Translation as a Profession (Benjamins Translation Library)

18 Translation as a Professionall the templates, terms, phrases and previously translated materials to be reused,and set up the workstation environment and any software required, there is goodreason to think that optimal quality will be guaranteed during the actual transferprocess which consists in creating ‘new’ material in such a way that it will meet allthe target population’s expectations as regards contents, form and language.Transfer naturally means transfer of contents, formats, and form, with allnecessary changes and adaptations required by linguistic, cultural, commercial,technical, moral, etc. differences between source and target.It also goes without saying that the translation is self-checked by the translator.○8.Proof-reading (or proof-listening in the case of oral translation) and revisionOnce translated, the material has to be checked to make sure that everything thathad to be translated has indeed been translated and complies with:– language use and usage – meaning it is error-free, readable, clear, accessible,and unambiguous,– the work provider’s specifications and the translation options chosen,– the principles of convergence between the source material and ultimate targetmaterial (in terms of meaning, aim and purpose), providing of course the targetdestinations and the target functions are identical to those of the original.The proof-reading (or proof-listening) phase and the revision phase are generallykept separate. The proof-reader corrects anything that is blatantly incorrect andflags any anomalies without interfering with the translation itself, while thereviser will correct and improve the translation. If the translated material isparticularly sensitive or critical, the translation may in fact need to be qualitycheckedand revised many times in succession. In the absolute, if ‘zero defectquality’ is required, it may take up to four or five close revisions to weed out allimperfections – at a cost which explains why ‘zero defect quality’ in translationremains something of an economically unreasonable objective.Batch translations (where the same document is shared out between severaltranslators) require specific checking and revision procedures, to ensure completeharmonisation as regards style, terminology, phraseology and discursiveorganisation.○9.Corrections and adaptations, plus finalisationIdeally, corrections should normally be carried out by none other than thetranslator, who is ultimately responsible for the quality of the end-product. Butthis is not always practicable and, besides, revisers and even, in some cases, thework providers themselves may introduce changes without bothering to informthe translator, who usually strongly resents such lack of consideration, especially