Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Improving self-proofreading Thread poster: Daniel Frisano
| Daniel Frisano Italy Local time: 10:54 Member (2008) English to Italian + ...
I'd like to know if someone uses some specific method for proofreading their own translations. I have the translation read aloud via text-to-speech while I read the original, which gives satisfactory results at least in terms of completeness and correctness (while fluency and style are taken care of in the 2nd proofreading run), but sometimes it's useful to try something new to get out of the rut. Any ideas? | | | Tom in London United Kingdom Local time: 09:54 Member (2008) Italian to English
Daniel Frisano wrote: I'd like to know if someone uses some specific method for proofreading their own translations. I have the translation read aloud via text-to-speech while I read the original, which gives satisfactory results at least in terms of completeness and correctness (while fluency and style are taken care of in the 2nd proofreading run), but sometimes it's useful to try something new to get out of the rut. Any ideas? Change the font, print, leave it overnight, and read the next day. | | | NEVER ask questions on ProZ | Apr 8, 2021 |
So, Daniel, after second-guessing your client’s intentions and fudging anything that is unclear, you then fail to proofread your translations properly?! Just kidding. Can’t beat two printouts and a ruler in my book. And I agree with Tom on doing it the next day. Or ideally the next week. | | |
I always proofread on paper both my work and other people’s work. As far as I’m concerned it’s a far better job than on screen. It amazes me how a finished translation printed on paper can reveal a lot of things that I couldn’t picked up on screen. My very last step during the proofreading stage is to read the whole text aloud: it improves the chances of noticing errors, especially missing or repeated words. | |
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Sabrina Bruna Italy Local time: 10:54 Member (2013) English to Italian + ... Proofreading twice | Apr 8, 2021 |
I go through my translations once just after finishing, then a second time a few hours later or possibly one day later, as after a short or longer break I am able to detect even the slightest errors more easily. | | | More suggestions | Apr 8, 2021 |
Read the text aloud or read backwards, you'll be surprised what a difference these make, so simple yet so effective | | |
Josephine Cassar wrote: Read the text aloud or read backwards, you'll be surprised what a difference these make, so simple yet so effective When you say read backwards, do you mean literally backwards? Page by page, paragraph by paragraph, sentence by sentence, drow yb drow?! Or do you mean compare the source against the target, rather than vice versa? | | | Well, it depends | Apr 9, 2021 |
Chris S wrote: Josephine Cassar wrote: Read the text aloud or read backwards, you'll be surprised what a difference these make, so simple yet so effective When you say read backwards, do you mean literally backwards? Page by page, paragraph by paragraph, sentence by sentence, drow yb drow?! Or do you mean compare the source against the target, rather than vice versa? Well, I should have explained further. If your text is only a couple of pages, you can read backwards one paragraph after another or even one sentence after another ( I prefer one paragraph for the flow)but if your text is several pages long, clearly, you can't do that. I then suggest only reading backwards those paragraphs/sentences which do not sound quite right. It might seem strange at first but it works. For longish texts, I prefer reading out loud though, or reading backwards only parts where I have doubts. | |
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Emanuele Vacca Italy Local time: 10:54 Member (2020) English to Italian Glad that I'm not the only one | Apr 9, 2021 |
Daniel Frisano wrote: I have the translation read aloud via text-to-speech while I read the original I just wanted to say that I'm glad that I'm not the only one doing this! And I agree that it helps to ensure completeness and correctness, while I personally deal with syntax, fluency, and style with a target-text-only proofreading run. | | | What file formats? | Apr 9, 2021 |
Emanuele Vacca wrote: I just wanted to say that I'm glad that I'm not the only one doing this! I've been doing text-to-speech checks for many years too, but so far I've found an effective solution for Word files only. But, what about other file formats, in particular those you cannot export yourself from CAT tools? As a workaround, I'm used to export to a Word or an RTF bilingual file, but it's not ideal because the text doesn't flow the same as when exported to the original format. | | | Agreed, but not completely: | Apr 9, 2021 |
Teresa Borges wrote: to read the whole text aloud: it improves the chances of noticing errors, especially missing or repeated words. I (do not always) read the text aloud, but to speed it, mainly only the articles, verbs and pronouns (and sometimes the whole sentence, but rather rarely). The effect is the same as Teresa mentioned. I guess, that to speak (partially) what you read activates other parts of your brain and makes it more alert during these steps. | | | Daniel Frisano Italy Local time: 10:54 Member (2008) English to Italian + ... TOPIC STARTER
Good stuff. I remember using a variant of Josephine's backward reading technique in the days when spellcheckers weren't easily available, or at all. In college, that's how we proofread our dissertations for typos, except that we did it word by word (I swear). We took one paragraph at a time and read it backwards: ... backwards ... it ... read ... and ... time ... a ... at ... paragraph ... one ... took ... we And it did work. I'll try ... See more Good stuff. I remember using a variant of Josephine's backward reading technique in the days when spellcheckers weren't easily available, or at all. In college, that's how we proofread our dissertations for typos, except that we did it word by word (I swear). We took one paragraph at a time and read it backwards: ... backwards ... it ... read ... and ... time ... a ... at ... paragraph ... one ... took ... we And it did work. I'll try a couple of suggestions, starting with the printouts. I guess the Amazon rainforest can withstand an extra dent or two... ▲ Collapse | |
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Adieu Ukrainian to English + ...
Mario Cerutti wrote: Emanuele Vacca wrote: I just wanted to say that I'm glad that I'm not the only one doing this! I've been doing text-to-speech checks for many years too, but so far I've found an effective solution for Word files only. But, what about other file formats, in particular those you cannot export yourself from CAT tools? As a workaround, I'm used to export to a Word or an RTF bilingual file, but it's not ideal because the text doesn't flow the same as when exported to the original format. IDK about others, but with memoQ, for example, you can select and CTRL-C CTRL-V the entirety of the "preview" window into Word. | | | Amazon rainforest... | Apr 9, 2021 |
Daniel Frisano wrote: I'll try a couple of suggestions, starting with the printouts. I guess the Amazon rainforest can withstand an extra dent or two... I only buy paper from national companies which production comes from their own forests and I use two kinds of paper: a good quality paper for certified translations and a recycled paper for everything else. I also use duplex printing as much as possible. | | | Post removed: This post was hidden by a moderator or staff member because it was not in line with site rule | Pages in topic: [1 2] > | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » Improving self-proofreading CafeTran Espresso | You've never met a CAT tool this clever!
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