Revising and Editing for Translators

Brian Mossop was a French-to-English translator, reviser and trainer at the Canadian Government’s Translation Bureau from 1974 to 2014. He continues to lead revision workshops in Canada and abroad. Since 1980, he has been a part-time revision instructor in the BA program and since 2015 the MA program at York University in Toronto.

• Chapter contributorsAcknowledgementsIntroduction for All ReadersIntroduction for Instructors1. Why Editing and Revising are Necessary1.1 The difficulty of writing1.2 Enforcing rules1.3 Quality in translation1.4 Limits to editing and revision1.5 The proper role of revisionSummaryFurther reading2. The Work of an Editor2.1 Tasks of editors2.2 Editing, rewriting and adapting2.3 Mental editing during translation2.4 Editing non-native English2.5 Crowd-sourced editing of User Generated Content2.6 Degrees of editing2.7 Editing procedurePracticeFurther reading3. Copyediting3.1 House style3.2 Spelling and typing errors3.3 Syntax and idiom3.4 Punctuation3.5 UsagePracticeFurther reading4. Stylistic Editing4.1 Tailoring language to readers4.2 Smoothing4.3 Readability versus intelligibility and logic4.4 Stylistic editing during translation4.5 Some traps to avoidPracticeFurther reading5. Structural Editing5.1 Physical structure of a text5.2 Problems with prose5.3 Problems with headings5.4 Structural editing during translationPracticeFurther reading6. Content Editing6.1 Macro-level content editing6.2 Factual errors6.3 Logical errors6.4 Mathematical errors6.5 Content editing during translation6.6 Content editing after translationPractice7. Trans-editing by Jungmin Hong7.1 Trans-editing versus translating7.2 Structural trans-editing7.3 Content trans-editing7.4 Combined structural and content trans-editing7.5 Trans-editing with changed text-type7.6 Trans-editing from multiple source textsExercises and discussionFurther reading8. Checking for Consistency8.1 Degrees of consistency8.2 Pre-arranging consistency8.3 Translation databases and consistency8.4 Over-consistencyPracticeFurther reading9. Computer Aids to Checking9.1 Google to the rescue?9.2 Bilingual databases9.3 Work on screen or on paper?9.4 Editing functions of word processors9.5 What kind of screen environment?9.6 General assessment of computer tools for revisionFurther reading10. The Work of a Reviser10.1 Revision: a reading task10.2 Revision terminology10.3 Reviser competencies10.4 Revision and specialization10.5 The revision function in translation services10.6 Reliance on self-revision10.7 Reducing differences among revisers10.8 Crowd-sourced revision10.9 Revising translations into the reviser’s second language10.10 Quality-checking by clients10.11 The brief10.12 Balancing the interests of authors, clients, readers and translators10.13 Evaluation of revisers10.14 Time and quality10.15 Quantity of revision10.16 Quality assessment10.17 Quality assurancePracticeFurther reading11. The Revision Parameters11.1 Accuracy11.2 Completeness11.3 Logic11.4 Facts11.5 Smoothness11.6 Tailoring11.7 Sub-language11.8 Idiom11.9 Mechanics11.10 Layout11.11 Typography11.12 Organization11.13 Client specifications11.14 Employer policiesFurther reading12. Degrees of Revision12.1 The need for revision by a second translator12.2 Determining the degree of revision12.2.1 Which parameters will be checked?12.2.2 What level of accuracy and writing quality is required?12.2.3 Full or partial check?12.2.4 Compare or just re-read?12.3 Some consequences of less-than-full revision12.4 The relative importance of transfer and language parameters12.5 A realistic approach to revisionPracticeFurther reading13. Revision Procedure13.1 Procedure for finding errors13.2 Principles for correcting and improving13.3 Order of operations13.4 Handling unsolved problems13.5 Inputting changes13.6 Checking presentation13.7 Preventing strategic errors13.8 Getting help from the translator13.9 Procedures, time-saving and quality13.10 Summary of techniques for spotting errors and avoiding introduction of errorsPracticeFurther reading14. Self-Revision14.1 Integration of self-revision into translation production14.2 Self-diagnosis14.3 The term ‘self-revision’PracticeFurther reading15. Revising the Work of Others15.1 Relations with revisees15.2 Diagnosis15.3 Advice15.4 Research during revisionPracticeFurther reading16. Checking Computer-Mediated Translations by Carlos Teixeira16.1 Translation memory16.1.1 Repairing translation memory suggestions16.2 Machine Translation16.2.1 Different ‘levels’ of post-editing16.2.2 Quality of the MT output16.2.3 Examples of post-editing16.3 Integration of Translation Memory and Machine Translation16.4 Computer-assisted literary translation16.5 Generative AI and literary translation16.6 Final considerationsFurther reading17. Generative AI in Revision Workflows by Masaru Yamada17.1 A revision scenario17.2 Practical examples of prompting techniques17.2.1 Zero-shot prompt: quick grammar and style checks17.2.2 Few-shot prompt: aligning with a preferred style17.2.3 Chain-of-Thought (COT) prompt: systematic error detection17.2.4 Summary of prompting techniques17.3 Using GenAI in the translation and revision phases17.3.1 Translation phase17.3.2 Revision phase17.4 Benefits, limitations and ethical considerations17.4.1 Benefits of using GenAI17.4.2 Limitations of GenAI17.4.3 Ethical considerationsConclusionFurther reading18. Revising Legal Translations by Valérie Dullion18.1 Standards of quality in legal translation18.2 The specialized nature of legal language: key aspects to bear in mind when revising18.3 Revising legal translations in a professional context18.4 Revision parameters, degrees of revision and revision procedure18.5 Common problems at different levels of legal sub-language18.6 Aids and tools18.7 Competencies, profiles and trainingPracticeFurther reading19. Revising Literary Translations by Giovanna Scocchera19.1 What is revised19.2 Who revises19.3 Where and When is a literary translation revised?19.4 How to revise a literary translation19.4.1 An 8-step revision procedure19.4.2 Literary revision tools19.5 Why is a literary translation revised?19.6 Machine post-editing of literary texts?Further readingAppendix 1. Summary of Revision IdeasAppendix 2. Quality AssessmentAppendix 3. Quantitative Grading SchemeAppendix 4. Sample RevisionAppendix 5. Revising and Editing VocabularyAppendix 6. Empirical Research on RevisionReadingsIndex

"Undoubtedly, Mossop's work is bedside reading for any translator, since the author's language (direct, clear and instructive) reflects his expertise as a translator, reviser and trainer. This fifth edition provides three vital new chapters on GenAI in revision workflows, and for revising both legal and literary translations."Silvia Parra Galiano, Universidad de Granada"I am convinced that the revised version of Revising and Editing for Translators will serve as an invaluable resource for translation students and translation trainers alike. The new chapters on the revision of challenging genres, such as legal and literary texts, on the revision of computer-mediated translation and on generative AI revision workflows will be indispensable for the translation student who wishes to be up-to-date on present challenges in the world of translation. The exercises and suggested activities will certainly help students practice various aspects of translation revision and develop their skills."Helle Dam Jensen, Aarhus University