Today's post is part of the "Quick Posts" series, which are entries you should be able to read in five minutes or less and that give you specific advice that you can implement very quickly.
We oftentimes get this question from students: How do I improve my second translation draft?
Here are a few ideas:
- Deadline permitting: sleep on it. We are huge believers in negotiating deadlines that allow us to sleep on our second drafts. Translations are always better when you have more time.
- Print out the translation. Read it on paper. We are tree huggers, but sorry, dear trees. Try to print on recycled paper, though.
After you've done that, read each and every single sentence individually and ask yourself the following questions:
- Does this make sense? If not, what can you do about it?
- Does this sound translated? If yes, what can you do about it?
- Does this sound idiomatic? If not, what can you do about it?
- Would someone who doesn't see the source text understand the target? If not, what can you do about it?
We hope you have enjoyed today's Quick Post. We'd love to hear from you, too. Just leave a comment below.
6 comments:
THANKS Judyta! I shared it! I believe this is a proven success if done appropriately. Thanks for sharing your awesome everyday steps.
@Dolores: Our pleasure, dear Dolo! Sometimes we think it's helpful to share the little things that can make a huge difference in translation. Happy Friday!
Good tips! You've got to have a system like that. Thanks.
@EP: Thanks, dear EP! We think these tricks can be really useful, and we love to hear tricks from other colleagues as well. If you have one to share that you really like: please do! Happy Monday.
I definitely agree that sleeping on it helps so much. I have noticed drastic improvement in my translations when I've slept on them :)
@Viviana: Yes, for sure! The more time one has, the better the translation usually is. It's amazing how differently one sees a translation with fresh eyes, isn't it? Thanks for eading and for commenting.
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