Yael Sela-Shapiro, Hebrew-English Translation & Editing,

Content & Public Talks Yael@transela.com www.TranSela.com

The translators invest their mind and soul into the translation

The editors enter this minefield, armed with nothing but a pen…

The pen is also metaphorical…

Mortal Enemies?

Editors and Translators are freelancers working from home

They may not know each other at all

Clients often keep them divided and separate and avoid establishing on-going teams

No long-term relationship = no mutual trust and / or respect

The Customary Divide and Conquer

Translation

Editing

Proof-reading, Typesetting, Printing

The Translators receive the final text, and their hearts sink…

The Customary Editing Process

Translators get to know the text better than anyone, sometimes even the writer

Translators’ in-depth understanding of the text leads to some overall choices:

Relative registers

Lexical choices that are not obvious

Translating in light of implicit context

Translators 101

Editors read with fresh eyes, like the end user

Translators, often too “caught up” in the source text, may translate literally, ambiguously or just wrongly. Editors are there to save us from our mistakes.

Editors have meta-considerations

Client dictates, constraints, terminology

Target audience considerations (age, culture, background, previous knowledge)

Editors 101

Poor grasp of source language

Ignorance of the subject matter

Over-literalism / “translationese”

Raising register / over-unification of source

Awkward / ambiguous phrasing

Overlooking allusions / wordplay / alliteration

Not adapting translation to target audience

You dare call yourself a Translator?! Some common translator faults

Poor grasp of source language

Ignorance of the subject matter

Over-literalism

Raising register unnecessarily

Over-unification of multiple-voice source

Overlooking intertextuality

You dare call yourself an Editor?! Some common editor faults

Define guidelines / style-guide, terminology, expectations, target audience, constraints

Convey the above to both translator and editor

Introduce translator and editor

Arrange to send edited translation to translator

Arrange for the translator and editor to communicate regularly and with mutual respect

Project Manager / Publisher, Pre Translation:

Explicitly explain in general and specific comments:

Reasons for picking register / term / idiom

Reasons for picking a non-obvious solution

Point out literary vehicles (alliterations, allusions, quotes, parallelisms etc.)

Point out implicit context / constraints

Translator

Ask translators how they perceive the text, what were their concerns in translating it

Use Track Changes

Make a short editing “sample”

Discuss sample with translator to formulate a mutually-acceptable “editing policy”

Return edited text to translator for review before submitting to client

Editor

Review edited text, even if you’re not getting paid for your time

Your translations are your portfolio; have them represent who you really are

Avoid editor mistakes being attributed to you

Respect your editors: they make your text better for your sake as well as your client’s

Do not get emotionally attached to your text

Notify PM or publisher if editor sucks

Translators, Please Note:

Respect translators: they often cherish their work.

Communicate with translators regularly

Don’t be judgmental; act diplomatically

Give translators some credit: what looks like a mistake may in fact be a well considered choice

Make your inquiries ordered and to the point

Notify PM or publisher if translator sucks

Editors, Please Note:

Questions? Comments?

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