Whether you're a blogger, an academic worker who writes technical articles or you’re involved in corporate PR, you want to do your job to the best of your ability. You want your texts to be clear, understandable, logical and fulfil their (most likely) purpose - to ensure the marketability of your product. In addition, if you use more than one language, each variant and each translation needs to be proofread. Even if the translator is the best, they may overlook typos, may not have a perfect command of grammar, or may not know the relevant technical terminology or the realities of the country. Imagine, for example, having an important business contract translated and signing it without proofreading. Such actions could lead to fatal consequences.
In the case of translations, i.e. translations of a text from one language into another, it is important to preserve the meaning of the text itself. Even if it contains minor errors that do not directly affect the meaning, the proofreader will ensure that the text is grammatically error-free and meaningful for its intended purpose. This brings us to the first type of proofreading -linguistic. This is sufficient for normal translations. However, if you are going to publish your texts in book form, and if you are also focusing on a specialised topic, stylistic, technical and pre-press proofreading is in order.
Stylistic proofreading ensures maximum readability and comprehensibility of the text and is carried out by a native speaker who is best acquainted with the special linguistic expressions typical of the country in question. For professional texts it is good to have both a professional translator and a proofreader who is knowledgeable in the field. The professional proofreader will make sure that the terminology is correct and that the professional names and expressions are used correctly - not only from the point of view of translation, but also from the point of view of stylistics. Let’s take the example of a math textbook where proofreaders address context and other issues relative to the content. The meaning of the text may not change, but the (technical) terminology may be modified.
In our practice, we often rely on the customer's terminology glossary to avoid expressive inaccuracies. If it is relevant for your company and you don't have one yet, we recommend creating such an internal glossary.
In any case, pre-press and technical proofreading (or so-called in-context review proofreading) is necessary for texts going to print and reproduction. The proofreader(s) responsible for these activities check the legibility of the text, the correct order of chapters and pages, the appendices and the overall graphic design. Typographical errors, which often include incorrectly divided words at the end of a line, misplaced commas between sentences or inappropriate characters, must not escape their eye. Of course, photos and images are also checked and must be placed appropriately in the context of the source text.
If a quality translation is really important to you, don't underestimate proofreading for the reasons mentioned above. All of these types of proofreading may not apply to your text, especially if you are not writing about quantum physics or if you don't need to translate a manual for a robotic vacuum cleaner. Although there is always a separate "reading" of the text and a separate proofreader is needed for each type of proofreading (which may not be the rule), don't despair of having to pay for each one separately. Every professional translation agency offers proofreading as part of the translation package. We at Aspena are able to tailor each customer's offer to their needs.
Do you need a quality translation and, if necessary, proofreading? Don’t hesitate to contact us. We work with more than 200 language combinations and professional CAT translation tools. We can handle your project quickly and readily!
