Your role as a translator does not end with the translation of the concerned document. You have to make sure that it is error-free and ready to be delivered to the clients. Gaffes and flaws will not hamper your reputation as a translator but can also have serious consequences for those who sought your service at the first place. Here are few tips on how to proofread a document:
- Do not start proofreading the document immediately after translating. When you allow for a significant time interval between the translation and editing process you are more likely to find errors and gaffes.
- Make sure your workspace has minimum distractions allowing you to pay complete attention to the text. It is recommended to work on the hardcopy of the document so that you can make notes and corrections wherever possible.
- Don’t forget to check the formatting of the document, use of punctuations, page numberings, headers and footers etc. These should be an integral part of your proofreading process. Moreover, look for misspellings, long sentences and paragraphs and refer to a dictionary or style guide if necessary.
- While proofreading, read the article from the point of view of the end user. Scrutinise it as if you are reading it for the first time and keep on highlighting the errors as you read along.
Certified Translation Services is an official document translation service in London offering high quality translations in more than 100 languages. The company also offers desktop publishing, subtitling, transcription, interpreting, voiceover, multilingual copywriting and proofreading services. Over the years, the company has served a myriad of industries including medical, legal, engineering, media and manufacturing.