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Is proofreading a separate profession in its own right?
Thread poster: Baran Keki
Stepan Konev Russian Federation Local time: 15:25 English to Russian
Proofreading is always monolingual
Apr 3, 2021
Novian Cahyadi wrote: Aren't post MT jobs exactly that?
Proofreading has nothing to do with MT or any other kind of translation. It's monolingual. A friend of mine has been earning her living by proofreading for 20 years now. She only works with her native language.
[Edited at 2021-04-03 10:40 GMT]
P.L.F. Persio
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Stepan Konev Russian Federation Local time: 15:25 English to Russian
Definition
Apr 3, 2021
Just to make searching easier:
Baran Keki
Philip Lees
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Baran Keki Türkiye Local time: 15:25 Member English to Turkish
TOPIC STARTER
I stand corrected
Apr 3, 2021
Stepan Konev wrote:
Just to make searching easier:
So this term 'proofreading' is being used erroneously by most translation agencies then? Is checking a translation against against the source text and correcting it where necessary called 'editing'? If that's the case, then my question is about editing and editors. Still formulated in the same way, strictly for human translations.
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
P.L.F. Persio
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Stepan Konev Russian Federation Local time: 15:25 English to Russian
Deliberately
Apr 3, 2021
Baran Keki wrote: So this term 'proofreading' is being used erroneously
I don't think they do it erroneously. Proofreading does not require a command of a foreign language. That is why its cost must be lower by definition. In my opinion, they use this word to explain why this work must be cheaper than you expect. Compare: 1. You translate using an MT engine output, you are still a translator (full rate applied). 2. You translate using an MT engine output given by your client, you are not a translator any longer, you are an MTPE editor (half rate applied now). 3. Next step: we rename you from editor to proofreader and apply 25% rate now... Done!
[Edited at 2021-04-04 08:10 GMT]
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William Bowley United Kingdom Local time: 13:25 Spanish to English + ...
Not so fast!
Apr 3, 2021
From my experience, I think some impressions of proofreading in here are quite off the mark.
Proofreading is most certainly a profession in its own right, though there are few stellar ones, and even fewer well paid ones nowadays. Most change too little (missing several key issues in the process) or too much (non-native speakers speculating rather than knowing perhaps being the high/lowlight), or believe synonyms to always be equal no matter the context, and so on.
From my experience, I think some impressions of proofreading in here are quite off the mark.
Proofreading is most certainly a profession in its own right, though there are few stellar ones, and even fewer well paid ones nowadays. Most change too little (missing several key issues in the process) or too much (non-native speakers speculating rather than knowing perhaps being the high/lowlight), or believe synonyms to always be equal no matter the context, and so on.
I've worked as a proofreader in various capacities for multiple clients, and yet I've seen relatively little 'changing something for the sake of it'. If anything, the number of changes generally makes very little difference, so being seen to be doing work by making lots of changes doesn't really hold true - many PMs will still tend to use their favoured (financially, personally, or both) translators and will not stop doing so simply because of a sea of red in tracked changes.
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