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Translation Matters - What's in an Editing Process
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To start with, let it be so stated that the role of the editor in any translation process is crucial. This should always be a concern for all translation agencies.
The translation editor could be your last line of protection for your client.
If you can't afford a separate editor (for budgetary reasons or some other reason), then you should absolutely find the very best translator possible.
A good translator will render the translation and then let it sit for a little while, such that he or she can review it as though it were someone else's work. That said, it is still best to retain a separate editor, because even the best translators are not infallible.
The best translators agree that employing a skilled editor is critical in generating a superb translation product. The following are some of the most important things we look for while editing an Albanian Translation:
Semantic mistakes
Are there paragraphs, sentences or words omitted?
Are words omitted or added such that the sentence meaning is changed?
Are there incorrect shades of meaning used (i.e., incorrect connotation)?
Are words or phrases mistranslated due to a lack of understanding of context or culture?
Are there any ambiguities in meaning?
Syntactical mistakes
Is the structure of the target language maintained despite the influence of the structure of the source text?
Are there grammatical errors?
Are there any spelling mistakes?
Are the punctuation rules of the target language being followed?
Stylistic mistakes
Is there any incoherence?
Are archaic words being used?
Is there any unnecessary repetition?
Is there any awkwardness?
Also an important consideration: what is the nature of the material? Is it medical, historical, literary, financial or technical? This should have a strong bearing upon your choice of editor.
Rendering a truly outstanding translation requires extensive knowledge of source and target languages as well as the rules of each language. Make certain that your translator or translation service firm understands these important details.
Another possible last line of defense is found in hiring a proofreader. The proofreader should be fluent and native with respect to the target language, if at all possible. The closer to the current culture the proofreader is, the better.
Great care for the details of language and communication will always help ensure a great translation product. Hopefully, the editing process outlined above will assist you in your choice and evaluation of an editor.
About the Author
Thomas Mayhew is the President of Albanian Language Services. As part of his past Marketing Manager role for a high precision GPS manufacturer he has been a purchaser and overseer of translation services. He has performed Albanian-English editing and proofing. Thomas oversees Crimson Books. He has also written/co-written articles and information for a private Global Positioning System related newsletter received by hundreds of subscribers.