac his translation !hich is (ull o( the red corrections !hich he belie+es are un(air and !ron'; 0s a matter o( (act) (eelin's o( an'er !ill ensue" But a pro(essional

translator needs to eep calm" He needs to re+ie! the translation and the chan'es care(ully and 'et bac to the pro/ect mana'er !ith an email e,plainin' in details !hy the proo(reader1s chan'es are not acceptable"

=ince the pro/ect mana'er o(ten does not no! the tar'et lan'ua'e the translator is translatin' into) e,amples o( tar'et te,ts) i( 'i+en) should come !ith 2n'lish e-ui+alents possibly in brac ets" >or e,ample) a translator mi'ht !rite a messa'e li e this 7 * ha+e loo ed closely at the proo(reader1s chan'es and in my +ie! he /ust !anted to create an impression that the translation is poor by ma in' many unnecessary and absurd chan'es) (or e,ample: 707 to 7 B7 ?synonyms (or 7!ebsite7@) 7C7 to 7&7 ?synonyms (or 7please7@" 4ote that the more concrete e,amples you can 'i+e) the better you can persuade pro/ect mana'ers)

particularly ne! and less e,perienced ones) that you are ri'ht and reasonable) and that it !ould be /usti(ied to hire another proo(reader to chec your !or "

4ote: 3hene+er the masculine pronouns he/his/him are used in this article) it is to be understood that they may be replaced by the (eminine pronouns she/her"

A Copyri'ht .ranslation Bournal and the 0uthor 2011 CRD: http://translation/ournal"net//ournal/EFproo(reader"htm Dast updated on: 0G/1F/2011 1%:1F:0H

http://www.proz.com/translation-articles/articles/3410/1/Good-Proofreaders%7B47%7DBadProofreaders