Revisions

By revision I’m referring to a translation being checked against the source by a second translator. Many colleagues erroneously refer to this as proofreading, but proofreading is actually a different skill performed by a proofreader who isn’t usually a translator at all.

Proofreading (clicking on the link will take you to the definitions provided by the UK-based Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading – CIEP) is actually the last check in the process of ensuring a text is completely error-free before publication and it comes after copyediting. Translators rarely need to copyedit, even though some aspects do overlap (checking punctuation, grammar, spelling, ensuring there are no errors, omissions, etc.).

Having completed the CIEP course on an introduction to proofreading, (when the CIEP was known as the SfEP) I discovered that adding proofreading (as defined above) as a skill was not something I wanted to do. This was primarily because, as a translator first and foremost, I found I was not really interested in learning how to use BSI (British Standards Institution) marks since I don’t need them to do my job (although the CIEP course focuses heavily on these marks, it’s still useful for translators wishing to brush up on their error-spotting). Instead I offer editing services, most often of academic papers for publication written by non-native speakers directly into English. I usually edit onscreen with track changes in Word or sticky notes in PDFs.

But back to revisions. Most translations need to go through a revision process, especially if they are to be published. It’s difficult for any individual to get anything perfect without some help. A second pair of eyes can see things the translator has overlooked and often come up with ways to enhance the text. By collaborating together, revisers and translators can arrive at the best possible version of their client’s text, learn from each other and hone their craft. And if the TSP (translation service provider) provides certified services compliant with ISO 17100:2015, then it’s a compulsory part of the process.

Just as revision must not be confused with proofreading, it is not the same as a review either. According to the same ISO standard mentioned above, a review is a “monolingual examination of target language content” and reviewers should be “domain specialists” with “a relevant qualification in this domain” “and/or experience in this domain”.

As I’m extremely interested in this topic, there are a number of posts (listed below) on this blog about revisions. You can also read some of my favourite posts on the subject by other writers in the Editing, Proofreading, Revision and Review section on the Interesting Articles for Translators & Interpreters page. The purpose of the Bite-sized Tips series is also to help us spot errors and improve our writing skills, so do check out that page too.