Poll: When you are assigned with a proofreading task, how many times do you check the translation? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "When you are assigned with a proofreading task, how many times do you check the translation?".
View the poll results »
| | | | Noura Tawil 
Syria
Local time: 16:51
Member (2013)
English to Arabic
1. Regular reviewing (or what the poll refers to as "proofreading"), with Track Changes enabled.
2. I make a new copy of the reviewed filed, "Accept" all the changes that I previously made, and give it a second quick checking to see if I missed something, "hear" how it flows, fix the extra or missed spaces that are not easily spotted in the TC Mode. Any new changes at this stage need to be implemented in the original document, not the copied one. Save, and deliver. Invoice!
| | | | | Blood boiling | Oct 1, 2014 |
You'd have thought that now checking has been rebranded proofreading the text would need only a cursory once-over.
This is never the case, of course, so I very rarely accept these jobs. Why should the translator get the bulk of the money for doing only half a job, and the checker get pennies to pick up the pieces and take all the responsibility?
PS
Pedantic Point of the Day: The first thing I would do when "assigned with a proofreading task" would be delete the "w... See more You'd have thought that now checking has been rebranded proofreading the text would need only a cursory once-over.
This is never the case, of course, so I very rarely accept these jobs. Why should the translator get the bulk of the money for doing only half a job, and the checker get pennies to pick up the pieces and take all the responsibility?
PS
Pedantic Point of the Day: The first thing I would do when "assigned with a proofreading task" would be delete the "with". ▲ Collapse
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 15:51
Spanish to English
+ ...
Chris S wrote:
You'd have thought that now checking has been rebranded proofreading the text would need only a cursory once-over.
This is never the case, of course, so I very rarely accept these jobs. Why should the translator get the bulk of the money for doing only half a job, and the checker get pennies to pick up the pieces and take all the responsibility?
PS
Pedantic Point of the Day: The first thing I would do when "assigned with a proofreading task" would be delete the "with".
Applause for that last remark! Although I don't think correcting mistakes like this can be deemed pedantry, except by the ignorant... or those who couldn't care less.
I tend to refuse "proofreading" jobs which involve going over machine translation, or dogs breakfasts churned out by non-native chancers. Most of the revision (for that is what I call it) work I do consists of scientific papers written in English (or translated from their Spanish originals, perhaps using MT) by non-native authors, which is a different kettle of fish.
This summer I did a couple of (similar, science papers) revision jobs for an agency in Barcelona and they are very methodical and rigorous about it, with good feedback to and fro between myself, the agency and their client. However, I don't usually offer this kind of service except to my own direct clients.
PS: I haven't addressed the "how many times" part of the poll because I think it's a bit daft. I think the answer would have to be "it depends". For example, if a translator colleague asked me to look over something for them, I normally wouldn't expect to have to look at it more than once.
[Edited at 2014-10-01 09:24 GMT]
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| What is "proofreading"? | Oct 1, 2014 |
"Proofreading" tasks seem to vary by client. Some want me to check spelling, punctuation and grammar with no need to compare it to the original. Others want me to see if the translation is correct and return the doc to them for forwarding to the original translator for action should I find any discrepancies, and still others want me to check spelling, punctuation and grammar AND make sure the translation is correct AND correct for style...
Consequently, how many times I read the tex... See more "Proofreading" tasks seem to vary by client. Some want me to check spelling, punctuation and grammar with no need to compare it to the original. Others want me to see if the translation is correct and return the doc to them for forwarding to the original translator for action should I find any discrepancies, and still others want me to check spelling, punctuation and grammar AND make sure the translation is correct AND correct for style...
Consequently, how many times I read the text depends on the task at hand.
Having said that, this kind of work is my least favorite and I offer it only to certain clients. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | As a freelancer, | Oct 1, 2014 |
I am not "assigned a task"; I "accept an order". Important distinction.
[Edited at 2014-10-01 11:25 GMT]
| | | | Al Zaid
United States
English to Spanish
+ ...
Elizabeth Joy Pitt de Morales wrote:
Consequently, how many times I read the text depends on the task at hand.
Having said that, this kind of work is my least favorite and I offer it only to certain clients.
I'd drink to that if it weren't 8 a.m and I weren't working
| | | | EvaVer (X)
Local time: 15:51
Czech to French
+ ...
Noura Tawil wrote:
1. Regular reviewing (or what the poll refers to as "proofreading"), with Track Changes enabled.
2. I make a new copy of the reviewed filed, "Accept" all the changes that I previously made, and give it a second quick checking to see if I missed something, "hear" how it flows, fix the extra or missed spaces that are not easily spotted in the TC Mode. Any new changes at this stage need to be implemented in the original document, not the copied one. Save, and deliver. Invoice!
But it also depends on the quality of the original translation. If it is very good and my changes are minor (very rarely), one reading might be enough. If it's awful (quite often), the above procedure may not be sufficient.
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| Check translation when proofreading? | Oct 1, 2014 |
I only proofread documents which are written in English first.
If I'm really crossing ts, dotting is, picking some better words, reorganizing some bits of sentences, then I do that the first time and the proofread it again for good flow and just to catch mistakes. If I need to read it a third time, then I don't consider it as proofreading.
If more work than that is required, is gets into copyediting and editing work, depending on the type of output being sought and the... See more I only proofread documents which are written in English first.
If I'm really crossing ts, dotting is, picking some better words, reorganizing some bits of sentences, then I do that the first time and the proofread it again for good flow and just to catch mistakes. If I need to read it a third time, then I don't consider it as proofreading.
If more work than that is required, is gets into copyediting and editing work, depending on the type of output being sought and the level of work required at the level of word choice and grammar compared to more substantive structural issues at the level of sentences and paragraphs. But that's not translating OR proofreading.
If significant knowledge of French is required to proofread a document, I charge it as a translation (my highest editing charges and lowest translating charges are the same).
It can take as much work to check a translation as to do it in the first place. Some people try to pass off poor machine translations and then pay peanuts for someone to "proofread" it. I've done ONE job for each of TWO people like that. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Thayenga
Germany
Local time: 15:51
Member (2009)
English to German
+ ...
EvaVer wrote: Noura Tawil wrote:
1. Regular reviewing (or what the poll refers to as "proofreading"), with Track Changes enabled.
2. I make a new copy of the reviewed filed, "Accept" all the changes that I previously made, and give it a second quick checking to see if I missed something, "hear" how it flows, fix the extra or missed spaces that are not easily spotted in the TC Mode. Any new changes at this stage need to be implemented in the original document, not the copied one. Save, and deliver. Invoice! But it also depends on the quality of the original translation. If it is very good and my changes are minor (very rarely), one reading might be enough. If it's awful (quite often), the above procedure may not be sufficient.
No words to add. 
| | | | DianeGM
Local time: 16:51
Member (2006)
Dutch to English
+ ...
But I rarely accept 'proofreading' jobs nowadays.
| | | | Mario Freitas
Brazil
Local time: 10:51
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
I rarely ever accept a proofreading job. Unless I have no translation jobs going on or expected, no way.
However, when I do, I proofread one paragraph at a time. I read along making the corrections, and when I'm done (with that paragaph), I read it again. Unless I make any additional changes, I'm done with that stretch for good. If I do make additional changes, than I'll read it for a third time.
Further down the context, sometimes I'll find an indication or a definitio... See more I rarely ever accept a proofreading job. Unless I have no translation jobs going on or expected, no way.
However, when I do, I proofread one paragraph at a time. I read along making the corrections, and when I'm done (with that paragaph), I read it again. Unless I make any additional changes, I'm done with that stretch for good. If I do make additional changes, than I'll read it for a third time.
Further down the context, sometimes I'll find an indication or a definition that may change my construing of a previous stretch, and in that case, I'll go back and review changes I made (remove undue changes or review the ones I had made).
All this should take 25% of the time I'd take to translate the same text. If I figure the editing will take 50% of the time I'd take to translate or more, I'll contact the client and say the text requires a new translation, not proofreading. The price for this job cannot be the proofreading rate. This applies to machine translations, by the way. ▲ Collapse
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| When I used to do "proofreading" . . . | Oct 4, 2014 |
. . . I would read each sentence in the original source language before making any changes, then moved on to the next sentence. I soon found it was more time-consuming than original translation.
| | | | Ron Willems
Netherlands
Local time: 15:51
Member
English to Dutch
| Ordering about? | Oct 24, 2014 |
Oliver Lawrence wrote:
I am not "assigned a task"; I "accept an order". Important distinction.
[Edited at 2014-10-01 11:25 GMT]
I agree.
I am even more sensitive: I don't like them giving me orders.
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