Proofreading Thread poster: Christophe Lefrancois
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Hi,
I would like to know if it is part of an agency's duty/obligation to have the translations proofread?
Thanks,
Christophe
| | | | Thayenga 
Germany
Local time: 16:16
Member (2009)
English to German
+ ...
| It might vary | Sep 19, 2014 |
Hi,
all respectable agencies that I work with proofread my translations before passing them on to their customers. IMO this is/should be part of their responsibilities. However, there are agencies (I know of 2, correction: used to know) that simply pass on the translations to their customers and, in case of any complaints, hold the translator liable, ignoring their liability.
I'm curious to read what our colleagues have to say. ... See more Hi,
all respectable agencies that I work with proofread my translations before passing them on to their customers. IMO this is/should be part of their responsibilities. However, there are agencies (I know of 2, correction: used to know) that simply pass on the translations to their customers and, in case of any complaints, hold the translator liable, ignoring their liability.
I'm curious to read what our colleagues have to say. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Diana Obermeyer
United Kingdom
Local time: 15:16
Member (2013)
German to English
+ ...
But it's sound business practice. Those that don't are usually also the ones that try to make deduction if the end client is unhappy (or tell you that the end client was unhappy to get out of paying up).
| | | | Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 15:16
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
| My personal view | Sep 19, 2014 |
Christophe Lefrancois wrote:
I would like to know if it is part of an agency's duty/obligation to have the translations proofread?
I think they have a duty to their client to be sure that the translation provided by their supplier is as near perfect as humanly possible.
Does that oblige them to have every text proofread? I'd say that it obliges them to proofread the work of every translator who is new to them. If they are confident that a regular translator supplies conscientious translations within his/her specialisations then perhaps they can forgo that step. However, and it is an important proviso, every piece of writing, translated or not, that really needs to be totally error-free (e.g. for publication rather than for internal purposes) needs to be proofread by the all-important "second pair of eyes". The most conscientious of people cannot guarantee to spot their own mistakes - it's been proven time and time again.
Unless expressly requested by the agency or offered by the translator, our quotes to agency clients do not generally include the fee for that second pair of eyes. So the onus in the event of a slip or two (from/form; to/too etc) must be on the agency. Of course, the onus for a thoroughly bad translation or one that hasn't been read through carefully and spell-checked is with the translator.
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| It should... | Sep 19, 2014 |
Proofreading should be an integral part of any agency’s internal quality assurance process. Anyway, I revise and check my work several times before delivering it to the client. I also have an arrangement with a colleague where we provide each other with mutual assistance and cooperation.
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Very many agencies lack any proofreaders and expect your delivered work to be as perfect as possible and in a publishable state. Ideally, you should count on another trustworthy professional to proofread your work, and your rate towards the agency should include the cost for such a proofreader.
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I second what has been said above.
Most agencies in the USA used to go by the TEP standard: Translate, Edit, Proofread. This has led to abuses with low quality at the T step ("after all, someone will edit..."), for example I've seen (very) occasionally raw Google translate coming to me as an editor! In such situations, the editor is really finishing the T step, and the text remains in need of polishing afterwards. I think the European conception that never over-formalized TEP, as w... See more I second what has been said above.
Most agencies in the USA used to go by the TEP standard: Translate, Edit, Proofread. This has led to abuses with low quality at the T step ("after all, someone will edit..."), for example I've seen (very) occasionally raw Google translate coming to me as an editor! In such situations, the editor is really finishing the T step, and the text remains in need of polishing afterwards. I think the European conception that never over-formalized TEP, as well as the ATA-certified translators, will be free of such abuses.
Still, I would be very wary of an agency that does not have you proofed. This means that they have undue pressure on either budget or delays, and you will be working under a Damocles sword... ▲ Collapse
| | | | Luiz Barucke
Brazil
Local time: 11:16
Spanish to Portuguese
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| There will be always some detail to change | Sep 20, 2014 |
Teresa Borges wrote:
Proofreading should be an integral part of any agency’s internal quality assurance process. Anyway, I revise and check my work several times before delivering it to the client. I also have an arrangement with a colleague where we provide each other with mutual assistance and cooperation.
Concordo, Teresa.
No matter how many times a translator reviews and checks his/her own work, it's not the same as having someone else to proofread it.
But of course, the proofreader must be a good professional. Otherwise, the outcome could be not so good... or maybe even worse.
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