Από το ιστολόγιο The Translator's Teacup:
Η συνέχεια, εδώ.
Like many translators, I also proofread the work of other translators. Like many translators, I have had at least one negative experience when having my own work proofread. Is it a coincidence that this was for an exceptionally large translation (21,000 words), and that the translation was also offered to another translator, who I nipped to the post and who was then assigned the proofreading? Probably not…
I was somewhat suspicious of the proofreader’s motives behind describing my translation as “shoddy”, despite the very small percentage of errors on this highly technical text, and some of those being from the translation memory itself. Was it for self-gain? Perhaps this proofreader, resentful that I had been selected for this valuable job, wanted to prove their superiority by expressing my inferiority? Not a very ethical approach, but I wondered if it had worked.
My friend and fellow linguist, Sasha Ward, once worked as a Project Administrator for a large translation agency. I described my situation and suspicions to him. I asked if he thought it happened a lot in the industry, and whether it was a problem noted by translation agencies. He replied, “Yes, all the time!”, “We had to get rid of loads [of proofreaders] for being too picky.”
Being careful and thorough is important, but when does this become “too picky”? When these criticisms cannot be backed up. When I criticise another translator’s work, I want to be sure the Project Manager or client concerned understands why. I include examples of errors made and the corrections necessary. I also try to offer some form of explanation and am careful to consider and mention other circumstances that may have affected the translator’s performance – everything from inexperience in that subject matter to the complexity of the text itself. Above all, I think it is important to be fair to our fellow translators. We should not unjustly criticise in an attempt to gain more work: as Sasha’s statement confirms – a too critical proofreader will only damage their own reputation. Similarly, we should praise the work of a good translator. This is not only the morally right and fair thing to do, but it offers a positive service to your client and shows that you are both fair and honest. Most clients prefer to work with people that are fair and honest.
I was somewhat suspicious of the proofreader’s motives behind describing my translation as “shoddy”, despite the very small percentage of errors on this highly technical text, and some of those being from the translation memory itself. Was it for self-gain? Perhaps this proofreader, resentful that I had been selected for this valuable job, wanted to prove their superiority by expressing my inferiority? Not a very ethical approach, but I wondered if it had worked.
My friend and fellow linguist, Sasha Ward, once worked as a Project Administrator for a large translation agency. I described my situation and suspicions to him. I asked if he thought it happened a lot in the industry, and whether it was a problem noted by translation agencies. He replied, “Yes, all the time!”, “We had to get rid of loads [of proofreaders] for being too picky.”
Being careful and thorough is important, but when does this become “too picky”? When these criticisms cannot be backed up. When I criticise another translator’s work, I want to be sure the Project Manager or client concerned understands why. I include examples of errors made and the corrections necessary. I also try to offer some form of explanation and am careful to consider and mention other circumstances that may have affected the translator’s performance – everything from inexperience in that subject matter to the complexity of the text itself. Above all, I think it is important to be fair to our fellow translators. We should not unjustly criticise in an attempt to gain more work: as Sasha’s statement confirms – a too critical proofreader will only damage their own reputation. Similarly, we should praise the work of a good translator. This is not only the morally right and fair thing to do, but it offers a positive service to your client and shows that you are both fair and honest. Most clients prefer to work with people that are fair and honest.
Η συνέχεια, εδώ.
