Professional document translation consists of a 3-step process that includes different levels of review: Editing/Proofreading and Final Review/Certification. In the following, we are taking a look at why it is crucial to allow for time to perform revisions, corrections, and improvements as needed in every single document translation project.

Let’s begin with the obvious: While professional translators have excellent writings skills and will always do their best to avoid typos, grammatical and punctuation errors, another set of eyes focusing on these type of issues will ensure that not even the slightest detail is overlooked—just as every professional report, business letter, or article in any other industry is read and reviewed several times before it goes to print or to the client.

Since document translations are based on other (source) documents, an important part of this initial review also consists in checking for completeness and making sure that the layout of the target material matches the source materials and/or the client’s requirements.

Then there is the stylistic and terminological aspect. The professional reviewer needs to double-check vocabulary and terminology, especially in document translations of highly technical nature. While the writing style is to a certain extent a subjective affair—we all have different ways to express ideas—it must be ensured that the style employed is right for the target audience of the respective document translation project. Flow and readability are other crucial factors and part of the job description of the professional document translator serving as editor.

Sometimes document translations come back with notes from in-house reviewers of the client. When going over the notes, it is vital to distinguish where the suggested change is a stylistic preference—it may be part of the company lingo, which the professional translator is not necessarily aware of, unless a specific glossary has been provided. The document translator going over the review notes also needs to clarify where the client-revised text departs from the source and make the client aware of the fact. While a company’s foreign branch may have the freedom to recreate the material, the translator does not—once the revisions go beyond stylistic changes, professional translators are bound by their duty to truthfully render the original and are not authorized to add anything or leave anything out.

Document translators, editors, and proofreaders serving professional document translation services companies such as Legal Translation Solutions and its parent company, ASTA-USA Translation Services, are well-versed and experienced in performing the different levels of review and communicating to the client—by way of translator’s notes—any issues and questions that may come up with regard to style and terminology.

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